Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:02:17.679 --> 00:02:22.560
You can't fly a Spitfire and forget
about it. It stays with you forever.
2
00:02:23.477 --> 00:02:25.195
It stays with you forever.
3
00:02:40.744 --> 00:02:45.341
(new speaker) The Spitfire
was just like a dancing fairy.
4
00:02:46.458 --> 00:02:48.881
It was gorgeous.
5
00:02:49.378 --> 00:02:53.428
I can't really explain it.
It was absolutely wonderful.
6
00:03:00.138 --> 00:03:03.108
(new speaker)
It was childishly simple to fly.
7
00:03:03.183 --> 00:03:06.270
Before I could say "nada",
I was up at 8,000 feet
8
00:03:06.610 --> 00:03:09.486
in an aircraft that was doing 400 mph.
9
00:03:09.564 --> 00:03:12.158
I'd never been at that speed ever.
10
00:03:23.328 --> 00:03:27.300
(new speaker) It was the nearest thing
to having wings and flying oneself.
11
00:03:27.708 --> 00:03:30.461
You only had to blow
on the control stick
12
00:03:30.502 --> 00:03:33.221
and it seemed to do what you wanted.
13
00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:41.559
(new speaker) It's so beautiful.
It is a work of art.
14
00:03:42.130 --> 00:03:44.391
But at the same time, you are aware that
15
00:03:44.474 --> 00:03:47.899
the purpose of this plane
was to shoot and kill.
16
00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:50.689
It's a killing machine.
17
00:04:02.409 --> 00:04:05.834
(new speaker)
But it's a weapon of war, a Spitfire.
18
00:04:05.912 --> 00:04:10.383
It's a weapon of war, and you've got to
learn how to use it as a weapon of war.
19
00:04:12.419 --> 00:04:15.389
(machine gun fire)
20
00:05:34.793 --> 00:05:38.798
(narrator) Coningsby is home
to three squadrons of RAF jet fighters.
21
00:05:41.910 --> 00:05:45.938
On the shoulders of these men and women
rests the air defence of Great Britain.
22
00:05:47.556 --> 00:05:52.437
But it is also home to
the most revered aircraft of all time:
23
00:05:52.811 --> 00:05:54.484
the Spitfire.
24
00:05:55.630 --> 00:05:58.567
And this was the last ever
to see service.
25
00:06:05.699 --> 00:06:08.452
(newsreel) A few of these famous
aircraft have been operated
26
00:06:08.535 --> 00:06:11.584
on daily met flights, helping
in the task of weather forecasting.
27
00:06:11.621 --> 00:06:14.340
But now, 21 years
after the prototype first flew,
28
00:06:14.416 --> 00:06:16.635
the last of the Spitfires
are to be retired.
29
00:06:17.335 --> 00:06:18.427
Their day is done,
30
00:06:18.503 --> 00:06:22.303
though three Spits will be kept by
the RAF for Battle of Britain flypasts,
31
00:06:22.340 --> 00:06:25.930
commemorating the battle
they did so much to win.
32
00:06:28.513 --> 00:06:30.641
(new speaker) For me,
and I think the British people,
33
00:06:30.724 --> 00:06:36.982
these aeroplanes represent innovation,
ingenuity, determination,
34
00:06:37.630 --> 00:06:40.693
and an unwillingness to be bullied.
35
00:06:40.775 --> 00:06:45.155
And really, the Spitfire
is emblematic of that.
36
00:06:46.740 --> 00:06:50.961
This beautiful machine
is our Mark ll Spitfire,
37
00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.400
and, in my opinion,
38
00:06:53.790 --> 00:06:56.333
this is the most
precious flying machine on the planet,
39
00:06:56.416 --> 00:06:58.839
bar maybe the Apollo 11 Command Capsule
40
00:06:58.919 --> 00:07:00.910
which brought the boys back
41
00:07:00.170 --> 00:07:02.764
from the first trip to the moon,
the first landing on the moon.
42
00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:04.136
And the reason I say that is,
43
00:07:04.215 --> 00:07:08.311
this is the only Spitfire in the world
still flying today
44
00:07:08.386 --> 00:07:10.639
that actually fought
in the Battle of Britain.
45
00:07:10.722 --> 00:07:14.443
So it's a truly, truly priceless
flying machine.
46
00:07:14.517 --> 00:07:16.360
And it also happens to be
one of the most,
47
00:07:16.436 --> 00:07:20.566
if not the most beautiful machine
that man has ever made, in my opinion.
48
00:07:25.445 --> 00:07:27.789
I think, for most of the pilots
on the flight,
49
00:07:27.864 --> 00:07:30.830
this one holds a particular place
in their hearts
50
00:07:30.158 --> 00:07:33.128
because, of course, we grew up with
the legend of the Battle of Britain.
51
00:07:33.203 --> 00:07:36.252
For people who joined the Royal
Air Force, it's part of our core ethos.
52
00:07:36.331 --> 00:07:39.585
So to then be able to sit
in this machine, or to even fly it,
53
00:07:39.668 --> 00:07:42.460
is an incredible privilege.
54
00:07:44.714 --> 00:07:50.437
These are the planes that saved Britain
and Europe in its darkest hour.
55
00:07:56.267 --> 00:07:59.862
At the height of the Second World War,
a film was produced
56
00:07:59.938 --> 00:08:03.693
which would forever fix the Spitfire
in the public's imagination.
57
00:08:06.152 --> 00:08:10.999
"The First of the Few" told the story
of the famous fighter aircraft
58
00:08:11.740 --> 00:08:14.248
and its creator, RJ Mitchell.
59
00:08:14.703 --> 00:08:16.421
(woman on film)
What have you been up to?
60
00:08:16.496 --> 00:08:17.964
- Thinking.
- Great thoughts?
61
00:08:18.390 --> 00:08:20.383
- Oh, terrific.
- (woman) Such as?
62
00:08:20.458 --> 00:08:22.836
- The birds fly a lot better than we do.
- (gulls cry)
63
00:08:22.919 --> 00:08:24.296
You don't say!
64
00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:27.679
I do, but then they've been at it
some millions of years.
65
00:08:27.757 --> 00:08:30.180
We've got to learn from them
if we ever want to fly properly.
66
00:08:30.844 --> 00:08:32.846
The film had a huge impact
67
00:08:32.929 --> 00:08:37.400
and turned a weapon of war
into an international icon.
68
00:08:37.475 --> 00:08:39.603
(man on film) See how
they wheel and bank and glide?
69
00:08:40.186 --> 00:08:41.529
Perfect.
70
00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:46.152
And all in one;
wings, body, tail, all in one.
71
00:08:46.985 --> 00:08:49.113
- But you wait.
- (gulls cry)
72
00:08:49.195 --> 00:08:53.416
Someday I'm going to build a plane
that'll be just like a bird.
73
00:08:54.117 --> 00:08:55.869
Why, it is like a bird.
74
00:08:55.952 --> 00:08:58.421
What a strange-looking machine.
75
00:09:08.506 --> 00:09:12.560
(new speaker) As a child, for me,
running around this place was magical.
76
00:09:14.540 --> 00:09:15.601
If we were to come down at the weekend,
77
00:09:15.680 --> 00:09:18.308
my father would be doing
a particular job on one of the aircraft.
78
00:09:18.391 --> 00:09:19.734
I was left to roam.
79
00:09:20.769 --> 00:09:23.693
And it gave me a great sense
of what these aircraft were about,
80
00:09:23.772 --> 00:09:25.740
even at an early age.
81
00:09:26.858 --> 00:09:29.862
So, looking at what it means
to aviation,
82
00:09:29.944 --> 00:09:32.322
and what it means
to the story of the Spitfire,
83
00:09:33.865 --> 00:09:36.539
this aircraft, the Supermarine S.6,
84
00:09:36.951 --> 00:09:39.875
I think it's the most important aircraft
we've got here.
85
00:09:41.790 --> 00:09:43.588
What gets me is it's so narrow.
86
00:09:43.666 --> 00:09:46.340
Even after all this time
of knowing the aircraft, it's so narrow.
87
00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:49.389
You appreciate, of course, they
went in sideways and then turned round
88
00:09:49.422 --> 00:09:52.960
so they got their shoulders
under the coaming here.
89
00:09:52.175 --> 00:09:55.270
Head back on here.
And a very thin cushion to sit on.
90
00:10:00.683 --> 00:10:05.405
(Andy Jones) So N248 was built for
the Schneider Trophy Contest in 1929.
91
00:10:06.648 --> 00:10:09.868
The Schneider Trophy
was a race for seaplanes.
92
00:10:09.943 --> 00:10:14.244
It started before the First World War
as a fairly small event in Monaco.
93
00:10:14.322 --> 00:10:17.952
By 1931 it was
an international spectacle.
94
00:10:25.667 --> 00:10:27.169
At the last race, in 1931,
95
00:10:27.252 --> 00:10:30.131
a million people came down
to the shores of the Solent
96
00:10:30.213 --> 00:10:32.432
to watch the race happen.
97
00:10:32.507 --> 00:10:33.884
These machines,
98
00:10:33.967 --> 00:10:38.939
like N248, and the Italian machines
and the American machines that entered
99
00:10:39.130 --> 00:10:40.936
were the fastest machines on Earth.
100
00:10:41.150 --> 00:10:44.519
And the pilots who flew them
were the fastest men on Earth.
101
00:10:47.630 --> 00:10:48.189
Fire!
102
00:10:52.610 --> 00:10:54.533
(Alan Jones) When this
competition started,
103
00:10:54.612 --> 00:10:57.411
the speeds were around about 40 mph.
104
00:10:57.740 --> 00:11:00.664
By the time it finished,
they were 400 mph.
105
00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:12.843
Well done indeed. Well done indeed.
106
00:11:27.645 --> 00:11:33.118
(newsreel) Mr RJ Mitchell, of
Southampton, England, will talk to you
107
00:11:33.193 --> 00:11:36.618
on the design
of the Schneider Trophy seaplane.
108
00:11:38.489 --> 00:11:40.787
(Mitchell) In the design
of a seaplane of this type,
109
00:11:40.867 --> 00:11:44.462
the one outstanding
and all-important requirement is speed.
110
00:11:45.580 --> 00:11:48.675
Every feature has to be sacrificed
to this demand.
111
00:11:49.792 --> 00:11:53.672
It is not good enough to follow
conventional methods of design.
112
00:11:53.755 --> 00:11:55.803
It is essential to break new ground
113
00:11:55.882 --> 00:11:59.682
and to invent and evolve new methods
and new ideas.
114
00:12:00.970 --> 00:12:03.640
(Andy Jones) There is the myth
around Mitchell
115
00:12:03.139 --> 00:12:06.734
of being a genius who designed
all these aircraft on his own,
116
00:12:06.809 --> 00:12:09.620
with a little notebook and a pencil.
117
00:12:09.896 --> 00:12:13.321
In fact there was an enormous
design team for a Supermarine.
118
00:12:13.775 --> 00:12:19.373
He had around him people who had
superior knowledge on high-speed flight.
119
00:12:19.447 --> 00:12:22.826
And that was invaluable
when they went back to the drawing board
120
00:12:22.909 --> 00:12:26.209
after the race in 1931
and started on the Spitfire.
121
00:12:32.752 --> 00:12:36.507
It wasn't just Britain
making strides in aviation.
