'633 Squadron 'Film Queries"

Dizzy Addicott few TA719 during 633 Sqn after it failed to return for the Skyfame opening and Peter Thomas ordered it back from Scotland

When you see the Mosquitoes in a narrow valley this is the Larig Ghru in the Cairngorms.The B25 flies over a small town,this might be Braemar or Tomintoul.The airport used for the filming base in scotland was Inverness Dalcross.

Interesting account of a flight during the filming

”Crewdson introduced me to the pilots. We briefed for the flight. I was to fly in Mosquito T.T.35 TA 639 with Flying Officer C. Kirkham from Royal Air Force Little Rissington. Kirkham was to be the leader of Red formation. The second of the three Mosquitoes making up Red formation was another T.T.35 flown by Flight Lieutenant D.J. Curtis. The third aircraft was a Mosquito T.3 flown by J.R.”Jeff” Hawke, an colorful ex -RAF Lightning pilot who was later to ferry two of the Bf 108s used in the film over to the USA.”

http://viewfromthecockpit.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/chapter-3-mighty-mosquito.html

Taff Rich was definitely one of the pilots, he flew for 3 CAACU back in the 60s, I also worked there as an engineer and winch operator.
Taff is the guy who crash landed the aircraft for the film, he was picked as he was very small and could get out easily.

Thanks Propstrike, I did find a Thread on here from 2004 that had some details and picks. There seems to be some contention about its use in “The War Lover” though. I have some photos of it taken by my Dad somewhere.

I also found an article from Flight magazine about flying in the film https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1963/1963%20-%201742.PDF where Roy Stevens is listed as co pilot!

Cheers,

Steve

Serial #: 44-30861
Construction #:
108-34136
Civil Registry:
N9089Z
G-BKXW
Model(s):
B-25J
TB-25J
VB-25J
VB-25N
Name: None
Status: Stored
Last Info: 2003

History:
Delivered to USAAF as 44-30861, 19??.
– Stored at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ, Dec. 1958-1959.
American Compressed Steel Corp/Aero American Corp, Cincinatti, OH, Dec. 1959-1963.
– Registered as N9089Z.
– Delivered to UK for movies The War Lover & 633 Squadron.
— Flew as “RAF/N908/MOVIEMAKER II”.
Hamilton Aircraft Co, Tucson, AZ, July 1963.
Aero Associates Inc, Tucson, AZ, July 1963-1969.
– WFU, open storage, Biggin Hill, UK, 1964-1966.
Malcolm D.N. Fisher/Historical Aircraft Preservation Society, Biggin Hill, 1966-1967.
British Historic Aircraft Museum, Southend, July 1967-1983.
– Arrived by road, July 19, 1967.
– Displayed as HD368/VO-A.
John Hawke/Visionair International, London, May 10, 1983.
Aces High Ltd, Duxford, 1984-1987.
– Registration G-BKXW.
– Displayed as HD368/VO-A
Aces High Ltd, North Weald, Oct. 1987-1989.
– Arrived dismantled.
– Static display as 430861/Bedsheet Bomber.
The Fighter Collection, Duxford, 1989-2003.
– Stored, North Weald, 1989-2002.
– Used as parts source.
Last flight, 1964.

Now at Booker airfield, High Wycombe, derelict, dismantled.

http://napoleon130.tripod.com/northamericanb25mitchell/id68.html

I would like to know more about the Mitchell “Moviemaker II” which I saw every weekend form the mid sixties until it disappeared on a low loader to Southend. Always thought it was a pity that it was just dumped at Biggin Hill. It was referred to on the airfield as Bill Webb’s Mitchell (Bill owned and ran the commercial company Fairflight which operated Herons, Doves and Ansons) but it never moved anywhere, just sat in front of a hangar next to the Surrey and Kent Flying Club. Seen the WIX files but not much help. Always loved that plane.

Steve

Which would tie in with filming of Mosquito Squadron.

Thanks for all your feedback which is most appreciated.I recall reading’ Airborne’ by Neil Williams about 20 years ago and recall that he said that the first time he flew a Mosquito was in 1968 when he piloted TA634 from Speke to Bovingdon.

From a variety of sources other pilots involved in 633 filming would have been ‘Taff’ Rich ! and Pete Warden ?
Also David Ogilvy did some circuit bashing for the soundtrack – in his own words….

Main filming had
finished before they realised they hadn’t
got noises for the soundtrack. They needed
the squeal of the tyres on landing, and I
flew several circuits and had to land right
beside the recording equipment. So my
contribution can be heard, but not seen.”

Mosquito Squadron and 633 Squadron are not the same thing.

Absolutely Daz – once again I worded it carefully ,seems pretty clear NW did not fly mossies in 633 sqn.

Ok now there was at thread or a part of a thread in the last couple of years which detailed the ferrying of the two me 108s (Nords) from 633 Squadron to the USA. Only one made it and the other either ditched or bellied in on an ice floe. There was a printed article in the thread, and in the article it named one pilot as Jeff Hawke and the other I think was Martin Cadin but I could be wrong. I have searched for the thread to no avail. Maybe others will have better luck.

OK found it http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?122499-633-sqn-Nord-1002-identities and it’s not Martin Cadin.

Steve

Mosquito Squadron and 633 Squadron are not the same thing.

Mosquito Squadron came a few years after, but recycled most of the aerial footage from 633.

Colin – yes – just had a look at Neil Williams book and he definitely states that his first solo in a Mossie was the B35 ferry Liverpool to Bovingdon for filming Mosquito Sqn.

rgds baz

That’s what most books and articles say. But in the book ‘Flying Film stars’ Mark Ashley claims that Neil Williams and Martin Caidin were two of the Mosquito pilots. Caidin was also co-pilot of the B-25 camera plane and pilot of one of the Bf108s.

I worded it carefully Colin – I intentionally just typed ‘included’ as I do not have an list of all pilots,but I also do not think Neil Williams flew mossies in 633.

rgds baz

Neil Williams did not I believe participate in 633 Squadron. He did take actor Cliff Roberson flying in a Tiger Moth and Robertson thanked him by letting him fly his Spitfire. I did though hear that Don Bullock flew in 633 Squadron, don’t know if it’s true though.

Re an earlier question, the wheels up crashes in the middle and at the end are the same crash from different angles. Watch them very carefully and you will notice a large clump of earth thrown up in both crashes, in the last one it disappears behind some mountains in the background!

Steve

That’s what most books and articles say. But in the book ‘Flying Film stars’ Mark Ashley claims that Neil Williams and Martin Caidin were two of the Mosquito pilots. Caidin was also co-pilot of the B-25 camera plane and pilot of one of the Bf108s.

633 pilots included John Crewdson, Flying Officer C. Kirkham , Flight Lieutenant D.J. Curtis and the inimitable J.R.”Jeff” Hawke

#3 Humber Scout Car?