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It was one of the most daring raids of World War Two, with a Biblical name and a supposedly miraculous outcome. On the morning of 19 February 1944, a squadron of RAF Mosquito bombers, flying as low as 3 metres over occupied France, demolished the walls of Amiens Prison. The official reason for the raid was to free French resistance fighters awaiting imminent execution by the Nazis. The bombs killed about 100 people but many were freed. Recreating the route of the legendary raid, this dramatic documentary investigates the missing pieces of the story, with interviews from survivors and aircrew. The film gives fresh insights into the mission's planning and leadership and asks why the raid was really ordered - and by whom.
This six-part series follows the efforts of dedicated enthusiasts committed to restoring fighter planes to their former glory. This episode looks at the P51-Mustang, or The Mustang, as it came to be known. (1/6)
Joe English was nineteen when he joined the Air Force. He learned to fly a bomber before he could drive a car. The pilot of a Lancaster known as the Lucky H, Joe and six other hardy young men flew thirty combat missions over Germany. Sixty years later, Joe’s grandson, Mathew English, will try to walk in his grandfather’s footsteps. Mathew is one of seven young volunteers from the US, UK, Australia and Canada who make up 'Baker Flight.' They’re up at dawn, marching and saluting, cleaning and polishing, in classrooms and period planes, struggling to see whether they are the men their grandfathers once were. Part 1 of 4.
As the Great War began, the Royal Navy rushed to Orkney's great natural harbour, Scapa Flow. A story of great technologies and epic battles for control of the North Sea, David Hayman uncovers the compelling characters of this little-known naval war - the cautious Admiral Jellicoe and the playboy Admiral Beatty. Part 1 of 2.
As the Great War began, the Royal Navy rushed to Orkney's great natural harbour, Scapa Flow. A story of great technologies and epic battles for control of the North Sea, David Hayman uncovers the compelling characters of this little-known naval war - the cautious Admiral Jellicoe and the playboy Admiral Beatty. Part 2 of 2.
We follow the trials of Baker Flight as they struggle to adapt to the discipline of military life. Their instructors, real-life drill sergeants, are determined the boys will measure up… no matter how much humiliation and discomfort they must endure. The lone American recruit, in particular, chafes under the constant scrutiny of the drill sergeants. After countless hours on the drill square the recruits are finally given hands-on training with the Lee-Enfield .303. Most of the boys have never fired a gun before and the Lee-Enfield will be their introduction to the feel and sounds of battle – and the bruises the kick of a rifle can leave. We also hear about the Lucky H's first combat operation. The German city of Nuremberg - home of the Third Reich - was a target Bomber Command was determined to destroy. For Joe English and his crew it was a terrifying introduction to the reality of aerial war. Part 2 of 4.
Between 1939 and 1945, and against all odds, over 100 women flew urgently needed planes for the Air Transport Auxiliary. Without them, the Battle of Britain would never have been won. One in ten of them died, and only 15 remain alive. Using archive footage and testimony from the surviving members and their relatives, Spitfire Women captures the drama, danger and significance of the story of these unsung heroines, who came from across the world to fight for Britain, but whose tales of courage and determination remain largely unrecognised. These women weren't dull engineer types, they were the international 'it' girls of the era. Over the years a countess, a model, a millionaire's daughter and a champion skier all entered the ranks of the ATA. Risking ridicule and recrimination, as well as their lives, these were women who defied the prejudice of the age to achieve more than many ever thought possible.