122
00:12:38.216 --> 00:12:42.471
In Germany, a new and increasingly
sinister political force
123
00:12:42.553 --> 00:12:45.978
was using aircraft
to spread its influence.
124
00:12:47.725 --> 00:12:52.572
These new developments became
a powerful symbol of Nazi ambition.
125
00:12:53.648 --> 00:12:58.279
By 1933,
this could no longer be ignored.
126
00:13:00.947 --> 00:13:03.700
For months, some of us have been
trying to impress on the government
127
00:13:03.783 --> 00:13:05.800
that the danger is growing.
128
00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:07.537
But this is a democratic country.
129
00:13:07.620 --> 00:13:09.964
The policy of the government
is the will of the people.
130
00:13:10.390 --> 00:13:11.791
Or it's supposed to be.
131
00:13:11.874 --> 00:13:15.674
And the passionate desire of every
sane, thinking person is for peace.
132
00:13:17.460 --> 00:13:19.344
Well, Mitchell, what do you propose?
133
00:13:20.425 --> 00:13:22.180
I want to build a fighter.
134
00:13:22.930 --> 00:13:25.630
The fastest and deadliest
fighting aeroplane in the world.
135
00:13:30.180 --> 00:13:33.568
It's got to do 400 mph,
turn on a sixpence,
136
00:13:33.646 --> 00:13:35.990
climb 10,000 feet in a few minutes,
137
00:13:36.650 --> 00:13:38.944
dive at 500
without the wings coming off,
138
00:13:39.270 --> 00:13:40.825
carry eight machine guns.
139
00:14:02.633 --> 00:14:04.510
(new speaker) As far as
aeroplane design goes,
140
00:14:04.594 --> 00:14:07.814
everybody's looking for
those few percent improvements.
141
00:14:10.975 --> 00:14:13.194
That slight edge in performance.
142
00:14:17.774 --> 00:14:22.530
Aerodynamics, engines, structures,
this type of thing.
143
00:14:25.907 --> 00:14:30.413
This is the old 24-foot wind tunnel
at Farnborough.
144
00:14:35.249 --> 00:14:41.382
It was used basically to wind-tunnel
test full-scale aeroplanes.
145
00:14:47.387 --> 00:14:51.688
Various countries, particularly Germany,
were heading towards a war situation,
146
00:14:51.766 --> 00:14:54.610
were developing fast bombers.
147
00:14:55.103 --> 00:14:58.778
So fighters had to
become faster as well.
148
00:14:59.190 --> 00:15:01.363
We were terribly behind.
149
00:15:02.693 --> 00:15:05.162
But there was this constant
cross-fertilisation
150
00:15:05.238 --> 00:15:09.960
between what the Germans were doing and
what we were doing here at Farnborough.
151
00:15:11.244 --> 00:15:15.465
And this is the key to the whole story
of the Spitfire's wing.
152
00:15:20.878 --> 00:15:24.678
Beverley Shenstone was a young Canadian
aeronautical engineering graduate
153
00:15:24.757 --> 00:15:26.304
who came over to Britain
154
00:15:26.342 --> 00:15:29.596
and then immediately got himself
a job with Junkers in Germany
155
00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:32.808
to try and find out what the Germans
were doing in this area.
156
00:15:36.602 --> 00:15:39.710
I think it has been suggested
that he might have been a spy,
157
00:15:39.147 --> 00:15:42.822
but I don't know
about that side of things. (laughs)
158
00:15:43.985 --> 00:15:48.810
He met one of the great names
in aerodynamics, Ludwig Prandtl.
159
00:15:50.700 --> 00:15:54.830
And it turned out that in 1918,
Prandtl had published
160
00:15:54.912 --> 00:15:58.416
the description of all their work
during the First World War,
161
00:15:59.125 --> 00:16:02.720
including a wing plan form
shaped as an ellipse.
162
00:16:07.175 --> 00:16:10.805
But he didn't just draw
a simple ellipse,
163
00:16:10.887 --> 00:16:14.562
he drew two halves of two ellipses.
164
00:16:15.850 --> 00:16:19.696
A bluntish ellipse here,
and a much deeper ellipse there.
165
00:16:19.770 --> 00:16:24.947
And that, I have to say,
is not only like, similar to,
166
00:16:25.260 --> 00:16:30.624
it's damn well geometrically identical
to what emerged on the Spitfire.
167
00:16:31.824 --> 00:16:36.204
And I think Shenstone picked up
that idea and brought it back
168
00:16:36.287 --> 00:16:41.794
when he came to work for Supermarine
in 1933, and suggested it to Mitchell.
169
00:16:42.376 --> 00:16:45.755
So, basically,
the Spitfire had a German wing.
170
00:16:46.631 --> 00:16:48.349
And I suspect that a lot of people
171
00:16:48.382 --> 00:16:50.760
have been too embarrassed
to say anything about it.
172
00:16:56.807 --> 00:17:00.186
(newsreel) In the aircraft factories
of Britain, our workmen are trained
173
00:17:00.269 --> 00:17:03.944
to build to the most severe standards
of accuracy in the world.
174
00:17:06.901 --> 00:17:12.908
Every part has been tested and re-tested
until human ingenuity can do no more.
175
00:17:18.663 --> 00:17:21.837
(newsreel) There are over 11,000 parts
in a Merlin engine.
176
00:17:24.418 --> 00:17:27.137
Over 140 separate machining operations
are needed
177
00:17:27.213 --> 00:17:29.341
to produce the Merlin crankshaft.
178
00:17:30.883 --> 00:17:33.110
Women prove themselves
to be particularly adept
179
00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:34.562
at this exacting work.
180
00:17:36.556 --> 00:17:40.356
At each station, a sub-assembly,
or component, is added to the engine.
181
00:17:42.270 --> 00:17:46.150
At the end of the line, the completed
engine is vetted by an inspector
182
00:17:46.232 --> 00:17:48.860
who notes the numbers
of individual components
183
00:17:48.901 --> 00:17:51.654
and assigns a new number
to the whole engine.
184
00:17:51.737 --> 00:17:54.115
From now on, it has an identity.
185
00:18:00.580 --> 00:18:03.208
On March the 5th, 1936,
186
00:18:03.291 --> 00:18:06.591
the new fighter's prototype
was ready for testing.
187
00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:13.221
There is only one person alive today
188
00:18:13.301 --> 00:18:16.931
who remembers
the Spitfire's first test flight.
189
00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:21.108
(new speaker)
Well, I was four and a half.
190
00:18:22.590 --> 00:18:26.485
My father worked at Supermarine
for RJ Mitchell.
191
00:18:26.939 --> 00:18:29.943
So we grew up with the aeroplanes
and the Spitfire especially,
192
00:18:30.260 --> 00:18:33.701
because Father was looking after
the development of that.
193
00:18:34.864 --> 00:18:36.787
One day he said to Mother,
194
00:18:36.866 --> 00:18:39.710
"Do you want to come and see
the first flight of our new aeroplane?"
195
00:18:41.203 --> 00:18:45.253
So we got in the back of the car
and off we all went to Eastleigh.
196
00:18:47.918 --> 00:18:50.216
(engine fires up)
197
00:18:56.510 --> 00:18:58.183
The pilot came out and got in.
198
00:18:59.221 --> 00:19:00.814
And then off he went.
199
00:19:37.218 --> 00:19:39.812
(newsreel) This is the latest type
of single-seater fighter,
200
00:19:39.887 --> 00:19:41.480
and as you can see, a monoplane.
201
00:19:41.847 --> 00:19:46.227
In design and construction, she is not
unlike the last Schneider Trophy winner.
202
00:19:48.104 --> 00:19:51.358
We are flying along in our own plane
at about 175.
203
00:19:52.233 --> 00:19:53.655
So, what speed she is capable of
204
00:19:53.734 --> 00:19:56.362
you may judge from the pace
at which she overtakes us.
205
00:20:06.622 --> 00:20:09.922
And she's going to be a great asset
to the RAF, it's pretty obvious.
206
00:20:34.900 --> 00:20:38.530
(Judy Monger) Father was very pleased
that it had taken off all right
207
00:20:38.612 --> 00:20:40.489
and flown and come back.
208
00:20:40.573 --> 00:20:43.122
"Oh, that was all right, that was good,"
or something.
209
00:20:44.660 --> 00:20:48.665
And that was the first flight
of the Spitfire. (laughs)
210
00:20:59.550 --> 00:21:02.850
(thunder)
211
00:21:05.556 --> 00:21:09.527
Just two days later,
on March the 7th, 1936,
212
00:21:09.602 --> 00:21:12.651
Hitler's troops marched
into the Rhineland.
213
00:21:14.231 --> 00:21:17.906
It was an ominous moment
for the future of Europe.
214
00:21:17.985 --> 00:21:21.800
(archive recordings of Hitler)
215
00:21:34.430 --> 00:21:36.216
(new speaker)
We knew perfectly well it was coming.
216
00:21:37.630 --> 00:21:44.138
The rise of Hitler and all this business
about occupying the Rhine
217
00:21:44.595 --> 00:21:49.772
was the time that we realised
that there was a war on the way.
218
00:21:49.850 --> 00:21:54.276
Churchill had been warning us, kept
warning us and warning us all the time,
219
00:21:54.355 --> 00:21:56.574
about what was going to happen.
220
00:21:56.649 --> 00:21:59.402
But at that age,
you don't worry about the future.
221
00:22:01.779 --> 00:22:04.328
(new speaker) I don't think
I had any specific feelings.
222
00:22:04.406 --> 00:22:07.340
The average 18-, 19-year-old
223
00:22:07.117 --> 00:22:11.420
is not terribly interested in
what's happening in the future.
224
00:22:12.540 --> 00:22:16.545
I certainly don't remember thinking,
"Oh, my goodness," you know.
225
00:22:16.627 --> 00:22:18.721
"We've got a war possibly coming."
226
00:22:21.799 --> 00:22:26.200
With the threat growing by the day,
and time running out,
227
00:22:26.950 --> 00:22:28.314
Britain needed the Spitfire.
228
00:22:29.390 --> 00:22:33.816
But in June 1937
came a terrible setback.
229
00:22:39.984 --> 00:22:42.203
Well, I suppose you know
something of the trouble
230
00:22:42.278 --> 00:22:44.155
or you wouldn't have come to me.
231
00:22:44.238 --> 00:22:46.810
I had an idea of it, yes.
232
00:22:46.657 --> 00:22:49.501
I'm afraid you're a rather sick man,
Mr Mitchell.
233
00:22:49.952 --> 00:22:52.460
I had an idea of that, too.
234
00:23:08.846 --> 00:23:10.814
(Judy Monger)
Well, he'd been ill for some time.
235
00:23:12.641 --> 00:23:16.987
We weren't aware of it, being children,
but obviously Father would've been.
236
00:23:18.647 --> 00:23:23.824
Because we used to go to his house
at weekends if there was something,
237
00:23:23.861 --> 00:23:27.206
information that Father had
that he had to discuss with him.
238
00:23:29.450 --> 00:23:32.440
And we just stopped doing that.
239
00:23:32.786 --> 00:23:36.860
Father all dressed up in black one day
and went off and...
240
00:23:36.999 --> 00:23:38.421
that was it.
241
00:23:42.870 --> 00:23:45.808
It was very sad, obviously,
for everybody, especially in the team,
242
00:23:45.883 --> 00:23:47.806
when their leader's gone.
