BURMA BLENHEIM BOMBER BOYS PART I, 22 FEBRUARY 1942

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: BAY 245-3).

Synopsis

22 February 1942: short panning shot over camouflaged tented camp on the edge of the airfield at Magwe, Burma, ending with group shot of personnel of RAF Squadron 113 outside of one of the larger tents posing for the cameraman. Individual shots of the personnel - Commanding Officer Wing Commander Reginald Stidolph of Plumtree, Southern Rhodesia (profile and smiling for the camera), Flying Officer Jim Purvis of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Flying Officer August Clinton of London (holding a bottle), Wing Commander Bryan Wallis of Dublin, Ireland (seated, reading), Pilot Officer George Bassingthwaighte of Queensland, Australia (putting on a Type B flying helmet), Sergeant Observer Bill Clearihue of Montreal, Canada, Sergeant Observer Trevor Scott-Chard of Penarth, Wales, Sergeant John Chapman of Winnipeg, Canada, Lieutenant Percy Bodley of Johannesburg, Transvaal and Pilot Owen Loane of New South Wales, Australia (seated, then standing together lighting their cigarettes), Observer William Downes of Edgware (with still camera), Observer Lloyd G George of Cowell, Australia, Wing Commander Bryan Wallis, Flight Lieutenant Ivor Beeston (Beeson?) of Devon, Sergeant "Teddy" Thompson of Tweed, Canada, Pilot Officer Karorilal Bhatia of Punjab, India, brief group shot, Flying Officer Ronald "Cherry" Orchard of Edinburgh (drinking) standing with Squadron Leader Peter Ford of Kensington, London (removing his flying helmet), beer being poured through torn short trousers of one of the group, slow panning shot over the entire group.

Group Captain Noel Christie Singer of Inverurie, Scotland, Wing Commander Stidolph, Squadron Leader Ford and Wing Commander Wallis studying map on the bonnet of a car. Brief shot of 250 lb bombs on the back of a lorry. Bristol Blenheim Mk IV aircraft being refuelled from a Zwicky bowser. 250lb bombs being manually loaded into the bomb bay of a Bristol Blenheim Mk IV. Shot of the chin turret of Bristol Blenheim Mk IV. Incendiary bombs being loaded into wing bays of a Bristol Blenheim Mk IV.

Mute, unedited footage shot by British Paramount News cameraman Maurice Ford of RAF Squadron 113, Magwe, Burma 22 February 1942.

Notes

Summary: identification of personnel taken from Maurice Ford's original dope sheet

 

Titles

  • BURMA BLENHEIM BOMBER BOYS PART I, 22 FEBRUARY 1942
 

Technical Data

Year:
1942
Running Time:
7 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm
Colour:
B&W
Sound:
Silent
Footage:
693 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB