WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 63 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 63 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 63
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Give Them No Rest!
  • Description: I. 'GIVE THEM NO REST.' A South African Air Force (SAAF) officer rings on an improvised gong to assemble pilots for a final briefing prior to a mission. The commentary stresses that the men of the RAF, along with fellow flyers from South Africa, Australia and the United States are giving the enemy "Non-stop hell." SAAF ground crews unload 500lb bombs from trailers and manhandle them into the bomb bays of Douglas Boston Bombers. The commentary stresses the close cooperation between Squadrons to ensure that the air over enemy lines remains thick with Allied bombers. SAAF Aircrew climb into a Douglas Boston bomber (Z 2221 Service Allocation Number) as the pilot climbs onto the wing and enters the cockpit via the roof hatch. The aircraft's engines are started and the bomb-aimer removes a protective cover from the aircraft's bomb sight. Douglas Boston bombers perform a Squadron take off from an unidentified desert strip (OZ Squadron code ?). Elsewhere, P40 Curtiss Kittyhawk II fighters of 4 Squadron SAAF (The Vampires) are fuelled prior to acting as escort to the Boston bombers. A SAAF pilot climbs into the cockpit of a Kittyhawk followed by a Squadron take off from an improvised desert airstrip (LG85 or LG97). Air to ground views show the impressive amounts of dust and sand raised from the desert floor by a full Squadron take off. Various air to air and ground to air footage follows covering the rendezvous between the Boston bomber aircraft and their Kittyhawk escort. The commentary states that more than five thousand sorties against enemy targets have been carried out during the first ten days of July 1942. A SAAF bomb-aimer climbs into position at his bombsight in order to calibrate it prior to the final bomb run, one hand resting easily on the bomb release mechanism. Air to ground views of bombs dropping in pairs and impacting on the desert floor follow. Douglas Bostons fly in formation presumably on a return to their home landing strip. The commentary highlights the organisation of the bombing "shuttle service" by pointing out that other Allied aircraft are already taking off to continue the attacks against the enemy. A group shot of SAAF pilots walking towards the camera is shown as the commentary reiterates the theme of giving the enemy no rest. Elsewhere, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator in RAF livery taxies along a desert track with other B-24 aircraft parked in the background. The commentary states that these are the first pictures of Liberators in the Middle East and that RAF and United States Army Air Corps aircraft are flying in combined operations against enemy positions at Benghazi and Tobruk.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 63
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1942-07-20
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor) War Pictorial News (Production company) Martin, Charles (Production individual) Royal Air Force Film Production Unit (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords: operations, British air - preparation (object name) operations, British air - sortie (object name) combat, British - air strike (object name) Egypt & Western Desert (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 922 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 63

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