243
00:23:57.561 --> 00:23:59.814
In its hour of greatest need,
244
00:23:59.897 --> 00:24:03.572
the country had lost
its greatest aircraft designer
245
00:24:03.651 --> 00:24:05.779
at the age of 42.
246
00:24:07.404 --> 00:24:11.625
It was now a race against time
to get the Spitfire finished.
247
00:24:13.494 --> 00:24:17.840
It would join Britain's other
new fighter, the Hawker Hurricane.
248
00:24:18.290 --> 00:24:21.965
Both would prove vital
in the coming conflict.
249
00:24:24.129 --> 00:24:27.990
(newsreel) A welcome sight
in the Vickers works at Eastleigh,
250
00:24:27.174 --> 00:24:29.518
one of the factories
where the production of Spitfires
251
00:24:29.593 --> 00:24:30.936
is rapidly going ahead.
252
00:24:31.110 --> 00:24:32.388
In the present state of Europe,
253
00:24:32.471 --> 00:24:35.650
the country couldn't possibly have
too many of these fighters,
254
00:24:35.140 --> 00:24:37.393
which claim to be
the fastest in the world.
255
00:24:40.145 --> 00:24:42.694
Their powerful engines are lined up
ready for installation,
256
00:24:42.773 --> 00:24:45.868
and every operation of manufacture
and assembly is carried out
257
00:24:45.901 --> 00:24:48.825
with that delicate precision for which
British workmanship is famous.
258
00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:52.450
On completion the machines
are given a thorough try-out.
259
00:24:52.533 --> 00:24:53.785
You'll be pleased to notice
260
00:24:53.867 --> 00:24:56.711
the rapidity of their climb
and their handiness in the air.
261
00:25:10.500 --> 00:25:12.803
(new speaker)
I'd reached the dizzy age of 19,
262
00:25:12.886 --> 00:25:19.610
and it was a time when everybody
was beginning to think of joining up.
263
00:25:20.144 --> 00:25:23.990
And I decided the best thing to do
264
00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:28.365
was to join the RAFVR,
volunteer reserve.
265
00:25:29.111 --> 00:25:33.912
And, in due course,
I did get called up for flying training.
266
00:25:35.701 --> 00:25:39.422
And so my flying career
started in a Tiger Moth.
267
00:25:42.332 --> 00:25:46.530
(new speaker) I wanted to fly
but it was an expensive business.
268
00:25:46.503 --> 00:25:49.222
So I thought, "The cheapest way
is join the Air Force."
269
00:25:49.298 --> 00:25:52.222
"They probably pay you to learn to fly."
270
00:25:53.552 --> 00:25:55.680
I wrote off to Air Ministry saying that,
271
00:25:55.763 --> 00:25:58.937
basically, I was leaving school within
a year and wanted to fly an aeroplane
272
00:25:59.160 --> 00:26:01.110
and could they give me a job, really.
273
00:26:13.655 --> 00:26:18.752
In August 1938,
the Spitfire entered RAF service.
274
00:26:20.370 --> 00:26:22.839
It was not a moment too soon.
275
00:26:46.730 --> 00:26:50.750
(Chamberlain) This morning,
the British ambassador in Berlin
276
00:26:50.943 --> 00:26:54.789
handed the German government
a final note,
277
00:26:55.364 --> 00:26:58.584
stating that unless we heard from them
278
00:26:58.659 --> 00:27:02.289
by 11 o'clock, that they were prepared,
279
00:27:02.371 --> 00:27:05.966
at once,
to withdraw their troops from Poland,
280
00:27:06.410 --> 00:27:09.591
a state of war would exist between us.
281
00:27:11.171 --> 00:27:16.473
I have to tell you now that no such
undertaking has been received,
282
00:27:17.177 --> 00:27:22.809
and that, consequently,
this country is at war with Germany.
283
00:27:31.567 --> 00:27:35.370
(Paul Farnes) It came over the radio
that we were at war.
284
00:27:36.947 --> 00:27:40.622
Had half a mug of wine each
and wished each other good luck.
285
00:27:41.760 --> 00:27:42.328
And that was it.
286
00:27:42.411 --> 00:27:45.130
It was quite emotional at the time.
287
00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:52.425
We discussed it with each other and...
288
00:27:53.255 --> 00:27:56.475
Well, it's the sort of thing I think
anyone would find a bit emotional
289
00:27:56.550 --> 00:28:02.307
if you're suddenly told
that war had already been declared.
290
00:28:03.560 --> 00:28:04.649
You knew you were in it.
291
00:28:05.184 --> 00:28:08.108
Because after all,
it was what you were being trained for.
292
00:28:10.647 --> 00:28:12.775
(new speaker) It was exciting, exciting.
293
00:28:12.858 --> 00:28:16.362
We wanted the war to start, you know,
and wanted to be in it.
294
00:28:16.445 --> 00:28:18.197
Didn't want to be left behind.
295
00:28:18.280 --> 00:28:20.624
And don't forget, I was 18, 19.
296
00:28:20.699 --> 00:28:23.669
Very enthusiastic about everything
in those days.
297
00:28:25.662 --> 00:28:27.960
(new speaker) What went
through my mind was
298
00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:30.919
how long would it be
before I got on a squadron?
299
00:28:31.752 --> 00:28:35.802
I went first of all
I think it was to Biggin Hill.
300
00:28:35.881 --> 00:28:37.599
And the CO looked at me and said,
301
00:28:37.674 --> 00:28:40.894
"How many hours have you done
on Hurricanes, Pickering?"
302
00:28:40.969 --> 00:28:43.392
I said, "I've never even seen one, sir."
303
00:28:43.472 --> 00:28:48.103
So, he said, "Well, go on out there,
go and have a look at it." (laughs)
304
00:28:50.771 --> 00:28:52.614
(new speaker)
Towards the end of my training,
305
00:28:52.689 --> 00:28:55.317
I think the war was getting
a bit worrying to everybody
306
00:28:55.400 --> 00:29:00.531
and I was taken out of practice camp
and I ended up in a Spitfire squadron.
307
00:29:02.324 --> 00:29:06.670
When I first saw the Spitfire I thought,
"My gosh, this is quite something."
308
00:29:08.580 --> 00:29:10.958
The ground crew had strapped me in
309
00:29:11.410 --> 00:29:14.295
and it was all a bit intimidating,
you know. Even the start-up.
310
00:29:14.378 --> 00:29:17.382
(engine roars)
311
00:29:21.593 --> 00:29:24.221
Smoke coming right back...
I can see it now.
312
00:29:40.529 --> 00:29:43.123
I remember taxiing out
and being very careful.
313
00:30:33.623 --> 00:30:35.921
It seemed to hurtle itself in the air
314
00:30:36.100 --> 00:30:38.925
with me hanging on
to the stick and the throttle,
315
00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:40.881
dragging me along with it, you know.
316
00:31:23.382 --> 00:31:28.580
In the spring of 1940,
Hitler's attack in the west began.
317
00:31:29.888 --> 00:31:31.890
Europe crumbled.
318
00:31:33.517 --> 00:31:37.192
When France fell,
the British army retreated to Dunkirk
319
00:31:38.271 --> 00:31:40.990
and by a miracle return home.
320
00:31:42.526 --> 00:31:46.576
Now just one country remained
in Hitler's sights.
321
00:31:53.620 --> 00:31:57.921
What General Weygand has called
the Battle of France is over.
322
00:31:58.750 --> 00:32:01.378
The Battle of Britain is about to begin.
323
00:32:05.257 --> 00:32:10.809
Hitler knows that he will have to
break us in this island or lose the war.
324
00:32:11.304 --> 00:32:15.400
If we can stand up to him,
all Europe may be free
325
00:32:15.767 --> 00:32:22.241
and the life of the world may
move forward into broad, sunlit uplands.
326
00:32:25.152 --> 00:32:28.247
(Tom Neil) The Germans were going to
land with a quarter of a million people
327
00:32:28.321 --> 00:32:31.825
on the south coast of Britain
between Brighton and Dover.
328
00:32:33.785 --> 00:32:36.914
Had they landed, they would have won,
without a doubt.
329
00:32:37.289 --> 00:32:40.884
And the course of world history
would've been changed.
330
00:32:45.297 --> 00:32:47.720
(Tony Pickering) We fully realised
331
00:32:47.799 --> 00:32:50.848
that we'd got to stop the Hun
from getting over.
332
00:32:51.511 --> 00:32:57.109
And we knew that we were
an important line in the defence,
333
00:32:57.601 --> 00:32:59.603
being fighter pilots.
334
00:33:00.854 --> 00:33:06.236
If he ever landed and secured
a foothold, we'd never get him out.
335
00:33:10.300 --> 00:33:15.582
(Ken Wilkinson) There was never ever
any thought of defeat. Never.
336
00:33:17.370 --> 00:33:20.249
We were cocky. We were the bee's knees.
337
00:33:20.332 --> 00:33:23.302
After all,
we'd got wonderful aircraft to fly.
338
00:33:25.420 --> 00:33:29.345
We were very fortunate,
in spite of the Treasury,
339
00:33:29.382 --> 00:33:32.261
that we had Spitfires and Hurricanes.
340
00:34:03.708 --> 00:34:06.382
For a German invasion to succeed,
341
00:34:06.419 --> 00:34:10.595
Hitler needed to destroy
the Royal Air Force and its airfields
342
00:34:10.674 --> 00:34:13.644
and secure mastery of the skies.
343
00:34:18.932 --> 00:34:22.357
The Luftwaffe had 2,600 aircraft.
344
00:34:23.436 --> 00:34:27.782
They outnumbered RAF Fighter Command
by four to one.
345
00:34:30.680 --> 00:34:34.699
For most of the young pilots,
it would be their first time in action.
346
00:34:35.407 --> 00:34:38.661
If they failed, the country would fall.
347
00:34:39.995 --> 00:34:42.373
(Geoffrey Wellum) Obviously
we were going to be involved
348
00:34:42.455 --> 00:34:44.128
in a pretty serious business.
349
00:34:45.208 --> 00:34:48.428
Being shot down didn't appeal to me.
350
00:34:49.921 --> 00:34:51.923
So I thought, "How do I avoid it?"
351
00:34:53.216 --> 00:34:55.810
Make yourself a difficult target.
How do you do that?
352
00:34:55.885 --> 00:34:58.764
Never fly straight and level
for more than ten seconds.
353
00:35:00.140 --> 00:35:03.144
It's always the German you did not see
that shot you down.
354
00:35:11.985 --> 00:35:16.161
(Paul Farnes) My thoughts never went
to what the future might hold
355
00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:19.493
or whether we were going to get
through it or what was going to happen.
356
00:35:20.243 --> 00:35:26.910
After all, we were only
about 19 or 20, 21, you know.
357
00:35:27.292 --> 00:35:29.100
We were pretty young.
358
00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:43.100
(Ken Wilkinson)
We were all pals together.
359
00:35:43.141 --> 00:35:45.143
The camaraderie was great.
360
00:35:45.226 --> 00:35:48.230
We knew we depended upon each other.
361
00:35:48.313 --> 00:35:54.116
We knew that we were sure of
getting support, wherever we were.
362
00:35:58.365 --> 00:36:03.410
(new speaker) I was sent to Uxbridge,
which is 11 Group headquarters,
363
00:36:03.119 --> 00:36:05.292
into the operations room.
364
00:36:06.539 --> 00:36:09.418
I don't want to blow my own trumpet,
but I was a good plotter.
