David Jason Battle of Britain.

Only for viewers in the UK

ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH:eek:

For those of us who missed it I’m enjoying it right now David Jason – Battle of Britain 😀

When the BBMF ground crew got DJ to insert his finger into the Spitfire, getting covered in oil in the process. Was that one of those classic `new boy` stitch ups? Bit like going for a long wait 🙂

Thanks for the link Os.

I note the Irish connection:)

Bentley, I don’t think DJ said two-seat spits (or that one) flew in the BoB – he did refer to another that was shown (BoBMF?) as being “the only one to take part in the Battle still flying” and, later, that the one he was flying in saw action in the war and had shot down the first enemy aircraft on D-Day. He did, however, say something that to me implied that most RAF pilots trained on two-seat Spits!!!

On the whole I thought it ws good.

Roger Smith.

Please pardon my ignorance,BUT,did I hear David Jason say that the two seat Spit had seen action in the BoB?
When did two seat Spits appear?
What WAS the history of the one he flew in.

ML407 – scroll down

Just one question from last night, Has Hawkinge relaxed it’s ‘No camera’s’ stance now? :confused:

Probably not. I would imagine a fee was involved in order to film there…:rolleyes:

Please pardon my ignorance,BUT,did I hear David Jason say that the two seat Spit had seen action in the BoB?
When did two seat Spits appear?
What WAS the history of the one he flew in.
Yes a tear appeared, I remember those days! Ginger Lacey was a Flight Commander at No1 School at RAF Jurby in 1953

A great programme, had almost given up thinking that ITV could make and show anything worth watching during prime-time viewing. Congratulations David, it will have brought the Battle of Britain to a lot of people. Yes some of the clips of film are well used but the public mostly won’t notice, this programme was made more for the masses rather than a few thousand aircraft enthusiasts. Hopefully one day some of the archives may be copied and shown one day for us all.

Dennis Bates, the observer corps man that David interviewed still reguarly rides his old motorcycles with the West Kent Section of the V.M.C.C. on their social run and rallies, and the machine that David Jason rode was a loaned Triumph Tiger 80, apparently he has a few old motorcycles of his own so getting his hands dirty looking round P7350 would have been like home from home!

Just one question from last night, Has Hawkinge relaxed it’s ‘No camera’s’ stance now? :confused:

Overall a good program. It was good to see all of the people involved getting the due credit and attention for once: Ground crew, pilots, plotters, ROC, radar, etc.

My only beef was the music – generic historic fayre – could have been on any program. At times I found it annoying, and detracted from the on-screen footage. This is just a hack musicians point of view though. 😀

It was an enjoyable programme. But an hour later David Jason showed us just what it is he does best. Albert’s Memorial was a stunner of a programme and one in which I will invest for those moments when I forget that life is for living, right to the end.

Regards,

kev35

I have to disagree I thought Albert’s Memorial was very poorly written and constructed and disappointing, not deserving of David Jason’s acting talents such as playing Skullion in Porterhouse Blue.

I liked the BofB programme though.

John

Ok, I got the channel wrong. But i do get fed up with all this bad resaerching.
Dave

It will pay to check, with the IWM, on what they have which is still available. They have thousands (possibly millions) of feet of film, most of which is stored in bomb-proof (from the inside!) buildings; due to being on volatile (and the older it gets the more volatile it becomes) 40s-era fim stock, Duxford are transferring it to more modern film, but it isn’t a fast process. Old film can spontaneously combust, so needs very careful handling.
Edgar

I only realised it was on after it finished so i hope its on itv player soon. I did enjoy the Heros Concert on BBC1 at 8 though.

Some howlers with the archive though…. Tupolev SB2 gets pasted on June 22nd 1941

Talking of howlers……. 😀

It’s a Tupolev SB – ‘Skorostnoy Bombardirovshchik’ – or ‘Fast Bomber’

The number 2 refers to the engine type used – 2 x M-103 or 2 x M-100 or 2 x M-105.

So it should never be written as ‘SB2’, but as ‘SB’ or ‘SB 2 M-100’ or ‘SB 2 M-105’ etc

It’s a common mistake ………. :rolleyes:

Ken

Ok, I got the channel wrong. But i do get feed up with all this bad resaerching.

Dave

It was an enjoyable programme. But an hour later David Jason showed us just what it is he does best. Albert’s Memorial was a stunner of a programme and one in which I will invest for those moments when I forget that life is for living, right to the end.

Regards,

kev35

Absolutely, Kev

It was an enjoyable programme. But an hour later David Jason showed us just what it is he does best. Albert’s Memorial was a stunner of a programme and one in which I will invest for those moments when I forget that life is for living, right to the end.

Regards,

kev35

Not bad. But why do the BBC keep useing the same old film, the Heinkel He111 with the stepped cockpit and the Arado Ar96 being shot down. There must be better film around, is it just poor researcher’s

Dave

Dave, this was an ITV Production. Highlights for me were the interviews with the veterans, as ever. Some howlers with the archive though….Spanish Civil War Heinkel appears yet again, Tupolev SB2 gets pasted on June 22nd 1941, Arado 96 meets its end yet again as you spotted. Yes there is plenty of original BofB footage around for a programme of this duration without having to resort to the 1969 movie. The wartime colour footage of VZ coded Spitfires was definitley post BofB. Maybe it’s down to cost, but the researcher should have been on the ball.
Hope the TV crew’s notebooks and mobile phones were confistcated before they entered Hawkinge !

It was a superb programme, many has been the time when I have looked forward to a prog and it has disappointed, no so such worries here.
I liked the journey David Jason took around all the significant BoB locations, ITV are to be really praised for this…….I wonder if it will be available on DVD?

Not bad. But why do the BBC keep useing the same old film, the Heinkel He111 with the stepped cockpit and the Arado Ar96 being shot down. There must be better film around, is it just poor researcher’s

Dave