BATTLE OF BRITAIN FILM FORUM
Since writing my original tribute in 2003, many fellow fans have contacted me with information and memories of the film, so here is a selection of messages from them. If you would like to add this archive, please contact me by e-mail or sign my guest book.
Two fellow modelers and I are each endeavoring to build models of the camera ship used in filming the Battle of Britain (B-25J N6578D, USAF # 44-31508). I saw that you had a photo of the starboard side on your website, and was wondering if you had a higher resolution image or other views (besides the one from The Making of the Battle of Britain) which you would be willing to share? If it is of interest, I can offer a photocopy of a page from Esso Air World, which details the camera positions, in exchange.
Doug Girling, Seattle, Washington, USA (DougG@bsquare.com)
Whilst surfing the internet for further information about the forthcoming release of the DVD 'Battle Of Britain' I happened upon your interesting page. It may interest you to know that I too saw the film during my childhood ( though I was ten years old, rather than three) and since that time I have always looked back on the film fondly. My parents met whilst serving in the R.A.F. during the war, and so my whole life has been filled with stories, annual trips to airshows, and the house has it's fair share of books, models and various other memorabilia. But aside from my general interest in aviation, the main reason I am writing to you is to tell you of my real interest in the 'Battle Of Britain ' film. I was very lucky in that my first viewing was at one of the premieres, in my case the one held in Birmingham. Unlike most other films, the 'Battle Of Britain' premiered in a number of cities, not just one. I still have the tickets and they look great ( see scan ). I also have a souvenir colour brochure from the cinema plus trading cards and even ( would you believe ) , a colouring book somewhere. Christmas of that year also brought me the Dinky Toy models of a Spitfire and Stuka. But best of all I have a fascinating paperback written by Leonard Mosley detailing the making of the film right back to the day when the idea came into co producer Ben Fisz's mind. Needless to say I have lots of interesting information and I would be more than happy to share that with you if you are interested. I can scan various photographs and attach them to future EMails or try and answer any questions you may have regarding the film from the information I have to hand. In return , maybe you have further photographs or info that I'm not familiar with. I have also been trying without success to get my hands on the soundtrack CD but without any luck. Perhaps you have one you might copy ? I have a vinyl LP of the soundtrack, bought at the time of release but of course all things audio have moved on since then............. Hope to hear from you soon..........
Ian Bailey, Great Barr, Birmingham, UK (voyagerfive@evemail.net)
I saw your website today, which was very interesting! There is one sentence which I had to tell you about: "If you are a real anorak like me then you might also notice that the Spitfires used in the film are Mark V's (with six exhaust pipes) rather than the Mk II's used predominantly in the Battle (with three exhaust pipes)" Unfortunately I'm an even bigger anorak..... Most of the spits used in the film were Mk IX and XVI, plus a II, a couple of V's, a XIV and a couple of XIX!. "Real Battle of Britain Spitfires were mostly Mk I, as the II was largely built at Castle Bromwich, but this factiry did not get into gearuntil August 1940. Sorry to out-anorak you, but in the interests of accuracy!!Best regards,
Andrew "My Anorak is comfier than yours" Wegg (andrew_wegg@hotmail.com)
I totally agree with your comments on the above film. Back in 1969 I was working in the Essex Ambulance Service and frequently worked out of St Margaret's hospital in Epping, and also in the North Weald area. The site and sounds of those Spitfires flying overhead really took me back to my boyhood years in London in the 1940s. A great many of the battle scenes were filmed at North Weald Aerodrome. Only a few years earlier the RAF had given the drome' over to 'care and maintenance' and shortly after the Army moved in, quite how they felt about everything being tarted up RAF style is not recorded.One day whilst passing the drome, they were filming the effects of a bombing raid, and I was surprised to see a large (but very quiet) explosion, complete with fireball raising up into the sky. This particular event was used several times in the film, viewed from different angles. Last year I came upon a web-site devoted to the film, which listed some of the errors featured. Of course it mentioned the late model Spitfires and Merlin engined 'German' Bombers and fighters, given the problems of locating such a fleet of period aircraft, and in flying condition, then I think the comments were rather churlish. Indeed, Had not the film company not acted when it did, then it is unlikely that such a film could ever have been made (other than by computer generation that is). Another claim was that a Land Rover appears in the film. This is utter nonsense. The vehicle was a period Bedford MW 15cwt truck, and I saw it in use several times during the filming as well as later in the finished product.
