or something similar was the title of this documentary that was broadcast the other evening on BBC2, anyone see it? Narrated by Jeremy Clarkson, whose father in law won the VC.
It was very good but that old bugbear arose again and spoiled it all for me. It concernced the representative footage of the air raid that was supposed to act as a decoy to take attention off the commando/blockship side of things. Why oh why can’t video editors distinguish different aircraft by simply LOOKING AT THEM ON THEIR MONITOR and noting the differences in tailplanes, number of engines and so on??????
Cue shot of Lancasters, cut to…. Halifaxes and cut to….. B26s and cut to… back to Lancasters (Not exactly, but that was close to what you saw on screen). GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! It fair makes my blood boil, so it does.
By: EN830 - 24th March 2007 at 21:39
Monday 26th, 19.30 BBC2 there is a short programme on the making of the programme.
By: archieraf - 24th March 2007 at 18:14
Reminder that this programme will be repeated this evening at 2025 on BBC2.
By: PaulR - 22nd March 2007 at 16:15
It is going to be repeated on Saturday night at 2025hrs on BBC2
A programme on the making of this documentary is on next Monday, 26th March, on BBC2 at 7.30pm.
By: archieraf - 21st March 2007 at 15:45
It’s no coincidence that Bomber Command were attempting to damage Tirpitz below the waterline using converted naval mk XIX spherical contact mines at the end of March & April 1942.
http://www.archieraf.co.uk/archie/30_31march1942.html
Despite their efforts no damage was inflicted and 64 airmen lost their lives.
Regards
Linzee
www.archieraf.co.uk
By: DazDaMan - 21st March 2007 at 12:17
The only thing that surprised me was Clarkson’s insistence that nobody these days knows anything about the raid. To me it is as familiar a bit of derring do as the Dam Busters.
Moggy
I certainly didn’t know of it, although the use of the actual raid as a backdrop in Medal of Honor meant that I had at least heard of the raid.
By: Moggy C - 21st March 2007 at 10:09
From my memory of both films ‘Gift Horse’, of which the end section was a sort of St Nazaire raid, was better than Attack on the Iron Coast, in a typical Brit 1950s war movie way.
If you can get to visit St Nazaire it is well worth while.
The only thing that surprised me was Clarkson’s insistence that nobody these days knows anything about the raid. To me it is as familiar a bit of derring do as the Dam Busters.
Moggy
By: Pete Truman - 21st March 2007 at 09:27
I’m surprised that a major film was never made of the event, or was it, it doesn’t spring to mind, I can imagine Johnny Depp and Keith Richards standing on the bridge of the Campletown and Silvester Stallione orchestrating the raid, lets do it boys.
The 1967 film “Attack on the Iron Coast” starring Lloyd Bridges had a fictional storyline, but one which was based on the St Nazaire Raid.
The story covered all the main points of the St Nazaire Raid i.e. 4 funnelled destroyer used to ram dock gates,small launches carrying commandoes etc.
It was a pretty poor B movie which even re-used some incidental music from “633 Squadron”. It is a pity they could not have made an accurate film about the St Nazaire Raid instead
Colin[/QUOTE]
I thought there was something relating to this, I have just IMDB’d it and, unusually, very little information and an unknown (to me) cast that does not contain the usual British stalwarts. From memory it was filmed in Valletta harbour in Malta with bits in Portsmouth dockyard, I will wait for it to appear on afternoon TV rather than check out Amazon, I remember it being a pretty dire film, something to watch on a sunday afternoon while reducing the lunchtime pub alcohol intake.
By: topgun regect - 20th March 2007 at 22:58
missed it! Hope they put it ‘on demand’
🙁
TT
It is going to be repeated on Saturday night at 2025hrs on BBC2
By: Creaking Door - 20th March 2007 at 22:50
Despite his TV alter ego I’d agree that JC does have a genuine respect for those who carried out the St Nazaire raid.
I was quite impressed by the documentary he made about his father-in-law who (IIRC) won the VC during operation Market Garden around Arnhem in 1944.
At the time I think there was talk of him making a series about the winners of the VC. Was the St Nazaire documentary the first of these or am I getting confused with another series about the VC?
By: Ivan - 20th March 2007 at 20:57
As annoying as the curly haired one can be, it was a good doc and JC showed his genuine passion for the subject.