365
00:36:09.501 --> 00:36:11.503
(laughs) I shouldn't say that.
366
00:36:11.586 --> 00:36:15.591
But that was why I was always
on the southeast corner,
367
00:36:15.674 --> 00:36:17.426
which was the busy corner.
368
00:36:28.561 --> 00:36:31.531
Enemy aircraft was picked up
on the radar.
369
00:36:35.260 --> 00:36:38.405
All that information
was sent to fight command.
370
00:36:40.198 --> 00:36:44.578
They sorted it out, and then sent
the plots out to the groups.
371
00:36:45.453 --> 00:36:46.875
(bell rings)
372
00:36:46.955 --> 00:36:49.925
So we'd say "scramble" and they would
have to get up in the air.
373
00:36:58.967 --> 00:37:02.767
As the plots kept coming through,
we would put the arrows on the table
374
00:37:02.846 --> 00:37:05.440
so that the controller
could see what was going on.
375
00:37:18.278 --> 00:37:23.751
The controller had the information
and was able to pass it on to the pilot.
376
00:37:29.622 --> 00:37:33.593
(Tom Neil) I remember climbing up,
struggling for height, and looking up.
377
00:37:34.252 --> 00:37:38.849
And this one went out.
One of 20 to 30 above my head.
378
00:37:39.549 --> 00:37:44.200
And there's this fascination
of seeing the enemy close at hand.
379
00:37:45.889 --> 00:37:48.312
Seeing the black crosses and things
on the aeroplanes.
380
00:37:48.391 --> 00:37:52.521
And you know that it's going
to attack you in a moment or two.
381
00:37:56.775 --> 00:37:59.119
You had 15 seconds of ammunition.
382
00:37:59.486 --> 00:38:01.784
Three hundred rounds per gun.
383
00:38:02.781 --> 00:38:06.877
Our advice was to go in head-on attack,
and go straight through.
384
00:38:09.913 --> 00:38:11.335
And don't hang around.
385
00:38:12.540 --> 00:38:15.885
'Cause their fighters would come
and pick you off if they could.
386
00:38:16.711 --> 00:38:19.840
You went straight through them,
fired your guns,
387
00:38:19.923 --> 00:38:22.392
closed your eyes and fired your guns.
388
00:38:23.676 --> 00:38:26.475
(Geoffrey Wellum) Then, providing
you weren't hit by return fire,
389
00:38:26.554 --> 00:38:27.897
you were through the other side.
390
00:38:27.972 --> 00:38:29.349
In seconds, in seconds.
391
00:38:29.432 --> 00:38:30.854
Phew, got away with that.
392
00:38:30.934 --> 00:38:35.360
(laughs) Yeah.
393
00:38:45.198 --> 00:38:50.750
(Paul Farnes) You got 109s, Spitfires
and Hurricanes screaming round.
394
00:38:50.829 --> 00:38:52.456
You wouldn't know who was who
half the time.
395
00:38:54.207 --> 00:38:57.256
We were up here in the Spitfires.
396
00:38:57.335 --> 00:38:59.588
But you could see
what the Hurricanes were doing.
397
00:39:00.213 --> 00:39:05.811
I can remember three Hurricanes
diving in to 500 Heinkels.
398
00:39:05.885 --> 00:39:07.102
(machine gun fire)
399
00:39:07.178 --> 00:39:09.180
And the Heinkels scattering.
400
00:39:14.602 --> 00:39:17.981
You see the enemy,
you're within feet of them.
401
00:39:18.815 --> 00:39:20.692
Close enough to touch.
402
00:39:20.775 --> 00:39:23.619
I remember firing at an aircraft
directly in front of me
403
00:39:24.571 --> 00:39:28.701
Two people came out so close with
their parachutes still undeveloped.
404
00:39:28.741 --> 00:39:31.290
They came straight at me,
and I thought he was going to hit me.
405
00:39:34.289 --> 00:39:35.836
(machine gun fire)
406
00:39:42.130 --> 00:39:44.508
(Geoffrey Wellum) There was this bang.
407
00:39:44.591 --> 00:39:48.610
I suddenly realised
it was a 109 right behind me.
408
00:39:48.136 --> 00:39:50.810
He had his goggles down
and I could see his head.
409
00:39:50.889 --> 00:39:54.314
Oh, yeah, he was close.
He was real close.
410
00:39:54.893 --> 00:39:57.646
And I looked up
and I could see him looking at me.
411
00:40:01.649 --> 00:40:03.902
(Tony Pickering)
You learnt the hard way.
412
00:40:03.985 --> 00:40:05.908
(machine gun fire)
413
00:40:06.654 --> 00:40:10.454
Once you saw flames,
you didn't stop on board an aircraft.
414
00:40:10.533 --> 00:40:12.786
It could easily just blow like that.
415
00:40:13.369 --> 00:40:15.622
And it wouldn't give you a chance
to get out.
416
00:40:15.705 --> 00:40:19.630
Release that pin and out you came,
like a cork out of a bottle.
417
00:40:23.400 --> 00:40:27.510
I remember landing by parachute
in the guards depot at Caterham.
418
00:40:27.592 --> 00:40:31.813
They took me to the colonel, who very
quickly opened a bottle of whisky.
419
00:40:31.888 --> 00:40:35.392
Waugh-S) "Have a sip!"
420
00:40:47.362 --> 00:40:50.491
(Paul Farnes) So I saw the Stukas.
421
00:40:51.449 --> 00:40:54.544
Once they'd finished their dive,
they didn't climb up again.
422
00:40:54.619 --> 00:40:57.964
They stayed low
and headed out towards France.
423
00:40:58.414 --> 00:41:04.262
And, so... it made it easy for us.
424
00:41:08.508 --> 00:41:10.101
(newsreel) In recent operations,
425
00:41:10.176 --> 00:41:14.147
RAF automatic cameras, taking film
of the small home-movie type,
426
00:41:14.180 --> 00:41:16.649
were attached
to Hurricanes and Spitfires.
427
00:41:16.724 --> 00:41:18.852
Built for the job,
the camera fits into the wing.
428
00:41:19.394 --> 00:41:22.773
It automatically takes pictures
when the pilot fires his machine gun
429
00:41:22.855 --> 00:41:24.402
and stops when the gun stops.
430
00:41:27.944 --> 00:41:32.290
(Paul Farnes) I attacked one of them,
I think, and it was shot down.
431
00:41:34.909 --> 00:41:37.628
The other one went into the sea.
432
00:41:41.400 --> 00:41:43.880
You don't have any feelings about it.
433
00:41:44.168 --> 00:41:47.843
All you think about is trying to get
a decent shot at it.
434
00:41:52.176 --> 00:41:55.771
I can't help it, but I did enjoy it.
435
00:41:56.347 --> 00:41:58.975
I think probably quite rightly,
436
00:41:59.580 --> 00:42:03.313
from the human point of view I suppose
you shouldn't say you enjoyed it,
437
00:42:03.396 --> 00:42:06.320
when other people alongside you
were being killed.
438
00:42:06.399 --> 00:42:12.202
But I'm afraid I... I probably did.
439
00:42:40.391 --> 00:42:46.945
It's extraordinarily difficult to put
an easy story on it, it really is.
440
00:42:49.734 --> 00:42:54.661
There certainly were times when one was
quite frightened of what was going on.
441
00:42:59.327 --> 00:43:02.706
We, all three, got on his tail
442
00:43:02.789 --> 00:43:06.510
and I can remember, after firing at him,
443
00:43:06.584 --> 00:43:10.339
he was just more or less skimming along
in the water.
444
00:43:11.964 --> 00:43:14.968
And although I didn't knock him
into the sea,
445
00:43:15.510 --> 00:43:19.227
the chap following me certainly got him
and he burst into flames
446
00:43:19.305 --> 00:43:21.683
and went into the sea.
447
00:43:42.120 --> 00:43:45.590
(Geoffrey Wellum) We were told
there were 109s over Broadstairs.
448
00:43:46.707 --> 00:43:51.929
And I happened to look down and I saw
these two chaps right on the water
449
00:43:52.400 --> 00:43:54.520
going out from the coast.
450
00:44:03.150 --> 00:44:05.768
And we quite clinically got behind them.
451
00:44:05.852 --> 00:44:08.250
Right on the deck, they hadn't seen us.
452
00:44:08.620 --> 00:44:09.735
(machine gun fire)
453
00:44:12.859 --> 00:44:14.327
We shot them both dead.
454
00:44:19.782 --> 00:44:21.534
Just a "born-bond" .
455
00:44:28.499 --> 00:44:32.504
You've got to remember,
we're talking about total war.
456
00:44:34.672 --> 00:44:38.970
And we were up against it, because
there was nobody else helping us.
457
00:44:38.176 --> 00:44:42.852
All the Continent had fallen down
and it was us against this monster.
458
00:44:59.739 --> 00:45:02.583
By the end of August 1940,
459
00:45:02.658 --> 00:45:05.958
the Luftwaffe's daily assaults
on the airfields
460
00:45:06.370 --> 00:45:09.166
were stretching RAF resources
to the limit.
461
00:45:10.249 --> 00:45:14.400
Pilots and ground crews were exhausted.
462
00:45:17.340 --> 00:45:19.809
(Tom Neil) You never thought
you were going to be killed.
463
00:45:20.426 --> 00:45:24.351
And it's only in retrospect,
when you're lying in bed at night,
464
00:45:24.430 --> 00:45:28.776
and the bed alongside you
is suddenly empty.
465
00:45:28.851 --> 00:45:33.270
The fact that they were killed
20, 30, 40 miles away
466
00:45:33.105 --> 00:45:37.861
means that you wiped them
from your memory.
467
00:45:41.364 --> 00:45:43.708
(Tony Pickering)
You never got too dose.
468
00:45:45.117 --> 00:45:47.996
You kept yourself at a certain distance.
469
00:45:48.663 --> 00:45:54.110
'Cause inevitably, you would lose
friends, there was no doubt about it.
470
00:46:00.700 --> 00:46:03.762
(Paul Farnes) The damage that was being
done to the country was very worrying,
471
00:46:03.844 --> 00:46:06.438
I think one was conscious of that.
472
00:46:06.973 --> 00:46:10.318
I think in many ways
it made one even more determined
473
00:46:10.393 --> 00:46:13.146
to stop the German invasion.
474
00:46:13.229 --> 00:46:15.448
(air-raid siren)
475
00:46:15.523 --> 00:46:19.824
On September the 7th,
the Luftwaffe changed tactics.
476
00:46:20.486 --> 00:46:24.411
Hitler's new target was London,
not the airfields.
477
00:46:25.491 --> 00:46:28.415
The Blitz would bring misery
to Londoners.
478
00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:32.540
But it bought valuable time for the RAF.
479
00:46:36.711 --> 00:46:39.760
At last, the pilots could rest.
480
00:46:39.839 --> 00:46:44.140
The runways could be repaired
and aircraft could be serviced.
481
00:46:51.183 --> 00:46:53.686
But the day of reckoning
was approaching.
482
00:46:56.397 --> 00:46:58.616
I can remember looking up
at the sky and thinking,
483
00:46:58.691 --> 00:47:01.285
"It's going to be a lovely day again,"
you know. "Oh, God."
484
00:47:03.612 --> 00:47:05.205
And I offered up a little prayer.
