ATLANTIC FERRY [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: ATLANTIC FERRY [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: APY 4
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Mute rushes, probably shot in Canada or the United States, showing activities of RAF Ferry Command and US Air Corps Ferrying Command, and flights of Liberator and Hudson aircraft.
  • Description: Reel 1: A Lockheed Hudson, apparently a transport variant, is towed by an aircraft tractor (the aircraft appears to move in the wrong direction – reversed film?). Aircraft is towed along a line of parked aircraft. Discussion between two RAF officers and two men in civilian dress, one of whom is in a suit with shirt and tie. Three men; one an an RAF sergeant, another one of the two civilians seen previously, and another civilian, walk to a waiting aircraft. The last civilian bangs his head on the aircraft’s trailing edge. They board. The civilian man in suit seen earlier, in conversation with an RAF sergeant and with them a civilian man with headphones round his neck. The suited man seems to be in charge. Hudson taxis past, in the foreground a parked aircraft and a soldier with helmet and rifle. A black transport variant RAF Liberator with propellers spinning. Two mechanics at work on an engine. Taxiing Hudson. Another shot of a civilian boarding an aircraft. Taxiing Liberator. An unidentified civilian climbs out of the belly hatch of a Liberator (serial AM920) and gets into a station wagon marked ‘British Ministry of Aircraft Production’. View from a moving vehicle showing parked aircraft. Interior aircraft flight deck with pilot apparently in civilian dress. Aerial views of coastal terrain and cloudscapes. Ground interior; officer and civilians gathered around a map. Another officer around the table appears to be in US Army Air Forces (USAAF) uniform. Hudson overhead. High and wide shot over parked Hudsons. Hudsons landing and taking off. RAF corporal in control tower talking on radio. Aerial air-to-air; Hudson in flight. Aircraft interiors and air-to-airs. Reel 2: Liberator (FK222) taxiing past other parked aircraft including USAAF aircraft, Hudsons and Fortresses. Parked RAF Hudson; a number of leather-jacketed Americans step down. A tractor draws up (marked Air Corps US Army) and takes their flight bags and other items). More Americans disembarking. Two airmen talking; one man’s jacket is marked ‘Higgins’. Close-up airman. ‘Air Corps Ferrying Command US Air Corps’ on front of a bus; an aircraft can be seen taking off in the reflection of the windscreen. ‘RAFFC’ on top of a former sightseeing bus; RAF personnel disembark. RAF aircrew looking at something; one man has ‘Canada’ title. Closer shot; men have ‘New Zealand’ and ‘Australia’ titles (the latter an Air Gunner). The men board a Hudson. Flight line with parked aircraft and a Liberator taking off. Taxiing Liberator FK221. Line of Hudsons. RAF roundel. Roundel on an aircraft with FH serial number. USAAF star with Ferrying Command insignia. Shot from moving vehicle driving along flight line. Various shots of the aircrew seen earlier, boarding. Engine start up. Liberator taking off. Hudson taxiing. Hudson take offs. Aircraft landing. Hudson starting up and taxiing away. Fortress. USAAF Hudson taxiing past Fortress in foreground.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: APY 4
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1942
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Air Ministry (Production sponsor) Royal Air Force Film Production Unit (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords: Aerial Warfare (theme) Royal Air Force 1939-1945 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 1459 ft; Running time: 17 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    APY 4

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