As others have posted, where are the historians in the production teams? How many docs have we all watched showing swarms of Junkers, B17’s, Lancasters, Spitfires etc being overdubbed with Lycoming engine sounds!????! 🙁
I’m in the wrong job.
By: mjr - 20th March 2007 at 20:05
Its an amazing raid in WWII history, that is well known and revered in the millitary, yet it has remained low profile for many years to the public, despite events such as the crossing having been re-created in the early nineties, using the royal yacht Britania and a large flotilla of small boats, which was televised.
All of the St Nazaire participants are Honorary members of the SAS club. I met many of the surviving commandos and ML crews 8 years ago at one of the last big St Nazaire reunions in Falmouth (my grandfather was a survivor on one of the few ML’s that came home), and I was bowled over by what a fantastic bunch of guys they all were.Their accounts were rivetting. I was struck by how energetic they were, despite being old men. Most were in agreement about one thing. They all realised that it was almost a suicide mission, but eagerly went anyway. I remember my grandfather, and a few of his ship mates telling me how the ML’s were like paper and cut to pieces around them very quickly indeed, and how utterly gob smacked the German guards and soldiers were at British sheer madness and audacity.
Considering what the raiders had seen and been through, they were all very modest and happy to talk about.
Its about time an accurate and quality film was made about this raid.
the society web page link.
By: tilleydog - 20th March 2007 at 19:34
I thought Jeremy Clarkson did a brilliant job narrating the raid! Considering how few people knew about it, even though 5 VC’s were won in a few short hours.
The modesty of the veterans was really moving to, although having had the privilege to talk to a lot of WW2 veterans it did not come as a surprise.
Hopefully Jeremy Clarkson is out there now looking for another epic event to bring to the publics attention.
By: scotavia - 20th March 2007 at 19:24
It was very good moving prog, I had forgot the stock footage but was most surprised to see that some of the bombers were towing gliders !
By: Ross_McNeill - 20th March 2007 at 18:54
A number of the black and white sequences used in the documentary were from the 1952 film “The Gift Horse”.
http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/34588
Vastly better than Attack on the Iron Coast.
Regards
Ross
By: ollieholmes - 20th March 2007 at 18:47
I watched it and apart from the glaring mistakes i enjoyed it. I didnt like the way it was presented at times though.
It brought a little known raid of the second world war to the tv screens of alot of people who seem to think WWII consisted of the Battle of Britain, D Day and the droping of the A Bombs. Blimey i even herd it discussed today at college by peoples who couldnt tell a Spitfire for a 747.
By: stuart gowans - 20th March 2007 at 18:45
[QUOTE=PaulR;1093828]Ooops… I forgot the B24s! And the Dakotas (what sort of bomb load did they carry, I wonder?).
They carried the B26’s which explains why one minute they aren’t there, and the next they are!
By: CSheppardholedi - 20th March 2007 at 18:23
There is an old film of it I recall seeing many years ago. “Attack on the Iron Coast” They even used some of the flying clips from “Daam Busters” in it if I recall correctly. It was a most daring and couragouse raid.
See link
By: DazDaMan - 20th March 2007 at 18:10
Yeah, I saw this, thought it was bloody good!
Was also wondering why a film about this event hadn’t been made – although I’m sure there is a mission in one of the Medal of Honor games based on it.
By: Tom H - 20th March 2007 at 17:51
It’s good to see the history at least getting the coverage!!!
The problem with TV is they are always looking for the fast solution and accuracy takes a hit.
CBC recently did a Docudrama on ferry command and the errors were awful, but at least they told the story.
If we can get people interested with badly done stories imagine how excited they will get with well done ones!!
Tom H
By: colin.barron - 20th March 2007 at 17:47
I’m surprised that a major film was never made of the event, or was it, it doesn’t spring to mind, I can imagine Johnny Depp and Keith Richards standing on the bridge of the Campletown and Silvester Stallione orchestrating the raid, lets do it boys.[/QUOTE]
The 1967 film “Attack on the Iron Coast” starring Lloyd Bridges had a fictional storyline, but one which was based on the St Nazaire Raid.
The story covered all the main points of the St Nazaire Raid i.e. 4 funnelled destroyer used to ram dock gates,small launches carrying commandoes etc.
It was a pretty poor B movie which even re-used some incidental music from “633 Squadron”. It is a pity they could not have made an accurate film about the St Nazaire Raid instead
Colin
Sign In
March 20, 2007 at 3:20 pm