THE BIG PACK (short version) [Main Title]

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  • Title: THE BIG PACK (short version) [Main Title]
  • Film Number: APY 2
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: A film by the Royal Air Force Film Production Unit, portraying the work of RAF Maintenance Command in managing the complex logistics for the fictional Operation Storm.
  • Description: Reel 1: RAF FPU titles 'The Big Pack. Credits 'Music by Gordon Jacob/Played by the RAF Symphony Orchestra'. Scroll of text over a model of the UK introduces the enormous weight of stores handled by Maintenance Command ('6 tons of stores a minute') and the story of the special effort needed to sustain overseas operations. The camera pushes in on the model to 'Maintenance Command HQ'. A Hudson peels away from camera and the pilot prepares to land. An RAF Group Captain, named Reid, steps out from the aircraft and gets into a staff car. At a stately home, the headquarters of Maintenance Command, Reid proceeds upstairs to speak to an Air Marshal and tells him a major offensive is due in 14 days. Reid is sent to begin preparations, with his Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) assistant, named Ridley, but starts by telephoning his wife. The operation is given the codename 'Storm'. Sudden, somewhat jarring, cut to a boxing match in progress. A Wing Commander Matthews is passed a message by a WAAF, who then calls one of the corner men, Flight Lieutenant Millichip, out of the ring mid-match. Another jarring cut to a billiard room where a telephone call to 223 Maintenance Unit is taken by Flight Lieutenant Blow and passed to a Flight Lieutenant Mackintosh; 'You don't know what you're asking - modify seventy Hurricanes in a fortnight?' Mackintosh, peeved, abandons his game of snooker and goes to speak to his Flight Sergeant, named Pryce, whose leave he has had to cancel. Flight turns; 'Sergeant, we've got a spot of work to do'. Reel 2: Interior Reid's office; he opens the blackout curtain after a long night's work and asks his assistant about the ammunition supply. Map; pull out and move to Ammunition Depot of 303 Maintenance Unit. Despatch rider arrives and passes a message, an order for ammunition; 'That'll empty the blooming cave!'. A train is sent to 'G Loop' to collect 500-pound bombs. In a cave a Corporal Jenkins and his men are retasked to shift the bombs. Map; camera moves to Equipment Depot of 250 Maintenance Unit; clerks at work. Some urgent papers are despatched by motorcyclists. Equipment of all kinds, from tyres and tropical pith helmets to wing assemblies and propellers are shifted about. 'STORM' is stencilled onto packing crates. Map; camera shifts to Aircraft Unit (223 Maintenance Unit). A Vickers Wellington (serial BJ859) lands and parts (tropical air filters?) are unloaded. A Hawker Hurricane (serial HV745 and apparently fitted with one such filter) lands. The pilot of one Hurricane is a woman named Pam of the Air Transport Auxiliary, who goes to have her aircraft signed for. More Hurricanes taxiing. Map; camera returns to the Ammunition Depot where bombs and small arms ammunition are moved. Loaded wagons take the ammunition ouf of the cave and it is transferred onto a train. The train moves off; placard reads 'Urgent Shipment Traffic' and another wagon is grafittied 'Love to Hitler'. Ridley on the telephone with a query about 'bearskin coats'. In a depot three men discuss the non-arrival of the bearskins. At the Master Provisions Officer’s office the bearskins are chased up; a clerk wonders about invading Switzerland. Reel 3: In a store packets of vaccines are taken off a shelf; cut to a series of airmen receiving inoculations. In a mess airmen speculate about the operation; one man expects the destination to be the Baltic, others expect Russia or Canada. Montage of WAAFs clerks on typewriters and switchboards. Reid speaks to Ridley, who is plotting a graph of the progress of preparations; 'they're a bit behind on paper but they are going flat out'. Insert of a notebook page with 'Storm: 9 days to go; to map, with montage of activity at Ammunition Unit and Aircraft Unit. Pages are torn out to show seven days remaining. Montage continues to three days remaining. Reid and Ridley in the hall; Reid is quizzed by the Air Marshal, who suggests he go down to the docks to oversee final preparations, and expects that Ridley can look after things. Jarring cut to Pryce and Mackintosh at the Aircraft Unit discussing progress. Another urgent message forces Mackintosh and Pryce to hurry with the last of the Hurricanes. Mackintosh despatches his ferry pilots to 444 Packing Unit. Pilots, including Pam, walk out to their Hurricanes which are fitted with ferry tanks. Take offs with various people watching with satisfaction. Danger of approaching fog. Aerial footage of the Hurricanes. Hurricanes airborne looking for a way through the fog and coming into land in very murky conditions. Pam suffers an undercarriage failure and belly lands on the airstrip (filmed as a model shot) but climbs out unscathed and without any apparent urgency. Reel 4: Mackintosh on telephone about the crash; he jokes about keeping Hurricanes in his (desk) drawers. ‘Storm Last Day’ footage of loading ships. Loading lorries. Equipment depot with the bearskin coats being crated. Road convoys and rail movements. Loading at the docks; Reid is present with an Embarkation Officer named James. More road footage and dock loading. The air raid siren sounds; men man anti-aircraft guns. Stock footage of two Junkers 88. A barrage balloon is shot down in flames. Bombing at the docks (model shot). A fire engine rushes out; Reid has been slightly wounded but is more worried about the equipment. A Private Johnson reports his lorry, apparently carrying the bearskin coats, has been burnt out and Reid tells him, with a knowing smile, that they may not be wanted after all. Convoy at sea, men in landing craft, and shore bombardment. Over footage of men coming ashore and ships unloading BBC newsreader Alvar Lidell describes a successful landing 'our troops are being steadily reinforced and supplied...The advance continues'. The End.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: APY 2
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Air Ministry (Production sponsor) Royal Air Force Film Production Unit (Production company) Sweeney (Flight Lieutenant) (Production individual) Hill (Pilot Officer) (Production individual) Waxman, Harry1912-04-031984-12-24 (Production individual) Pollard (Pilot Officer) (Production individual) Pilgrim (Pilot Officer) (Production individual) Rider (Flight Sergeant) (Production individual) Towler (Sergeant) (Production individual) Wilcock (Sergeant) (Production individual) Jones (Sergeant) (Production individual) Challis, Christopher George (Production individual) Taylor (Sergeant) (Production individual) Fitch (Aircraftman) (Production individual) Hicks (Aircraftwoman) (Production individual) Curran (Aircraftwoman) (Production individual) White (Aircraftman) (Production individual) Mason (Leading Aircraftman) (Production individual) Rider (Flight Sergeant) (Production cast) Kerrigan (Flight Lieutenant) (Production cast) Taylor (Flying Officer) (Production cast) Crowe (Squadron Officer) (Production cast) Kerry (Flight Sergeant) (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 4 Footage: 3085 ft; Running time: 35 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    APY 2

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    REG/FILM/01/11/003 (RAFFPU Daily Progress Report Sheets APY 2: 69 - 114) REG/FILM/01/11/002 (RAFFPU Daily Progress Report Sheets APY 2: 1 - 68)
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