The strange thing is that for all the nit picking, they seem to have missed out on the two scenes that really do spoil the film (for me at any rate). The first and worst one is where the Sergeant Pilot (Ian McShane) having lost his family in the Blitz, has been taken home by his Squadron Leader (Robert Shaw). The following morning on leaving his cottage, we are first treated to a view of an all glass panelled front door !... We then see his Austin Ruby car parked outside the garage which has an aluminium 'up and over' door !!... whilst on the corner of said garage is a modern (late 60s inverted acorn style wall lamp !!!... Given the enormous costs of acquiring all those original and replica aeroplanes, why oh why did they not spend just a few pounds on a set of dummy doors (or at least painted hardboard covers) and remove that bloody lamp? slightly less noticeable were the French doors in the back garden of the house where one of (our brave boys) managed to land on top of the green house. Single pane glass doors were just not an option in any property until the early 1960s. Lastly, what about all those WAFFS with 1960s hair styles? Sadly. a real case of spoiling the (air ?) ship for a haperth of tar.
In 1977 I left the ambulance service and became a Museums Officer for the then embryo Epping Forest District Museum Service. The following year the District Council purchased the North Weald Aerodrome site with the intention of using the original hangers as sports arenas, however it was then found that they were not big enough to take both the sports facilities required and enough space for spectators facilities ! Fortunately I was able to offer a face saving option. For some time I had been planning and working on a large exhibition devoted to the history of the aerodrome, and this coupled with my connections to a number of aviation interests, saved the day. Apart from enabling both the gliding club and the model flying club to continue, it also lead to company 'Aces High' setting up their vintage aircraft business on site. As well as this, It was decided that our Museum Service would set up a permanent display on site, and so I was instructed to try and obtain some suitable full size exhibits.
Well, to cut a long story short, I was able to acquire a number of replica aircraft, which included a WW1 RFC, BE2c and a German Albatross (ex BBC 'Wings' )A Sopwith Pup, built for a film about Biggles, it appeared in one eppisode of 'Wings' (the film did never got off the ground) plus an ex B of B film, replica Messerchmitt 109. (This came on loan from the Coventry Air Museum) however it soon parted company with us, as ITV required it to be moved up to Yorkshire to appear in a series they were making concerning a chap setting up his own air freight business. (Alas I cannot remember what the sreies was called was called). By way of compensation, Coventry offered us an ex B of B film Hurricane replica, which suited us nicely. However bringing it down from the Midlands on a low loader trailer, hauled by a borrowed Land Rover was an experience both my wife and I are not in any hurry to repeat! Sadly I did not have a camera with me at the time, or when the two ex 'Wings' biplanes arrived at North Weald. In order to tow them into the hanger we had the assistance of the London Transport Driving School (who were based on the airfield) and the sight of each of these replicas being towed along by a double deck RT bus was a sight to see, particularly as the only way to couple them up was to place the tail skid of each aircraft (in turn) on to the open rear platform of the bus "Hold very tight please" This worked well except when the bus needed to turn right, when it's rear bodywork got in the way.
Lastly, back to the film. The incident featuring the bailed out Polish pilot "Good afternoon... Good afternoon my arse!" scene was based on an incident that actually took place at North Weald during the battle. In the course of my researches I was able to make contact with both Douglas Bader and Stamford Tuck. Tuck had several Polish pilots in his Squadron, and one day the airfield came under attack by bomb carrying Me 109s, and the squadron was scrambled in the midst of it. Tuck and his two wing men (all in Hurricanes) were taking off over the North Weald Road when a bomb exploded beneath them. Tuck's machine was undamaged but the other two were not so fortunate. One of the aircraft turned over, diving into the ground and killing it's Sergeant pilot. The other machine although damaged was able to climb up high enough for the Polish pilot to bail out. The Hurricane then crashed nearby. The pilot in question, who went by the nickname of 'Jersey' had at sometime managed to obtain a German flying suit, which he preferred to the standard RAF issue, claiming it was more comfortable! The trouble was that in spite of comments from his fellow pilots, he had failed to remove the German insignia. Next time you view the film look out for the flying suit worn by the actor involved, it is a German style one, albeit without any German badges. As to the real event, 'Jersey' came down in the grounds of a pub, (his aircraft crashing in the village rubish dump a short distanct away) but he managed to get caught up (by his parachute) in one of the four elm trees that then stood in the area. In his book ( written by a ghost writer), Stamford Tuck relates that "Two Free French sailors were drinking in the pub at the time, and that by the time the rescue party had arrived, the sailors were trying to hang the unfortunate (apparent German pilot) by his parachute shrouds!" Whilst I hate to spoil a good story, the truth is a little different. At one of my frequent discussions with Mr Tuck, I asked him which local pub/Village it was, however he was unable to remember. After some original research I was able to discover that the Village was Morton (just north east of North Weald), and the pub was the 'White Hart' Not only that, but I was able to interview several people, including the barmaid who had been in said pub at the time of the incident. It seems that the two sailors were actualy Dutch merchantmen (who were staying with friends in the village). They did indeed climb up the offending tree, but only to assist 'Jersey' to reach ground level. Quite what they made of his German outfit was unrecorded, however it may well be that they just did not notice. Be that as it may, the Landlord had phoned the aerodrome to report the incident, and a short time later an RAF Pilot Officer arrived (in a vintage Hispano-Suiza motor car) and quickly reunited Jersey with his comrades.
