Is this General Montgomery at RAF Cranwell?

Something like that.
Whatever it is, it’s either dropped off or some light-fingered little erk has had it away while Monty wasn’t looking !

isn’t that his Knight of the Garter thing me jig

Found this on the internet, says it’s from 1956. Difficult to compare with the film, but do look similar.

http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1956/1956%20-%201081.PDF

Not Monty…

compare the still photo top left in the flight global article with the one here at post 5.

http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/ask-film-question/116068-high-flight-1957-feature-film.html

Zoom in on Monty’s left breast pocket in both stills, colour one is missing something big, bright and shiney…

……but could the bit of film have been lifted from the year before in 1956, when we know Monty was there? I have to agree although the pictures are B & W, the uniform in the pictures of 1956 and the “Monty” in the film both look khaki/green uniforms rather than blue. Although I am no expert on army dress, or indeed reading B&W photos.

And it says the film was released in Battle of Britain Week. So the graduating ceremony had to have been between April and September 1957. How many courses graduated that year?

The College had two entries a year. Odd number entries arrived in autumn, even in the spring. The course in those days was 3 years.

exmpa

Some clues:

Wikipedia states, “Principal photography which began on 10 April 1957, also took place at RAF Station Cranwell, Lincolnshire, utilising not only the facility but also film of the graduating ceremony of an actual training course, as well as RAF Chivenor, Devon, United Kingdom.”

And it says the film was released in Battle of Britain Week. So the graduating ceremony had to have been between April and September 1957. How many courses graduated that year?

It’s definitely not Montgomery; or any other army officer; in the film. They wore “blues” for ceremonial occasions, khaki would only have been worn for gardening and similar tasks.

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The Flight article that David Kavangh posted above seems to look like they are marching right to left passed the dias, as in the film? Perhaps if they were filming at this time it was altered due to better sun angle for the cameras? After all the RAF was fully co-operating with the film makers, something so trivial as a bit of drill could easily be altered to suit.

Also though that article has black and white photos it looks like Viscount Montgomery is wearing the same green (gardening??) uniform as in the film. It does not look like dress blues to me.

would have to agree that it was Clifton James “Monty’s Double”….

It’s definitely not Montgomery; or any other army officer; in the film. They wore “blues” for ceremonial occasions, khaki would only have been worn for gardening and similar tasks.

The other bit of trivia I noted was the Senior Entry marching off behind the Colour. It’s a long time ago but I am pretty sure that the Colour was marched off and we went up the sometime steps afterwards.

The graduation flypast was something that you never saw whilst you were at the college, you were always on the parade. Come to think of it I never saw one in later years either as I was always flying in it, including the last “figure” formation for 9 GE:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]222225[/ATTACH]

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Yes I am afraid I was but lacked appropriate smileys!;)

Perhaps the film was reversed when it was printed!

Hmmmmmmmm!! 😮
I do hope you you were being sarcastic….
Slope arms, officers swords, wings, medal ribbons… need I say more?:rolleyes:

M. E. Clifton James?

Found this on the internet, says it’s from 1956. Difficult to compare with the film, but do look similar.

http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1956/1956%20-%201081.PDF

As a long time admirer of Monty, something strikes me as not quite right.

I think that it’s an actor made up to resemble Monty.

Interesting – so long after he retired, as Healey was in Government in the mid-sixties. Perhaps the film was reversed when it was printed!

Although before my time I seem to recall that Montgomery was Reviewing Officer at a Graduation. My entry drew the short straw and got the then Secretary of State for Defence, Dennis Healey. We must have failed to impress or badly upset someone! The film is quite interesting, if you look closely at around 51 minutes you can see that it was shot before D Wing was built, the college having only 3 accommodation wings prior to 1960(?). The one thing I cannot explain is why the parade in the film marches past the saluting base from the Reviewing Officer’s right hand side. We always marched past from the left, A Squadron leading.

Anyway, it’s only a film.

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He retired the following year so it could have been. In his role as an inspector-general for NATO.