"MS" part 4

[beaky]

The last of the three special crews barely makes their escape...

Then a huge formation arrives to pulverize the chateau!

Eventually, the surviving POWs are returned to their mates, along with the last skip-bomb crew, who crash-landed enroute and were  caught up in a nasty firefight. Anybody know what these aircraft are? I haven't got a clue...


And in case anyone was wondering...





Despite the fact that Mosquitos were harmed in the making of this film, I have to "give props" to the pilots, support crews, and coordinators involved...
And despite the mawkish love story and other cheesy elements, it's got its moments as a thrilling tribute to the spirit of the RAF.

[ChuckMajik]

Anybody know what these aircraft are? I haven't got a clue...

They're Avro Ansons, but of which Mk. I have no idea.

[Hagar]

They're Avro Ansons, but of which Mk. I have no idea.

Right. They're the later post-WWII civil Avro 19 (Series 2) or more likely the T.21 military variant. These remained in RAF service until 1968. Most air cadets of my generation had their first flight in the Annie.

I knew Les Hillman (LJ Hillman Engineering in the credits) well at one time. A very interesting chap who worked on most of those British-made aviation films including 633 Squadron & The Blue Max. (Les originally worked for John Crewdson of Film Aviation Services. They went out to the US to get 3 B-17s for the War Lover which they fitted with extra fuselage tanks before flying them back to England. Les spent the whole flight in the rear fuselage of one of the B-17s ready to pump fuel from the extra tank with a handpump when required. One of those aircraft might still be airworthy. Captain Crewdson was aviation consultant/technical adviser for most post-war British films. Look out for his name in the credits when you see one of those old films even if they had little to do with aviation. He acquired the aircraft & did many of the flying sequences himself. People still talk about the low pass he did with a B-17 at Bovingdon while making the War Lover. I used to have a poor photo of it.*) I always had a good chat with Les Hillman whenever he popped into the workshops & he sometimes showed me photos taken during the filming. Unfortunately I found out recently he passed away some time ago.

PS. I was disappointed with the way most of these films like 633 Squadron turned out but that was nothing to do with Les Hillman or John Crewdson. In 633 Squadron there's sequence of a Mosquito crashing into a fuel bowser & going up in flames. Les was the chap running behind it out of shot steering it into the bowser with lines attached to the brakes. It was a criminal waste of a serviceable aircraft & he only had one chance to get it right.

*PPS. This is a composite from 2 photos & not a fake.

http://www.controltowers.co.uk/B/bovingdon.htm

[Jimbo]

You knew him!

Great stuff Doug!

Jimbo