485
00:47:07.325 --> 00:47:08.952
"It's going to be a very busy day,
O Lord,
486
00:47:09.350 --> 00:47:11.208
and if I forget you,
don't you forget me."
487
00:47:11.996 --> 00:47:16.920
"Give me this day, please.
Please, give me this day."
488
00:47:23.632 --> 00:47:26.306
(Tom Neil)
According to the German plans,
489
00:47:26.385 --> 00:47:29.130
if things were going right for them,
490
00:47:29.960 --> 00:47:32.475
they would invade
on the 15th of September.
491
00:47:33.559 --> 00:47:35.607
Der Tag. This is the day
they were going to invade.
492
00:47:42.568 --> 00:47:44.912
(Joan Fanshawe) That was the day
that Churchill came down
493
00:47:44.987 --> 00:47:47.911
and I was actually on duty that day.
494
00:47:48.366 --> 00:47:53.880
But we were not ever allowed to look,
turn around and look up there at all.
495
00:47:53.162 --> 00:47:55.506
We always had to keep our heads down
and look at our plot.
496
00:48:01.712 --> 00:48:06.183
In the plotting room, Churchill
watched the enemy attacks building.
497
00:48:06.258 --> 00:48:09.387
He asked if fighter command
had any reserves.
498
00:48:10.540 --> 00:48:12.773
The answer was none.
499
00:48:13.641 --> 00:48:18.647
(Tom Neil) Two thousand people in action
over Kent and Sussex.
500
00:48:20.940 --> 00:48:25.700
I flew four times that day.
501
00:48:37.248 --> 00:48:40.252
(Geoffrey Wellum) We were in
a vast panorama of blue sky
502
00:48:40.334 --> 00:48:43.554
with the green contrasting fields
of England below.
503
00:48:43.629 --> 00:48:46.257
And it was that that helped you.
504
00:48:48.509 --> 00:48:50.261
I can hear him to this day,
505
00:48:50.344 --> 00:48:53.180
the controller coming up and saying,
506
00:48:53.970 --> 00:48:56.146
"A hundred and fifty plus
approaching Dungeness."
507
00:48:57.226 --> 00:48:59.900
And Brian said,
"Tally ho, I can see them."
508
00:49:01.105 --> 00:49:02.732
Well, I looked ahead,
509
00:49:02.815 --> 00:49:06.865
and there was this great big cloud
of gnats on a summer evening.
510
00:49:07.236 --> 00:49:11.491
109s above, Heinkels, and I thought,
"Oh, gosh," you know.
511
00:49:11.574 --> 00:49:13.622
"Where do we start on this lot?"
512
00:49:20.332 --> 00:49:25.634
I kept a diary.
I was not allowed to keep a diary.
513
00:49:26.422 --> 00:49:31.144
I mean, it was
a court-martial offence to keep a diary.
514
00:49:31.844 --> 00:49:34.188
"We had an absolutely frantic watch."
515
00:49:34.263 --> 00:49:37.608
"We were almost driven potty
we were so busy."
516
00:49:37.683 --> 00:49:40.527
"There were air raids
all over the country."
517
00:49:40.603 --> 00:49:44.403
"We hardly had any relief at all,
did our best to sleep,
518
00:49:44.482 --> 00:49:46.985
but in any case, it was rather fitful."
519
00:49:55.784 --> 00:49:57.957
(Tom Neil) On the 15th of September,
520
00:49:58.370 --> 00:50:00.586
enemy aircraft
were falling like confetti
521
00:50:00.664 --> 00:50:02.917
all over the Southern counties.
522
00:50:03.959 --> 00:50:05.552
We were cock-a-hoop.
523
00:50:28.734 --> 00:50:32.910
September the 15th
marked the turning point of the battle.
524
00:50:34.240 --> 00:50:36.208
When it ended, six weeks later,
525
00:50:36.283 --> 00:50:40.163
it would become the first defeat
of Hitler's forces.
526
00:50:40.955 --> 00:50:44.209
The first victory
in the fight for freedom.
527
00:50:48.796 --> 00:50:51.470
(Tony Pickering) I think we realised
that we were there,
528
00:50:51.549 --> 00:50:54.143
and we'd got a job to do,
and we had to do it.
529
00:50:55.219 --> 00:50:56.937
And we did it
530
00:50:57.120 --> 00:50:59.140
to the best of our ability.
531
00:51:05.980 --> 00:51:10.486
I always remember the elderly ladies
in the East End of London
532
00:51:10.568 --> 00:51:13.742
come putting their arms around you
and giving you a kiss and saying,
533
00:51:13.821 --> 00:51:16.825
"Keep 'em away, boys, keep 'em away."
534
00:51:18.242 --> 00:51:21.860
It meant a lot to us, really, that.
535
00:51:28.419 --> 00:51:32.490
(Big Ben chimes)
536
00:51:34.758 --> 00:51:39.264
(Churchill) The gratitude of every home
in our island, in our empire,
537
00:51:39.346 --> 00:51:41.769
and indeed throughout the world,
538
00:51:41.849 --> 00:51:44.680
except in the abodes of the guilty,
539
00:51:44.143 --> 00:51:48.444
goes out to the British airmen
who, undaunted by odds,
540
00:51:48.522 --> 00:51:53.323
unwearied in their constant challenge
and mortal danger,
541
00:51:53.402 --> 00:51:58.624
are turning the tide of the world war
by their prowess and by their devotion.
542
00:52:00.618 --> 00:52:07.877
Never in the field of human conflict
was so much owed by so many to so few.
543
00:52:25.170 --> 00:52:27.941
(newsreel) The constant drone
of machinery in our aircraft factories
544
00:52:28.200 --> 00:52:29.442
is the music of victory.
545
00:52:31.650 --> 00:52:32.533
Over acres of floor space,
546
00:52:32.608 --> 00:52:35.987
men and women are turning the money
from the thousands of Spitfire funds
547
00:52:36.700 --> 00:52:37.572
into machines for the RAF.
548
00:52:41.200 --> 00:52:45.706
Despite heavy bombing, the two factories
in Southampton and Birmingham
549
00:52:45.788 --> 00:52:49.258
continued to build Spitfires
in large numbers.
550
00:52:51.460 --> 00:52:54.714
Women now played a key role
in their manufacture,
551
00:52:54.797 --> 00:52:59.553
and, as the Spitfire evolved,
in their design.
552
00:53:01.220 --> 00:53:06.351
Women were also recruited to fly them
from the factories to the airfields.
553
00:53:06.433 --> 00:53:08.561
(newsreel) These women
are in the news at home
554
00:53:08.644 --> 00:53:11.523
because they've undertaken
a somewhat unusual war job.
555
00:53:11.605 --> 00:53:15.701
All these women of the Air Transport
Auxiliary are most experienced pilots,
556
00:53:15.776 --> 00:53:18.905
each with a record of about
a thousand flying hours to her credit.
557
00:53:20.114 --> 00:53:27.589
(new speaker) In 1941, I joined
the Air Transport Auxiliary as a pilot.
558
00:53:27.621 --> 00:53:30.875
(newsreel) By carrying out this duty,
they're relieving the pressure of work
559
00:53:30.958 --> 00:53:33.336
that would otherwise fall to RAF pilots.
560
00:53:33.627 --> 00:53:35.880
Oh, that was great.
561
00:53:35.963 --> 00:53:42.596
I was with 16 other girls
that had already joined.
562
00:53:43.220 --> 00:53:45.188
So that was wonderful.
563
00:53:50.352 --> 00:53:54.198
And at that time,
I think I was one of the youngest ones,
564
00:53:54.273 --> 00:53:57.527
and so I had to behave myself.
565
00:53:57.609 --> 00:53:59.236
(laughs)
566
00:54:02.406 --> 00:54:04.124
(new speaker) We were all very young.
567
00:54:04.199 --> 00:54:07.920
We weren't in the services
so we didn't have to have our hair cut.
568
00:54:07.995 --> 00:54:11.124
And we did look very glamorous,
with our gold wings
569
00:54:11.206 --> 00:54:14.756
and our gold badges of rank
on the shoulder.
570
00:54:16.754 --> 00:54:19.598
Whenever you went into an RAF mess,
you know,
571
00:54:19.673 --> 00:54:22.960
they were always anxious to talk to you.
572
00:54:22.676 --> 00:54:24.349
It was a very glamorous life
573
00:54:24.428 --> 00:54:27.523
and it was very difficult
not to be spoiled, I guess.
574
00:54:29.683 --> 00:54:34.735
(Mary Ellis) Well, I did have
lots of boyfriends. (laughs)
575
00:54:34.813 --> 00:54:37.987
It takes me back about 50 years,
doesn't it?
576
00:54:42.404 --> 00:54:44.907
(newsreel) But to keep
the Royal Air Force on the offensive,
577
00:54:44.990 --> 00:54:46.867
hundreds of aircraft
must be flown each day
578
00:54:46.950 --> 00:54:49.920
between the factories, the maintenance
depots and the aerodromes.
579
00:54:51.790 --> 00:54:55.505
(Mary Ellis) I saw these Spitfires.
I hadn't seen a Spitfire before.
580
00:54:55.584 --> 00:54:59.259
I'm sure my heart was beating
hundreds to the dozen. (laughs)
581
00:55:01.673 --> 00:55:03.721
(Joy Lofthouse)
When you actually were told
582
00:55:03.801 --> 00:55:06.540
you're going to fly in a Spitfire,
583
00:55:06.136 --> 00:55:08.264
I suppose it's almost breath-taking.
584
00:55:08.347 --> 00:55:12.693
It's partly nervousness,
"Will I do it properly?"
585
00:55:12.768 --> 00:55:16.648
And partly elation
that you have finally made it.
586
00:55:18.148 --> 00:55:22.198
(Mary Ellis) I got in the aircraft
and the chappie said,
587
00:55:22.277 --> 00:55:25.372
"How many of these
have you flown, miss?"
588
00:55:25.447 --> 00:55:30.954
And I said, "I haven't flown one at all
yet, this is the first one."
589
00:55:31.360 --> 00:55:37.510
And he promptly went... (gasps)
...and fell off the aeroplane. (laughs)
590
00:55:42.130 --> 00:55:46.556
I was excited, and I started
the aeroplane, taxied out.
591
00:55:48.530 --> 00:55:50.806
Fortunately, made the perfect take-off.
592
00:55:52.808 --> 00:55:56.108
Up in the air, I thought,
"I'm here, I must do something."
593
00:55:56.186 --> 00:55:58.939
So I went round and round
and up and down.
594
00:56:06.488 --> 00:56:09.458
It was so delightful.
595
00:56:14.580 --> 00:56:19.177
I had a lovely time
before I had to land it.
596
00:56:20.836 --> 00:56:23.305
I thought, "Oh, my goodness."
597
00:56:24.381 --> 00:56:26.804
(Joy Lofthouse)
A test pilot once said
598
00:56:26.884 --> 00:56:30.559
that she was a lady in the air,
but a bitch on the ground.
599
00:56:35.309 --> 00:56:40.816
Now this was because she had a much
narrower undercart than the Hurricane.
600
00:56:40.898 --> 00:56:44.118
So you had to be very careful
in landing.
601
00:56:50.741 --> 00:56:54.621
(Mary Ellis) It was quite often
very dangerous.
602
00:56:56.747 --> 00:56:59.967
We had no radio at any time.
603
00:57:00.420 --> 00:57:02.841
No aids whatsoever.
