Summary: General scenes of Mosquito and Boston crews preparing for operations and ground crew activity.
Description: A fitter pumps the priming handle of a Mosquito as the engine turns over. He secures the access door as the engine starts. Mosquito bombers warm their engines at dispersal. Mosquitos of 139 Squadron fly stepped up to starboard in a good air to air shot. Two navigators study their maps and plot their courses. They pack up and move off. Twelve Spitfires fly high over the airfield. In the dawn light crew walk to a hut. A Church Army mobile canteen drives off, a Boston in the background. Sentries are silhouetted against the dawn in long shot. Aircrew cluster around the Intelligence Officer for a debriefing. One of them is playing to the camera and miming a story of his shooting down of a fighter. As the story gets more outrageous the gathering breaks down into helpless laughter. His 'story' is shot in close up for fun. Other shots show the crews of Bostons and Mitchells going to their aircraft and settling into their stations. Close ups of a Mitchell wheel straining against the chock and ground crew activity are included.
Production Details: RAF Film Production Unit (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force, Sqdn 487 (regiment/service)
Royal Air Force, Sqdn 180 (regiment/service)
Royal Air Force, Sqdn 139 (regiment/service)
Church Army (regiment/service)
Keywords: aircraft, British - combat: De Havilland Mosquito FB VI (object name)
aircraft, United States - combat: Douglas Boston & [British] (object name)
aircraft, United States - combat: North American Mitchell Mk II & [British] (object name)
operations, British air - routine: refuelling (object name)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 1430 ft; Running time: 15 mins
