I watched “The Devil’s Brigade” on Channel 5 yesterday and made an amazing discovery. Just after the main titles there is a short sequence where a light aircraft (? Miles Messenger) lands at a British airfield. In this sequence we also see a Mosquito and three Spitfires in the background. I recorded the film and after freeze framing it I discovered that the Mosquito was T3 TW117.
At the time this sequence would have been shot (1967) this aircraft was kept at RAF Henlow. The three Spitfires are none other than three “Mark Addies” in 1940 camouflage, a year before they were filmed in “Battle of Britain”. Two of them have the white fablon codes used in the film.
This means we are seeing three of the Spits used in the B of B film in their film warpaint a year before filming commenced plus one of the Mosquitoes used in “633 Squadron” in a film also starring Cliff Robertson. I took some screen grabs with my digital camera so I will try and upload them.
Colin
By: Mark12 - 20th March 2007 at 10:16
I am indebted to Colin Barron for providing a DVD of ‘Devil’s Brigade’ at lightning speed for analysis.
There were financial fits and starts with the BoB film in the mid 1960’s but by 1967 aircraft had started to accumulate at RAF Henlow for assessment. These included the Me109G and Ju87 neither of which were destined to be used in the film.
The Spitfires lined up for ‘Devil’s Brigade’ were sourced from these early arrivals.
The first in line is P7350, in from RAF Colerne, but now painted in what I believe was a ‘trial’ of what would become the Spitfire livery adopted for the film. It was displayed in this scheme at the ‘open day’ at Henlow on the Whitsun holiday of 1967. This was prior to the decision to restore this aircraft to airworthy status for the film.
Second in line is K9442 still carrying its RN-V Exhibition Flight codes. This would be an obvious candidate for the film but with delays in filming, this aircraft was to move back to Bicester and be restored and refinished for the Abingdon Royal Review in 1968.
Third in line is BM597 still carrying its Church Fenton Codes PR-O. It arrived at Henlow in February 1967 and departed October 1967 to Pinewood studios, where it was used as the principal mould for all the GRP replicas.
Mark
By: colin.barron - 19th March 2007 at 09:40
Unfortunately I cannot get my screen grabs to upload as they are above the Kb limit. If you would like to e mail me back channel at [email]colin.barron@ukonline.co.uk[/email] I will send them on.
You are quite correct that the Bof B film started filming in Spain in March 68 and a few weeks later in the UK. However filming was originally scheduled for one year earlier so it is possible that some of the Spits were ready in 1967. “The Devils Brigade” had its USA premiere in May 1968 so I assume filming was done in 67.
Colin
By: Mark12 - 19th March 2007 at 09:34
Colin,
To the best of my belief no BoB film Spitfires were ‘coded’ prior to the big press day at Henlow in April 1968. At that time the prepared and pristine painted Spitfires were still carrying the oversize red centre to the fuselage roundel, subsequently rectified before filming.
Spitfires were certainly gathering at Henlow, the pre-filming engineering base, prior this time.
I await your ‘screen grab’ images with some interest.
Mark
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March 19, 2007 at 8:51 am