I’m surprised that no-one has mentioned this, I was looking up the footie results and came late into this film while channel surfing. Rather unusually, it appeared to be a British film, starring Alan Ladd as a member of a British para regiment, of course as a Canadian/American with a mysterious past and apparently, according to IMDB, the film was also titled ‘The Red Beret’.
From what I saw when I came in, the first Dak on the screen was in USAF markings and all silver. The one shown on the take off proceedure looked like a civi job with a blue band and a hastily applied US star. We were then treated to colour footage of camo Daks in formation, followed by an exit by the paras over what was a rather dubious looking North Africa, which I gather was Abingdon, from an RAF Transport Command 50’s marked Dak.
The best bit was the alleged North African Luftwaffe base with lots of green grass, a traditional wartime RAF tower and best of all, the nose and starboard engine of what was obviously a silver Beaufighter parked next to the tower.
Lots of very nice Daimler armoured cars making tank like clanking noises as well, did anyone else see this, I’m annoyed because I didn’t see it from the beginning, a film to look out for, I reckon, any comments.
By: Arabella-Cox - 12th January 2009 at 19:03
The Wellington was cleared for para dropping and the film was realistic in that way ther than the stick cadance was far too slow. The Bruneval raid did of course use Whitleys for the drop but I suppose that by the time the film was made there would have been none of those left.
the line in the film that tickled me was the one where Canada (Allan Ladd) rejected his parachute because it was an X type only to be given another X type (the standard British Assault parachute of the time).
The serial of Hastings TG522 is visible in the film and when the Dakota that the main characters chase taxies out it has a US star on the port side and an RAF roundle on the starboard 😮
On the whole the film is forgettable tosh but I’ve seen worse.
By: colin.barron - 12th January 2009 at 16:59
I missed it though I did see it in TV a long time ago. The film is also known as “The Red Beret” and was produced by Warwick films which was Cubby Broccoli’s company before he got involved in Bond films.
I think the silver Wellington which appears in the film is the same one which appeared in “The Dambusters” i.e. MF628 which is now in the RAF museum.
I believe that in reality the Wellington was rejected as a para dropping aircraft because they couldn’t cut a hole in the belly for a para dropping hatch because of the geodetic structure.
Another inaccuracy is the use of a bazooka by British airborne forces. During WW2 they only ever used the PIAT.
Colin
By: austernj673 - 12th January 2009 at 11:20
Was nice to see the flying Wellingtons in colour too during their raid on Bruneval.
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January 12, 2009 at 10:36 am