604
00:57:04.171 --> 00:57:08.847
In between this, there was
the hazards of the bad weather
605
00:57:08.926 --> 00:57:11.600
and the balloons which would pop up.
606
00:57:12.721 --> 00:57:15.520
And people did get killed.
607
00:57:20.729 --> 00:57:24.740
(Joy Lofthouse) There were casualties.
One heard of them all the time.
608
00:57:24.775 --> 00:57:28.750
But I think
the thought of what was happening,
609
00:57:28.153 --> 00:57:31.908
the war as a whole,
was always in the back of our minds.
610
00:57:32.532 --> 00:57:38.756
There was always news coming through
of either defeats or setbacks.
611
00:57:38.830 --> 00:57:41.549
And it was a nice feeling,
however modest,
612
00:57:41.625 --> 00:57:44.299
that you were doing something
to help the war.
613
00:57:55.430 --> 00:57:58.934
In 1941, with Britain beyond his reach,
614
00:57:59.170 --> 00:58:02.237
Hitler turned his attention
to North Africa.
615
00:58:03.271 --> 00:58:08.744
The prize was control of the
Mediterranean and the Arabian oilfields.
616
00:58:10.821 --> 00:58:15.577
As battle raged in the desert, his
supply lines were under constant attack
617
00:58:15.659 --> 00:58:18.629
by British aircraft based on Malta.
618
00:58:19.705 --> 00:58:24.302
The tiny island was subjected to
a massive bombing campaign.
619
00:58:25.430 --> 00:58:27.546
(ship's horn)
620
00:58:27.629 --> 00:58:30.883
It had to be defended at all costs.
621
00:58:34.428 --> 00:58:37.523
With Spitfires being held back
in Britain,
622
00:58:37.597 --> 00:58:41.318
Hurricanes were sent
on aircraft carriers to do the job.
623
00:58:44.521 --> 00:58:48.947
The young pilots would face
a new challenge, fraught with risk.
624
00:58:51.153 --> 00:58:55.780
(Tom Neil) None of us had taken off
from a carrier or landed on a carrier.
625
00:58:56.324 --> 00:59:01.296
So the day arrived,
and we were going to fly off at dawn.
626
00:59:01.371 --> 00:59:04.966
Now, I hated flying off at dawn.
627
00:59:05.584 --> 00:59:06.585
I used to think,
628
00:59:06.668 --> 00:59:10.514
"Why in God's name don't we take off
at lunchtime after a good lunch?"
629
00:59:10.589 --> 00:59:12.216
You always had to do it at dawn.
630
00:59:18.263 --> 00:59:23.190
So there I was, one of 23 aircraft,
lined up waiting to take off.
631
00:59:29.274 --> 00:59:31.447
We were being led by a Fulmar.
632
00:59:34.321 --> 00:59:37.746
Now if there was one thing that was
worse than a Hurricane, it was a Fulmar.
633
00:59:38.283 --> 00:59:40.957
It was a useless, useless aeroplane.
634
00:59:43.121 --> 00:59:47.547
And we were going to follow the Fulmar
all the way to Malta.
635
00:59:49.920 --> 00:59:52.264
And everything was radio silence.
636
00:59:52.339 --> 00:59:54.683
We weren't supposed to utter a word
637
00:59:54.758 --> 00:59:57.102
in case we gave the whereabouts
to the fleet.
638
00:59:58.762 --> 01:00:03.518
And we did go for an hour, and suddenly
the Fulmar which is leading us
639
01:00:03.600 --> 01:00:07.250
had an engine problem
and disappeared into cloud.
640
01:00:07.620 --> 01:00:08.735
So I was left there.
641
01:00:09.731 --> 01:00:14.157
I didn't have any maps.
I didn't know where Malta was.
642
01:00:14.236 --> 01:00:17.365
All I knew was
I was surrounded by the enemy.
643
01:00:17.447 --> 01:00:20.667
And I was just 20 years of age.
644
01:00:21.243 --> 01:00:23.245
I didn't know what to do.
645
01:00:23.328 --> 01:00:28.500
And I flew round in circles with ten
people following me around in circles,
646
01:00:28.125 --> 01:00:32.346
them looking at me as a leader,
and me not knowing what to do.
647
01:00:32.420 --> 01:00:37.551
And I can tell you, I prayed, I prayed.
I didn't know what to do, what to do.
648
01:00:44.266 --> 01:00:45.859
And God answered.
649
01:00:46.560 --> 01:00:49.313
He doesn't answer you
with a flash of lightning,
650
01:00:49.396 --> 01:00:52.525
he puts something in your head
that you never thought of before.
651
01:00:53.692 --> 01:00:59.745
And I thought, "What I'd better do now
is fly all the way back to Gibraltar,"
652
01:00:59.781 --> 01:01:03.502
which was 850 miles
in the opposite direction.
653
01:01:07.205 --> 01:01:10.334
So I set off. By the grace of God,
654
01:01:10.417 --> 01:01:13.591
I came across the wake of the Navy
655
01:01:15.755 --> 01:01:20.977
and found the Ark Royal
and all the fleet, 20, 25 ships.
656
01:01:21.344 --> 01:01:23.267
I thought,
"What are they going to do with me?"
657
01:01:26.183 --> 01:01:29.153
"They're going to shoot at me.
They'll think I'm the enemy."
658
01:01:29.227 --> 01:01:32.151
"How do I let them know
that I'm a friend?"
659
01:01:36.943 --> 01:01:41.824
So then they found another Fulmar,
they scrambled it,
660
01:01:41.907 --> 01:01:46.253
and we began to follow it again,
20 feet above the waves.
661
01:02:01.885 --> 01:02:04.434
We'd been in the air several hours.
662
01:02:05.597 --> 01:02:06.598
We had no fuel.
663
01:02:08.183 --> 01:02:09.651
No fuel at all.
664
01:02:12.200 --> 01:02:14.318
And Malta suddenly appeared.
665
01:02:16.358 --> 01:02:18.861
And I remember going over the cliffs.
666
01:02:20.487 --> 01:02:25.869
And I was approaching Luqa,
and the airfield in front of me rose up.
667
01:02:30.288 --> 01:02:33.258
Bomb blasts and craters.
668
01:02:33.667 --> 01:02:35.419
All the time I'd been looking down
669
01:02:35.460 --> 01:02:37.303
to see if I was going to land
on the ground.
670
01:02:37.379 --> 01:02:41.304
I looked up, and the air
was filled with Germans.
671
01:02:41.341 --> 01:02:43.184
About 50 or a hundred of them.
672
01:02:45.110 --> 01:02:47.935
I said, "Sod it, no matter what I do,
I'm going to land her."
673
01:02:48.140 --> 01:02:49.891
So I landed between all the bomb holes.
674
01:02:54.354 --> 01:02:56.948
And two days later...
675
01:02:57.230 --> 01:02:59.446
(siren wails)
676
01:02:59.526 --> 01:03:03.281
...we heard the air-raid sirens going
677
01:03:03.363 --> 01:03:08.850
and then these three 109s appeared
20 feet above the ground, firing.
678
01:03:09.160 --> 01:03:11.754
And the bullets were going through
the tent above my head.
679
01:03:13.832 --> 01:03:16.961
They wrote us all off
before we'd even taken off.
680
01:03:18.670 --> 01:03:20.718
So we didn't have aeroplanes to fly.
681
01:03:23.425 --> 01:03:27.396
And suddenly,
the Spitfires arrived in March 1942,
682
01:03:27.470 --> 01:03:29.188
by the grace of God.
683
01:03:50.243 --> 01:03:52.541
With the fate of Malta in the balance,
684
01:03:52.620 --> 01:03:56.591
the arrival of the Spitfires
came just in time.
685
01:03:58.251 --> 01:04:01.175
(new speaker) And that's 124 Squadron,
the first squadron
686
01:04:01.254 --> 01:04:02.847
that I joined.
687
01:04:02.922 --> 01:04:05.300
In those days I was a sergeant pilot.
688
01:04:05.383 --> 01:04:10.355
And there I am,
one, two in from the right, there.
689
01:04:10.430 --> 01:04:13.980
A very young 18-year-old.
690
01:04:14.851 --> 01:04:20.904
Now, I was posted to Malta. The Eagle.
And that's the one we flew off.
691
01:04:21.733 --> 01:04:25.988
They took us a thousand miles
down the Med, and we had the rest to do.
692
01:04:28.740 --> 01:04:33.587
You just had enough fuel to make it
comfortable to get into Malta.
693
01:04:38.708 --> 01:04:42.463
It was just a matter of getting in
as well as you could,
694
01:04:42.545 --> 01:04:45.924
missing the potholes
and getting into a pen.
695
01:04:48.930 --> 01:04:52.189
Within minutes,
my Spitfire was being refuelled
696
01:04:52.263 --> 01:04:58.691
by swarms of airmen passing petrol cans
to one another to fill it up.
697
01:04:59.354 --> 01:05:04.760
Amazing. I mean, you'd only just arrived
there and your Spit was ready to fly.
698
01:05:05.276 --> 01:05:06.869
Welcome to Malta.
699
01:05:15.578 --> 01:05:18.252
Our job was to get the bombers,
not the fighters.
700
01:05:23.860 --> 01:05:25.805
We had to get as much height as we could
701
01:05:25.880 --> 01:05:28.303
because then you had
the advantage of coming down.
702
01:05:30.468 --> 01:05:34.180
You didn't aim to get into a dogfight
with Messerschmitts
703
01:05:34.970 --> 01:05:37.522
because we were too short of Spitfires
to lose one.
704
01:05:38.518 --> 01:05:39.644
Hit the bomber.
705
01:05:39.727 --> 01:05:44.984
(machine gun fire)
706
01:05:45.660 --> 01:05:46.693
Make sure that they'd clobbered him
707
01:05:48.319 --> 01:05:52.369
and then spiral down to the sea
and try and escape.
708
01:05:54.492 --> 01:05:58.167
But Messerschmitts soon cottoned on
to this and they followed down.
709
01:06:01.583 --> 01:06:04.587
So we ended up with a dogfight anyway,
at sea level.
710
01:06:04.669 --> 01:06:05.761
Fighting for my life.
711
01:06:08.173 --> 01:06:14.351
When two of them attack you,
you get your sights on one, quickly,
712
01:06:14.971 --> 01:06:18.646
and keep your eye on the other one
coming down behind you.
713
01:06:18.725 --> 01:06:20.898
- You get a quick squirt.
- (machine gun fire)
714
01:06:21.936 --> 01:06:25.941
And then always your eyes are flicking
towards number two coming down.
715
01:06:27.567 --> 01:06:30.411
You've got to outwit him,
you've got to out-fly him.
716
01:06:32.739 --> 01:06:34.867
You sweat profusely.
717
01:06:35.158 --> 01:06:39.334
You're not sweating because you're hot,
you're sweating fear.
718
01:06:42.540 --> 01:06:44.508
And it trickles down your forehead
719
01:06:44.542 --> 01:06:48.672
and then from the eyes, it trickles down
into the mouth, and it's salty.
720
01:06:49.547 --> 01:06:53.268
That's fear. It's a salty taste.
721
01:07:06.648 --> 01:07:08.867
You always put these swastikas in.
722
01:07:08.900 --> 01:07:12.290
That was the first one in Malta
that I got.
723
01:07:12.820 --> 01:07:16.450
And that was the three
in one fight, here.
