Miles Messenger used in film 633 Squadron

Well here are the clues ! It has the larger rear windows and upper window so its a Messenger 4A. Its fitted with a wooden prop -short exhaust stacks -has no wheel covers and what appears to be a registration on the fin can be seen in a blaze of red .

Therefore on the basis of this – the aircraft which fits this description bearing in mind probably less than twenty were civilianised from RAF service is G-AKZX.

What clinches it in my estimation is that it was registered to Neville Browning until it was written off at Rochester 1965,

Having done a little research, I now suggest that the Messenger in 633 Squadron may have been Messenger 4A G-AKZX. This was owned by Neville Browning from 1948 until withdrawal from use in 1967. In fact it ended its flying life in 1965. This aircraft had a dark scheme and its registration was carried in small letters on the outer fins. In the film an indecipherable red registration can just be seen in that position as they enter the aircraft; but it is Browning’s ownership that may be the main pointer to which aircraft was used.

This thread is a few Miles off course now, but as to the B-25 s, there were three here in the 60’s and 70’s

614C was brought over to film a B-747 promo production, NOT 633, BoB, or War Lover

John Hawke/Euramericar Inc, Fort Lauderdale, 1970-1976.
– Based at Luton, UK, Apr. 1970.
– Used for films, fitted with camera nose.
Reported impounded at Dublin, Prestwick and Shoreham. Stored Shoreham, May 1974-1976
IWM/American Air Museum, Duxford, England, Oct. 1976-2002.
– Delivered by road, Oct. 1976.
– Restored for static display, Duxford.
— Fitted with B-25J nose.
– Displayed as USMC PBJ-1, 1996-2002.

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

If you’ll forgive me a brief tangential move, for which film(s) was B-25 N7614C the camera ship?

It went Coventry-Headcorn-Sandtoft and finally to Belgium. All of this time shedding parts including a rudder that is on display in the U.K

The point made that the Messenger in the film appears to be a different mark to G-AKBO is most intriguing and a good observation.

Big Bad Bonnie made it back to the U.S. The machine in Belgium is Gorgeous George -Ann.

I thought the B-25 which moved to Belgium was the ex Coventry and Santoft machine “Big Bad Bonnie” used in the Hannover Street movie and not N9089Z or has that recently departed?

From this clip of the film on YouTube (better resolution than the IMPDB shot), the rear window is much larger and more square.

(The Messenger appears around the 1:35 mark)

Of course, you’re gonna have to watch the whole thing just to hear that awesome theme tune…. :eagerness:

And the B25 is now in Belgium for rebuild.

The B-25 was N9089Z which was withdrawn from use at Biggin, it was later transported to Southend, was roaded again to Duxford and ended up at North Weald. It was last seen dismantled at Booker.

I know this is slightly off topic, but can anyone identify the B-25 Mitchell seen later in the film, which was returning the resistance fighter to Norway.

it was in natural metal, with full RAF markings.

Thanks in advance.

The ex RAF 4A’s had the large rear window-the 2A’s of which AKBO is didn’t.
There were a number of 4A’s still airworthy in the mid sixties.

On a brief glance of preserved Messengers, G-AKVZ has a full ‘rear window’.

Of course the rear window of G-AKBO could’ve been painted over post-film?

Was it really AKBO? The rear window is different to that of the screen capture on the IMPDB page..

IMPDB image

Recent picture of AKBO at Breighton.

Also see https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?86342-Miles-Messenger-memories/page3, post #114.

In ‘Flying Filmstars’ by Mark Ashley, its states it to be AKBO flown by Neville Browning. Was registered to Dorran Construction Limited of Perth between 1961 and 1964.

I suspect that it would have been John Crewdson, of Film Aviation Services, who sourced the Messenger for the film. Also there is interesting information about the location filming of 633 Squadron at:

https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1963/1963%20-%201741.html
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1963/1963%20-%201742.html
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1963/1963%20-%201748.html

Apparently the pilot of the Messenger during the filming was Neville Browning. An owner of ‘KBO (who would I guess have had access to its log book(s) ) later confirmed it was the example used. That was the source of my comments, not IMDB. I see that ‘KBO was based in Scotland when the film was being shot and that is where some of the flying sequences of the Mosquitoes was filmed … perhaps pure coincidence. It might be worth your contacting that doyen of Miles history Peter Amos, who from his extensive records may be able to confirm the aircraft used.

http://www.impdb.org/index.php?title=633_Squadron

http://www.impdb.org/index.php?title=Category:Miles_M.38_Messenger

These links show the Messenger and a photo of ‘KBO’. The civil photo is shown as an example of the Messenger type of plane but does not specifically identify this as the film plane. You could assume that this is the correct plane, but I suggest that the evidence is not 100 %.