Footage taken by Lieutenant Philip Roderick Hall prior to his death in 1942 has been digitised and released.
The first film shows Anson and Sunderland low passes over his ship (at 5 min 20 secs) and the second film taken after he joined the Fleet Air Arm includes Fairey Battles, Fulmars and Swordfish.
That has to be some the best Fulmar footage available.
By: Beaufort - 21st May 2015 at 17:57
Are the biplanes in film two (6 mins) Hawker Audax, Hart, Nimrod or Osprey?
The Osprey was a proper naval aircraft but the other three also served in the FAA as trainers.
By: Arabella-Cox - 21st May 2015 at 10:25
Battle trainers might be at Netheravon.
The Air Britain Battle File, page 89, mentions 1 FTS at Netheravon, and includes “on 12 May 1941, P6671, a Battle (T) trainer, was taxying at Shrewton during night flying when it was hit by bombs dropped from an He111 and was burnt out.”
However, that doesn’t match the entry in the aircraft history given for P6671 later in the book on page 172.
Regards
Simon
By: Mike meteor - 21st May 2015 at 10:23
Wups! Quite right, going to bottom of class!
Sorry ’bout that.
By: Arabella-Cox - 21st May 2015 at 09:51
Interestingly it seems he is interred at Lee on Solent, but his date of death is definitely given as 14/06/1942.
He’s commemorated on the Lee on Solent Memorial, listed as ‘missing presumed killed’ on air operations:
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1942-06JUN.htm
Simon
By: Mike meteor - 20th May 2015 at 22:36
Interestingly it seems he is interred at Lee on Solent, but his date of death is definitely given as 14/06/1942.
By: AlanR - 20th May 2015 at 22:23
Fascinating indeed.
I see that Lieutenant Philip Roderick Hall was on HMS Argus when he died. On 14th June 1942
Maybe when the Argus was hit by a bomb on a Malta convoy ?
By: Mothminor - 20th May 2015 at 21:44
And was then!
Lol – so it was! Been going a long time – but then it is Glasgow 🙂
By: Foray - 20th May 2015 at 20:56
….. and the bar is now Rogano’s lol 🙂
And was then!
By: scotavia - 20th May 2015 at 20:10
Battle trainers might be at Netheravon.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?f[0]=agentString%3ARoyal%20Air%20Force%2C%201%20Service%20Flying%20Training%20School&query=
By: Mothminor - 20th May 2015 at 20:05
Wonderful footage! My Dad was at Dunkirk – understandably spoke very highly of the RAF!
9.20 in reel 2,I think is Royal Exchange Square in downtown Glasgow 🙂 The area is now fairly modernised but still recognisable and the bar is now Rogano’s lol 🙂
By: Mike meteor - 20th May 2015 at 19:49
Fascinating!
Dare I say it – naval matters are a particular interest for me.
It would appear that the bulk of the footage in the first set of clips was shot on HMS Whitehall, a V&W class destroyer. Very informative to see depth charges being reloaded and as for where they were stowed, right under the torpedo tubes! A chance hit there would be most, er, explosive!
Film of Dunkirk was very topical, just coming up to the 75th anniversary, and since all I have ever seen of that event is the usual ‘newsreel’ type stuff, very interesting.
Thanks for the link – excellent!
By: Arabella-Cox - 20th May 2015 at 19:14
Great films, both of them.
Anyone any idea where the Battle Trainer sequences were filmed in the second film (5.23 onwards)? The burnt out one (7.44 to 9.03) has 30 on the port side of fuselage, and a D (?) on the starboard side.
Simon
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May 20, 2015 at 6:51 pm