Identifying an aircraft. Can I beat the forum?

I heard of the existence of this film years ago but hadn’t seen it until now. If anyone knows the exact DVD it’s on please do let me know as I’d love a copy.

I grew up around Cirencester/Cheltenham so was pretty taken by part 2 on YouTube and recognised a lot of Cirencester.

At 4:42 he passes to the SW of the old Roman Amphitheatre before crossing the old Tetbury road. 5:14 he’s just SW of Colesbourne and 5:24 he crosses the escarpment just south of the western end of the Dowdswell Resovoir.

I haven’t worked out where he’s flying over Cheltenham but I have a hunch its around the hill at Battledown.

I’ll give you the Lat/Lons if anyone wants to plot the course on Google Earth. 😉

Interesting though – the film says 1943 but the map used in the illustrations must be an old one as there are a few airfields missing from it. 😀

Good advice – most students tend to over read the chart, so not flying accurate headings and speed between checkpoints. My RAF-derived advice was to do 6 minute checkpoints and begin looking/calculating up to 2 mins before but no more. Certainly lowers the workload.

Great film too, loved it. It should be shown to all ppl students when they start nav

Showed it to my cousin who’s currently training to fly commercial and said

the mapping equipment they are using is virtually identical to what we have been training with!

Only worry now is that he might be tempted to try flying that low!

It would be logical to have been filmed around Benson, as the Aerial Film Unit (I think) was based at Benson.

An interesting reference here: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1942/1942%20-%201248.html

I’ve watched the film now and I recognised the depot buildings at Shirburn, Watlington railway station and Wittenham clumps in the early shots. Was the aircraft being flown out of Benson as it appears to be flying around it?
I also recognises a lot of the other pinpoints on the practice route, if only because it passed within a few miles of my home.

The Church at 4:46 I believe to be Holy Trinity at Privett Hampshire. South of Alton and West of Petersfield. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/420312
Not on the track described in the film.

Richard

I’m sure I caught a glimpse of a mossie starboard airscrew spinner at one point.
I spose it could have been a merlin engined beaufighter?

This film has been played on a screen in either the cabinet war rooms or dover castle restaurant area I believe, I just can’t remember which one.

Bomberboy

A very interesting and evocative piece of film.
Note the use of a proper computor, spelt correctly into the bargain.

Great film too, loved it. It should be shown to all ppl students when they start nav

I don’t think they need to worry too much about flak though, looking at the initial raid!

Great film.

You guys never let me down – thanks.

Moggy

Great film too, loved it. It should be shown to all ppl students when they start nav

The aircraft being flown by Ronald Gilman, who later was a senior BEA and British Airways Captain. He also later restored an Avro Cadet and was the first Chairman of the Vintage Aeroplane Club.

After an operational tour on Beauforts and instructing on Blenheims at Bicester, he was given the job of creating an aerial film unit. He took part in many “interesting” low-level sorties, mainly with Bostons.

The Eindhoven footage was probably shot from a Boston, the initial low level footage is shot in the vicinity of Princes Risborough and the Chilterns ridge and shows Chinnor cement works. I wonder whether he ‘blagged’ a Blenheim V from his old OTU at Bicester for this and or the navigation exercise?

Aeroplane Monthly recorded some of his memoirs in the early 1980s, and his book “The Shiphunters” is recommended reading!

There’s also some post-war footage of Gilman at http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=47460

I have this film on dvd. It’s available on the “RAF at War: The Unseen Films” collection. Can’t remember what year though as the films span from 1940 up to the 1960’s. I’ll have a look and post up which dvd it’s on. Great films though! Can I mention the producer of the dvd’s?

Regards;
Steve

Very interesting film. I think it is sometimes a forgotten aspect of combat operations before the dawn of electrical computers. Never mind dodging the enemy, you have to get there first! I am reminded of a reply given to me by Tony Iveson, who switched from fighters to bombers, when I asked him which he preferred- “Bombers, I had someone to tell me where to go!”.

Wonderfully dry comment in the film- “The people on the other side wouldn’t co-operate”.

Thanks for sharing.

Definitely a Beaufort. What a fabulous film!

Here’s a link to the first part of the film. I haven’t had time to look at much of it just now but from a brief close up it is either a Beaufighter or Beaufort. At the beginning, there is an excellent clip of Bostons raiding Eindhoven at ultra low level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQWZEVaoFKQ

You’ve failed miserably, Moggy!:)

As I recall, it was a Beaufighter. Although lots of airfields were visible on the pilot’s map as very suitable waypoints , their locations and even existence were not mentioned!

Not seen the film but I’d put money (but not a lot) on it being that favourite of the RAF Film Unit a Boston.