724
01:07:18.201 --> 01:07:19.999
I think six of us claimed that one.
725
01:07:20.870 --> 01:07:24.215
It shows you the actual
Junkers 88 down there.
726
01:07:24.290 --> 01:07:25.837
The poor old pilot was there.
727
01:07:27.502 --> 01:07:33.430
You become an ace when you shot
five or more aircraft down.
728
01:07:33.508 --> 01:07:35.602
And funnily enough,
it's rather strange, that,
729
01:07:35.677 --> 01:07:42.151
but I am the last surviving ace
from Malta living today, the last one.
730
01:07:42.225 --> 01:07:43.522
Isn't that amazing?
731
01:07:54.700 --> 01:07:56.493
The Spitfires have done the job.
732
01:07:57.156 --> 01:08:01.360
By November 1942, the island was safe.
733
01:08:04.330 --> 01:08:06.924
The tide of the war was turning.
734
01:08:07.000 --> 01:08:11.847
The United States and the Soviet Union
were now fighting on the Allied side.
735
01:08:14.480 --> 01:08:16.960
With the constant need for pilots,
736
01:08:16.175 --> 01:08:20.351
the RAF became a truly multinational
fighting force.
737
01:08:21.723 --> 01:08:26.399
They came from all over the world and
from the conquered countries of Europe.
738
01:08:27.478 --> 01:08:30.778
And they all wanted to fly Spitfires.
739
01:08:32.150 --> 01:08:36.246
(new speaker) I remember
first flight from the Polish wing.
740
01:08:36.321 --> 01:08:40.371
Three squadrons of Spitfires
over France.
741
01:08:43.661 --> 01:08:48.792
The object was to throw the gauntlet:
come and fight!
742
01:08:48.875 --> 01:08:50.843
And by gum, they did.
743
01:09:05.350 --> 01:09:09.730
(Franciszek Kornicki)
A lot of blood was spilt over France.
744
01:09:09.812 --> 01:09:11.985
Ours and theirs.
745
01:09:12.650 --> 01:09:14.568
It was hard fight all the time.
746
01:09:17.612 --> 01:09:20.810
(Tom Neil) We had Spitfire Vs
747
01:09:20.156 --> 01:09:24.502
and suddenly a new enemy aircraft
arrived on the scene
748
01:09:24.577 --> 01:09:26.875
called a Focke-Wulf 190.
749
01:09:26.954 --> 01:09:29.127
And it made rings around us.
750
01:09:33.544 --> 01:09:36.764
They would come up above and then just
dive straight down, pick somebody off.
751
01:09:36.839 --> 01:09:40.184
We'd lost...
Oh, we lost several pilots.
752
01:09:41.135 --> 01:09:43.229
So that wasn't a very happy time.
753
01:09:48.393 --> 01:09:50.316
(newsreel) Very interesting indeed.
754
01:09:50.395 --> 01:09:54.241
Something we've been wanting to examine
for some time: the Focke-Wulf 190.
755
01:09:55.240 --> 01:09:57.652
The RAF forced it down
on the south coast of England,
756
01:09:57.735 --> 01:10:01.330
where an armed patrol promptly grabbed
the pilot before he could do any damage.
757
01:10:01.406 --> 01:10:03.249
Now it's in the RAF.
758
01:10:04.367 --> 01:10:07.917
(Geoffrey Wellum)
The 190 was a very potent aeroplane.
759
01:10:07.995 --> 01:10:09.497
So we had to respond.
760
01:10:11.499 --> 01:10:15.504
The Spitfire loaned itself
to development.
761
01:10:15.586 --> 01:10:17.805
And almost overnight,
762
01:10:17.880 --> 01:10:22.636
Rolls-Royce took the engine out, stuck
a great big blower on the back of it.
763
01:10:22.719 --> 01:10:25.643
And there was a difference
in performance. Incredible.
764
01:10:26.550 --> 01:10:28.979
(engine roars)
765
01:10:37.859 --> 01:10:42.350
(Franciszek Kornick/) Spitfire IX
was a really very, very good machine.
766
01:10:42.113 --> 01:10:45.117
It's got a lot of power.
And that's what was needed.
767
01:11:13.853 --> 01:11:16.777
(Ken French) When you got
to a height of about 10,000 feet,
768
01:11:16.856 --> 01:11:20.611
it would suddenly whoosh
and the supercharger came in,
769
01:11:20.693 --> 01:11:23.537
which gave us an extra bit of life
to go higher.
770
01:11:24.989 --> 01:11:31.338
And after that, the FW190s,
they were no fear for us.
771
01:11:31.412 --> 01:11:33.850
(machine gun fire)
772
01:11:33.164 --> 01:11:34.541
Any time we met them...
773
01:11:34.624 --> 01:11:36.920
(machine gun fire)
774
01:11:36.167 --> 01:11:37.794
...we got the better of it.
775
01:11:46.761 --> 01:11:51.141
The new Spitfire
had helped to secure aerial supremacy.
776
01:11:52.517 --> 01:11:55.737
The liberation of Europe
could now begin.
777
01:12:04.737 --> 01:12:07.957
(Ken French) In 1944, we were stationed
778
01:12:08.320 --> 01:12:11.662
down at Bognor Regis
for the forthcoming invasion.
779
01:12:14.380 --> 01:12:17.420
We saw them
painting black and white strips
780
01:12:17.124 --> 01:12:20.628
under the wings of our planes
for identification,
781
01:12:20.711 --> 01:12:22.713
and we knew what that must mean.
782
01:12:23.422 --> 01:12:26.767
But we still didn't know
where or when we were going.
783
01:12:28.761 --> 01:12:34.359
And on the evening of the 5th of June,
784
01:12:34.433 --> 01:12:37.778
we were all called over to a briefing.
785
01:12:37.854 --> 01:12:43.111
When we got into the tent there,
we saw a big map of Normandy.
786
01:12:43.192 --> 01:12:47.823
And that was our first knowledge that
that was where it was going to be.
787
01:12:49.240 --> 01:12:53.666
And, of course, this was June
when dawn came early
788
01:12:53.744 --> 01:12:55.963
and we didn't get any sleep.
789
01:12:56.380 --> 01:13:02.262
But I do remember that we were all
sitting round in little groups talking.
790
01:13:02.336 --> 01:13:06.512
Because we knew that this was going
to be the biggest day of our lives.
791
01:13:12.346 --> 01:13:15.200
(newsreel) Four years ago,
Europe was Hitler's.
792
01:13:15.990 --> 01:13:17.220
The lights of freedom went out.
793
01:13:17.590 --> 01:13:20.654
Now the world of free men
strikes in all its assembled might
794
01:13:20.730 --> 01:13:23.108
at the weakening chains of bondage.
795
01:13:23.900 --> 01:13:26.699
Here are the first pictures
of the opening of the second front;
796
01:13:26.777 --> 01:13:30.327
pictures which security demands
should be meagre at this stage,
797
01:13:30.406 --> 01:13:33.660
yet thrilling because they carry
the first flush of excitement
798
01:13:33.743 --> 01:13:36.417
as the mammoth task gets underway.
799
01:13:51.636 --> 01:13:55.391
(Ken French) We could see the landing
craft running up on the beaches.
800
01:13:56.980 --> 01:13:58.396
It must have been absolute hell,
you know.
801
01:13:58.768 --> 01:14:01.738
We were completely detached from it.
802
01:14:03.898 --> 01:14:08.153
On D-Day, I went over there three times.
803
01:14:08.235 --> 01:14:11.239
It was quiet all the time.
804
01:14:14.867 --> 01:14:17.586
We never saw the German air force.
805
01:14:18.996 --> 01:14:21.374
Quite honestly, if they had turned up,
806
01:14:21.457 --> 01:14:23.880
they would have had
a very, very hard time
807
01:14:23.960 --> 01:14:29.120
because not only the RAF, but all the
American fighters were up there as well.
808
01:14:30.383 --> 01:14:31.805
Very, very successful actually,
809
01:14:31.884 --> 01:14:37.641
because the whole of northern France
air was covered with fighters.
810
01:14:40.851 --> 01:14:42.774
(newsreel)
While civilian Britain sleeps,
811
01:14:42.853 --> 01:14:44.947
history's greatest story
is being written.
812
01:14:44.981 --> 01:14:48.281
Between midnight and breakfast,
the D-Day plan is launched.
813
01:14:48.359 --> 01:14:51.829
And when the news breaks,
the people at home rush to buy it.
814
01:14:51.904 --> 01:14:54.953
Eagerly, they absorb every line
of the rationed information
815
01:14:55.320 --> 01:14:56.330
as it comes to hand.
816
01:14:56.117 --> 01:14:59.667
The news is good,
far better than they'd dared to hope.
817
01:14:59.745 --> 01:15:02.339
Bridgeheads are won,
we penetrate inland.
818
01:15:02.415 --> 01:15:07.910
Airstrips are under construction and,
best of all, casualties amazingly light.
819
01:15:15.302 --> 01:15:17.680
(Ken French) We used to escort bombers.
820
01:15:19.348 --> 01:15:23.979
And they were dropping bombs on woods.
And we never knew why.
821
01:15:26.981 --> 01:15:31.111
We did know that the Germans had
some sort of a secret weapon coming.
822
01:15:40.161 --> 01:15:41.333
(Ken French) Doodlebugs.
823
01:15:42.663 --> 01:15:46.880
They were pretty fast,
they were over 400 mph they travelled.
824
01:15:48.252 --> 01:15:54.760
I chased one once, across the Channel,
but it was too fast for me.
825
01:15:54.842 --> 01:15:56.344
(engine roars)
826
01:15:56.427 --> 01:16:02.685
The jet-propelled V-1 was taking warfare
in a new and frightening direction.
827
01:16:02.767 --> 01:16:03.939
(engine falls silent)
828
01:16:10.858 --> 01:16:12.860
The country needed an answer.
829
01:16:14.403 --> 01:16:17.907
And once again, it was the Spitfire.
830
01:16:19.241 --> 01:16:20.618
(newsreel) Mark XIV.
831
01:16:22.161 --> 01:16:25.256
She's slightly larger and even faster
than her predecessors
832
01:16:25.331 --> 01:16:28.756
and was designed to meet
the constant demand for more speed.
833
01:16:30.419 --> 01:16:34.549
The wings are clipped to give
better manoeuvrability at low altitudes.
834
01:16:44.308 --> 01:16:48.529
A completely redesigned fin and rudder
was essential for the Mark XIV
835
01:16:48.604 --> 01:16:51.574
and an even more powerful
Rolls-Griffon engine.
836
01:16:56.654 --> 01:16:59.578
To accommodate this new engine,
the nose was lengthened again
837
01:16:59.657 --> 01:17:01.830
and a bigger spinner was needed.
838
01:17:16.799 --> 01:17:19.518
(Geoffrey Wellum)
Spit XIV was a Griffon engine.
839
01:17:19.593 --> 01:17:20.970
It was no slouch.
840
01:17:21.804 --> 01:17:25.684
The acceleration was something
like I'd never experienced before.
841
01:17:26.308 --> 01:17:27.730
That was a real Spitfire.
842
01:17:47.204 --> 01:17:49.957
(newsreel) A Spitfire pilot
gets in a successful burst.
843
01:17:50.400 --> 01:17:51.417
(machine gun fire)
844
01:18:21.280 --> 01:18:25.285
(Geoffrey Wellum) The Spitfire
was built as an interceptor fighter.
