True Bearing sells the attractions of the life for RAF recruits in the Far East, particularly in Singapore where ‘some 7000 Royal Air Force men with their wives and children spend two-and-a-half years in unrivalled surroundings of comfort and climate’. It also sells the attractions of their work: war is nowhere to be seen in this film, instead it features a display of the efficiency of military machinery. Radars, aerials and aeroplanes are all lovingly detailed by both the camerawork and the script.

This film has high production values. It employs actors in the leading roles, the cinematography is of a high standard, and the music is cleverly sequenced (an aptly titled piece called ‘El Dorado’ accompanies shots of the beaches of Gan; a jaunty jazz piece is used for pleasurable excursions in Singapore). It also uses devices familiar from theatrical motion pictures. For example, lingering shots of an aeroplane’s control panels indicate that something is likely to go wrong. Similarly, the attention that is paid to Corporal Mitchell leads us to believe that he is the prime candidate to fix things. Nevertheless, this is resolutely not a disaster movie. The emphasis is not on machines malfunctioning, but instead on how well the RAF can deal with problems. Serviceable equipment and the engineering skills of the force are put on display.

The film is as carefully constructed as the RAF’s equipment. Scenes lead directly on from one another and their various plot devices interlock. Corporal Mitchell is moving into new married quarters in Singapore and awaiting the arrival of his wife from England. Mitchell’s visit to his new quarters provides an excuse to put the elegant RAF compound on display. He drives through it in his classic car, accompanied by the jazzy soundtrack, and is halted by a charming local lollipop man. Once at his new quarters he is presented with a beautiful Singapore girl who wishes to stay on as helper; and we are told that she is a ‘real treasure, a marvellous washer and keeps the place like a new pin’. His wife, meanwhile, is onboard her plane and is worried about her new destination. This enables the flight assistant to inform her that ‘you live like blooming potentates!’ and to claim that eating at the RAF’s canteen is ‘like dining at the Ritz’. We then cut to the canteen, where we see abundant food being served by a large team of locals in crisp white uniforms. The menu, reassuringly, features ‘Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding’ and ‘Lancashire Hot Pot’.

Corporal Mitchell’s removal to the island of Gan to mend the equipment serves several narrative purposes. It provides us with a chance to see his engineering skills and the range of RAF equipment. It also elicits a portrayal of the easy-going camaraderie of various RAF teams. His journey facilitates aerial shots of the beauty of Singapore and of the enticing island of Gan at sunset and sunrise. Finally, his removal provides an excuse to send some of Mitchell’s comrades on a shopping trip in his stead. This last device is subtle. In place of the steady and married Corporal Mitchell we get to see young recruits who are playful and single. Their excursion introduces us to attractive WAAFs at the army swimming pool and on the beach. It also features a montage sequence of Singapore, where we witness the beauty of the city and of its people. We also see that these people are on hand to serve the young recruits: they are obligingly pedalled around the city on a trishaw by a middle-aged local.

In True Bearing the people of Singapore, like the city itself, serve as an attractive backdrop and as providers of comfort to the men of the RAF.The Far East and life in the services are pictured as being idyllic. Active combat does not impinge on this film and nor does local politics. As such, this film reflects Britain’s withdrawal from active involvement in governing this region.

Richard Osborne (July 2009)