I guess the deathly silence here means the answer is “No”?

I wasn’t really referring to modern television. I was wondering if anything had been done years ago, back when loads of veterans were around, and when television was actually consistently well made, rather than the-repeat-the-same-crap-over-and-over style of the Hitler Channel.

I too would love to see a documentary on the Halifax. They have at least got several examples to use in such a production and lots of footage and photos. Has anything been done on this bomber though in the past? Or the Stirling?

Books have their place as does an audio-visual documentary. I like both and I think film/television documentaries when done well have an extremely important place in passing on history, and in learning.

A film can portray a veteran’s memories and emotions on the subject in a much more compelling way than the written word can. Reading around the internet about the reaction to the Lancaster documentary that aired on the weekend in the UK I have seen so many people, men and women, admit they were welling up and very emotional watching that doco. I have watched it myself as it’s on Youtube and indeed it has that kind of impact. I cannot recall a book on an aircraft type having such a reaction from me before.

You cannot get the sound of the aircraft engines from a book either.

And the reason I asked if a TV documentary has been made is because such a documentary would get a far wider and larger audience than a book on the same subject. For a lot of the more obscure subjects people would not go and spend $80 on a book if they can sit at home and watch it on telly for free. I doubt I’d ever buy a book on the Manchester for example. But I’d certainly make the point of watching a documentary on the type.

I Googled this and found a discussion where two people reckoned the Typhoon was used in Italy but no evidence is given
http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/hawker_typhoon.php

I do know at least one Typhoon made it as far as Egypt, I have a photo of it sitting in the desert, at I believe Idku.

Thanks Simon.

The Wings Over New Zealand Show Episode 71 – Les Munro Part Two – is now online.

In this episode, part two of two, we continue with the very interesting interview with Squadron Leader Les Munro DSO, DFC, RNZAF.

Les was one of the original members of the Royal Air Force’s most famous unit, No. 617 Squadron – The Dambusters. We pick up the story just as he and his crew are taking off on the famous Dams Raid on the 16th of May 1943.

We also hear what happened in No. 617 Squadron after the raid and in subsequent months and years when Les was later made one of the three Flight Commanders alongside Dave Shannon and Joe ‘Mac’ McCarthy, under the leadership of Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire VC.

http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show_71_80.html#Les_Munro_2