845
01:18:28.120 --> 01:18:31.374
Get up there, have a go, come down,
refuel, up. That sort of thing.
846
01:18:36.860 --> 01:18:39.556
But it went on to be developed
into 24 marks,
847
01:18:42.176 --> 01:18:45.350
with a speed over the initial one
of over 100 mph,
848
01:18:45.429 --> 01:18:48.979
carrying twice or three times
the weapon load.
849
01:18:51.602 --> 01:18:53.980
It was a design which was brilliant.
850
01:18:57.358 --> 01:19:01.909
(Tom Neil) By the end of the war
in 1945, I flew pretty well all of them.
851
01:19:01.987 --> 01:19:03.580
All 24 marks.
852
01:19:04.448 --> 01:19:06.701
We used to appeal to Supermarine.
We used to say,
853
01:19:06.784 --> 01:19:09.833
"For God's sake,
try and design something else."
854
01:19:15.876 --> 01:19:18.400
You got to the stage
where the engine was so powerful,
855
01:19:18.870 --> 01:19:20.306
that the aircraft was turning
around the propeller,
856
01:19:20.381 --> 01:19:22.304
rather than the propeller
around the aircraft.
857
01:19:26.887 --> 01:19:29.891
It had had two-bladed propeller,
three-bladed, four-bladed,
858
01:19:29.974 --> 01:19:32.193
five-bladed, six-bladed propeller.
859
01:19:32.268 --> 01:19:34.487
It had outlived its life.
860
01:19:44.113 --> 01:19:47.538
Twenty-two thousand Spitfires were built
861
01:19:47.616 --> 01:19:50.870
before the jet engine
brought its life to an end.
862
01:19:56.410 --> 01:20:02.424
But 75 years after the end of the war,
over 50 of these planes still fly.
863
01:20:03.590 --> 01:20:07.390
And more are being returned to the air
every year.
864
01:20:07.469 --> 01:20:09.722
(Ken Wilkinson)
Well, it's the extraordinary thing
865
01:20:09.805 --> 01:20:11.807
about public opinion, isn't it?
866
01:20:12.266 --> 01:20:14.519
It does funny things.
867
01:20:16.895 --> 01:20:21.776
I mean, the Spitfire did fly
all the way through the war,
868
01:20:24.320 --> 01:20:28.450
and a lot of people
like to see them nowadays.
869
01:20:29.408 --> 01:20:30.830
They're so precious.
870
01:20:34.663 --> 01:20:39.900
It brings back all sorts of memories.
All sorts.
871
01:20:44.631 --> 01:20:50.809
(Allan Scott) I am amazed to this clay
at the reputation that the Spitfire has.
872
01:20:51.138 --> 01:20:53.812
And especially the pilots.
873
01:20:53.891 --> 01:20:58.317
Amazing how people
have got onto this Spitfire business.
874
01:21:11.825 --> 01:21:16.126
(Joy Lofthouse) The fact
that people revel in the Spitfire
875
01:21:16.205 --> 01:21:22.178
and the iconic feel it has,
I can't really explain it.
876
01:21:24.460 --> 01:21:26.765
There are some who would
rather have a flight in a Spitfire
877
01:21:26.840 --> 01:21:31.950
than spend their pension money
on a Jag or something, I think.
878
01:21:32.540 --> 01:21:33.727
That must tell you something.
879
01:21:38.185 --> 01:21:42.656
But the aura surrounding the Spitfire
880
01:21:42.731 --> 01:21:46.781
is more a post-war phenomenon
than a wartime thing.
881
01:21:47.986 --> 01:21:51.160
It was just an instrument of war then.
882
01:22:39.329 --> 01:22:43.500
(Tony Pickering) I don't know why
human nature is such
883
01:22:43.125 --> 01:22:46.425
that we have to fight each other
and destroy each other.
884
01:22:50.257 --> 01:22:53.386
Well, it was something
which I was asked to do.
885
01:22:54.470 --> 01:22:56.893
And I did.
886
01:23:00.517 --> 01:23:02.235
But life's very strange.
887
01:23:02.311 --> 01:23:07.784
One gets tested and checked
and things like that.
888
01:23:11.778 --> 01:23:17.456
You've got to try and live a life where
you try and not upset other people.
889
01:23:24.875 --> 01:23:28.470
I don't know whether
it's a good thing or a bad thing,
890
01:23:28.545 --> 01:23:32.721
but I don't know
whether we should forget it.
891
01:23:33.258 --> 01:23:36.808
But we've got to always remember
those who didn't come back.
892
01:23:37.137 --> 01:23:39.231
You've always got to remember them.
893
01:23:51.193 --> 01:23:54.370
(Paul Farnes) At the time,
one didn't think anything of it at all.
894
01:23:56.740 --> 01:23:59.243
I'm very proud to have taken part in it.
895
01:24:02.370 --> 01:24:04.916
I think all those who took part are.
896
01:24:04.998 --> 01:24:11.802
I think the chaps who are still alive,
I think they have a certain pride in it.
897
01:24:13.340 --> 01:24:16.140
There aren't many of us left alive,
you know.
898
01:24:17.427 --> 01:24:19.521
I'm not getting any younger.
899
01:24:20.889 --> 01:24:25.395
I suppose in another five years,
I doubt if there'll be any of us.
900
01:24:34.236 --> 01:24:36.705
(Ken Wilkinson) It never goes away.
901
01:24:37.155 --> 01:24:42.127
It never goes away,
this threat of warfare.
902
01:24:43.203 --> 01:24:46.548
The generation before us
had been through a war.
903
01:24:47.499 --> 01:24:51.299
The generations after us
have been through wars.
904
01:24:52.754 --> 01:24:55.132
In all conscience,
905
01:24:55.215 --> 01:25:01.180
the world needs a change
from all this hostility and warfare.
906
01:25:01.847 --> 01:25:04.475
The world needs a change.
907
01:25:15.527 --> 01:25:17.245
(Geoffrey Wellum) It's not about medals.
908
01:25:19.781 --> 01:25:22.125
It's not about who shot down what.
909
01:25:22.659 --> 01:25:24.787
It's not about the thank yous.
910
01:25:25.662 --> 01:25:27.460
But it is nice to be remembered
911
01:25:27.539 --> 01:25:31.214
because being remembered
covers everybody
912
01:25:31.293 --> 01:25:36.220
who served, flew and fought in the war.
913
01:26:01.448 --> 01:26:06.545
(new speaker) She's original,
98 percent of her.
914
01:26:06.620 --> 01:26:12.470
All the skin panels and all
the inner parts, they are original 1944.
915
01:26:12.793 --> 01:26:15.421
The reason for it is that
she never saw combat.
916
01:26:17.547 --> 01:26:22.178
She was actually delivered
from the factory by Mary Ellis
917
01:26:22.260 --> 01:26:26.265
who was one of these ATA girls,
the Air Transport Auxiliaries.
918
01:26:27.182 --> 01:26:30.152
Mary Ellis was a slip of a girl,
but I know
919
01:26:30.227 --> 01:26:37.736
that she flew 1,000 aircraft during
the war, of which 400 were Spitfires.
920
01:26:37.818 --> 01:26:42.730
And for some reason,
she decided, on a whim,
921
01:26:42.155 --> 01:26:46.661
to sign her name
on this aeroplane in 1944,
922
01:26:47.536 --> 01:26:50.415
which was then Mary Wilkins.
923
01:26:50.497 --> 01:26:54.470
And you can still see the signature,
very faded,
924
01:26:54.126 --> 01:26:58.802
"Mary Wilkins, ATA
for Air Transport Auxiliary".
925
01:26:58.880 --> 01:27:01.679
But the most wonderful thing
is that she is still alive
926
01:27:01.758 --> 01:27:06.810
and she's going to be 100
in two or three months' time.
927
01:27:17.858 --> 01:27:24.867
(Mary Ellis) This wonderful Spitfire
that I flew in 1944
928
01:27:24.948 --> 01:27:31.297
on a delivery flight from the factory
is coming in this afternoon.
929
01:27:31.371 --> 01:27:33.890
I can't wait. (laughs)
930
01:27:46.720 --> 01:27:47.721
Here he is.
931
01:27:49.431 --> 01:27:52.480
Wow! (laughs)
932
01:27:54.478 --> 01:27:56.355
Oh, how lovely.
933
01:27:57.647 --> 01:27:59.690
How very super.
934
01:27:59.149 --> 01:28:00.651
(laughs)
935
01:28:04.196 --> 01:28:09.669
It seems so small now,
doesn't it, the Spitfire?
936
01:28:15.332 --> 01:28:16.754
(laughs)
937
01:28:20.212 --> 01:28:21.213
Fantastic.
938
01:28:27.677 --> 01:28:30.210
- Oh, so great!
- Dear Mary.
939
01:28:30.960 --> 01:28:34.146
- (Mary Ellis) It is so great.
- So good to see you.
940
01:28:34.851 --> 01:28:37.700
- How are you?
- I'm very well, thank you.
941
01:28:37.145 --> 01:28:40.115
- Always excited about this one?
- Yes, of course.
942
01:28:40.190 --> 01:28:43.694
I flew about 1,000 aeroplanes
during the war.
943
01:28:43.777 --> 01:28:47.623
- Yes.
- That's the only one I signed.
944
01:28:47.948 --> 01:28:49.621
- The only one.
- That's magical.
945
01:28:49.699 --> 01:28:51.292
It's fabulous.
946
01:28:51.368 --> 01:28:56.215
And what came over you,
that you decided to sign this one?
947
01:28:56.540 --> 01:29:00.511
- I suppose it was a romantic mood.
- (both laugh)
948
01:29:02.870 --> 01:29:08.515
Thinking that some handsome RAF chap
might be fighting, you know,
949
01:29:08.593 --> 01:29:11.972
and suddenly see my name and contact me.
950
01:29:12.550 --> 01:29:13.932
- And look you up.
- It never happened.
951
01:29:14.150 --> 01:29:16.234
- It never happened?
- (Mary Ellis) No, until now.
952
01:29:16.309 --> 01:29:17.686
(both laugh)
953
01:29:17.769 --> 01:29:20.943
Don't tell your wife I said that.
(laughs)
954
01:29:20.981 --> 01:29:24.235
I won't.
This is between us and all the cameras.
955
01:29:24.317 --> 01:29:25.864
- Yes.
- Yes.
956
01:29:25.902 --> 01:29:29.782
Would you mind stepping inside again
957
01:29:29.865 --> 01:29:33.165
and signing the aeroplane again
for this day?
958
01:29:38.999 --> 01:29:40.922
- (Mary Ellis) Is that all right?
- That's right.
959
01:29:41.100 --> 01:29:46.883
Thank you for allowing me
to write on your aeroplane. (laughs)
960
01:29:46.965 --> 01:29:48.888
Delighted and honoured.
961
01:29:55.807 --> 01:29:58.936
(Maxi Gainza) When I was a child,
I read about Spitfires
962
01:29:59.190 --> 01:30:00.521
and the Battle of Britain.
963
01:30:02.105 --> 01:30:04.824
This aeroplane stands for so much.
964
01:30:04.900 --> 01:30:06.777
Grace and gallantry.
965
01:30:16.411 --> 01:30:18.584
She's a symbol of freedom.
966
01:30:21.207 --> 01:30:24.177
Here he comes. Here he is.
85281
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.