JUMPS AHEAD [Main Title]

Log in to create clips, download free screeners and save clips/films in Collections. Click here to find out more.


  • Title: JUMPS AHEAD [Main Title]
  • Film Number: APY 9
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Film by the Royal Air Force Film Production Unit, describing joint Army-RAF parachute training at RAF Ringway and narrated by a parachute trainee.
  • Description: Title: "Jumps Ahead" with a silhouette of an Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley. In an office looking out onto an airfield (probably at No 1 Parachute Training School, RAF Ringway, Cheshire), an RAF wing commander addresses camera; purpose of the film is to introduce initial parachute training methods and Army-RAF cooperation. Wipe to lecture room with RAF officer lecturing a multinational audience; one man has "Norge" (Norway) shoulder patch. "It's all very simple if you do what you're told." The officer shares some anecdote and the audience members laugh. Physical training and ground training; men learn to control parachutes in the air by practising on swings. Men practice their parachute landing falls (PLFs) from gym benches and slides; "most of this training is falling and landing". Use of a fan descender to practice landing; "after a few goes we've soon got the hang of it" with a dramatically shaky point-of-view shot as the cameraman jumps from the descender. Brief and slightly incongruous shot of men in a mess. Preparing for first jump; men queue for parachutes from a (presumably Women's Auxiliary Air Force) corporal who issues them. Tethered balloon for first jump; "we call her Bessie the Beautiful". Four trainees board the balloon's cage; as the cage rises the camera tilts from a trainee (looking decidedly nervous and his helmet appears to be marked "Cumberland") to the open hole cut in the floor. The narrator describes being ordered to jump, the ground rushing up and the realisation that "it's not so bad after all". More practice jumps then first jump from an aircraft; interior aircraft with view through the open floor hatch. Camera follows a descending parachutist; deployment of sticks of ten jumpers by multiple aircraft. Climax; mass descent with line of parked Whitleys. Whitley starting up, men boarding and aircraft take off. Five Whitleys overhead. Interior footage; view through hatch. Green light comes on; "this is where we get out". Interior, ground and aerial shots of parachutists dropping, deployment bags and static lines trail beneath a Whitley with its undercarriage down. "And now our training here is over and we all feel pretty good. The real job is about to commence; as far as we're concerned, the sooner the better". THE END.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: APY 9
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1943-02-15
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Air Ministry (Production sponsor) Royal Air Force Film Production Unit (Production company) Clayton, Jack (Production individual) Pollard, William B (Production individual) Jones (Sergeant) (Production individual) Reeves (Aircraftman) (Production individual) Shears (Aircraftman) (Production individual) Almond (Aircraftman) (Production individual) Fitch, R (Production individual) Mason (Leading Aircraftman) (Production individual) Churm (Leading Aircraftman) (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Parachute Regiment (regiment/service) Royal Air Force, 297 Squadron (regiment/service) Royal Air Force, Parachute Training School No 1 (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Ringway, Cheshire, England, UK (geography) Aerial Warfare (theme) Airborne Forces (theme) Royal Air Force 1939-1945 (theme)
  • 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: 464 ft; Running time: 6 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    APY 9

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    APY 9A (JUMPS AHEAD (long version) [Main Title])
Register