Incidently, just around the corner from the 'White Hart' still stands (or did until recently) one of the original North Weald WW1 aircraft hangers, which was purchased and moved to it's village location for use a commercial garage and filling station about 1928. The last time I was in the area, a few months back, I noticed that it was in a derelict condition and appeared to be awaiting demolition. Well I think that's all for now, hope you find the above not too boring. Yours sincerely,
Mark Bailey (mhbailey@supanet.com)
So, you are planning a 'big wing'? Only one thing to say about that... Roger, Red Leader, wilco, but keep a lookout for bandits. That said, a few more film related tit-bits.
The wheels fitted to the replica Spitfire, Hurricane and Me 109 aeroplanes were actualy ex RAF De Haviland Vampire ones. Apart from the three fighter replicas, photographs taken in the film company workshops at the time, shows that moulds were also produced for the manufacture of one or more Heinkel 111 bombers.
The four plus four beat introduction to Ron Goodwin's 'Luftwaffe March' is a musical rendition of the eight outer points of the German or Iron Cross.
Following the success of the film , The Band of the Royal Air Force soon absorbed sections of the film score into their repertoire. However some time later a problem arose when the band was booked to perform before the Queen. It was deemed (by the powers that were) that whilst the RAF theme was acceptable the 'Luftwaffe March' was persona non grata. Unfortunatly there was not enough time to substitute another piece. So the situation was resolved by renaming the march 'Aces High' and it has been known by this title ever since. The fact that those particular Aces would have been German seems to have gone un-noticed ! Over and out.
Mark Bailey (mhbailey@supanet.com)
26 March 2006
Having just watched the Battle of
Britain film for the umpteenth time and being married to the the
grand daughter of Ronald Kellet who was the Squadron Leader of
303 (Polish) Squadron during the battle, I wondered if you
knew which character Barrie Foster was playing in this film ( I
refer to the part where the training squadron is ordered to land,
but refuses!)? As you know there are no credits at the end of the
film, so I cannot say for sure if he was playing the part of of
Ronald Kellet.
My reason for asking is that, although we have quite a lot of
family history of Ronald's time in the RAF, it would be nice to
show our children how film makers portrayed his role during this
time!
If you can shed some light, I would be very grateful - nice site
- well done!
Alistair Nimmo (alistair@energy-communications.com)
28 March 2006
Thanks for your reply.
Like most of his generation, Ronald Kellett rarely spoke of his
time in the RAF and his wartime experience. I did, though,
hear him once describe German bomber pilots as 'Dusseldorf
Tram Drivers' ! He also was very dismissive of Douglas Bader and
his big wing tactics.
If you want to know know more about the 303 Squadron, and the
role of the poles during WW2, I recommend that you get hold of
two books:
The Forgotten Few by Adam Zamoyski ISBN: 0-7195-5770 4
and
For your freedom and ours, by Lynne Olson & Stanley Cloud
ISBN 0-09-942812 1
The incident that was dramatised in the Battle of Britain film,
is described on page 78 of the 'The Forgotten Few'
It is described thus:
" On the afternoon of 30 August 1940, 303 Kosciuszko
Squadron, still undergoing training at RAF Northolt, was carrying
out an exercise in escorting a group of Blenheim bombers. As the
12 Hurricanes hovered above the Blenheims, a formation of German
planes came into sight. Squadron Leader Kellett, the unit's
British commander, wanted to get the vulnerable Blenheims and his
own planes out of the battle zone. Pilot Officer Ludwick
Paszkiewicz, who had noticed the enemy planes first, reported his
wish to attack them over the radio, and apparently, receiving no
answer, he took matters into his own hands and peeled off from
the formation. He went for the nearest of the German planes, a
Dornier 17, which he shot down with a single burst of his machine
guns. Having chased off the others he returned to Northolt, where
he landed a little after the rest of the squadron. He was ordered
to report immediately to Kellett, who gave him a thundering
reprimand in front of his fellow pilots for leaving the formation
without authorisation. Kellett then privately congratulated
Paszkiewicz on his skilful attack, and announced that on his
personal recommendation the squadron had been posted operational
from the next day. Thunderous cheers greeted the news."
Alistair Nimmo (alistair@energy-communications.com)
Last edited 27/05/2007 22:55