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Firts Light?

ndicki

ndicki

Charter Member 2016
Well? Did anybody watch it? Was it any good?

All I got was "Not available in your area" when I tried the iPlayer... It must spot my French IP.
 
I saw it Nigel, and I must say I did enjoy it. They interleaved the docudrama section with actual filmed recollections from Wellum himself. There was a even mix of action and personal drama. The aircraft were a mix of real and CGI (the latter mainly for the massed Luftwaffe). In the dogfights they used Bouchons. Not sure if I'd have preferred CGI 109E's. It also showed the Erks in a good relationship with Wellum and the rest of the aircrew. Obviously there was more of a realistic view regarding the combat stress of pilots and particularly Wellum himself. I haven't read the book yet. But I shall on the back of this. I'd like to hear from those who have read the book and seen the programme.
 
I first read the book a few years ago and it has remained a firm favourite. The docudrama was enjoyable, concentrating on a few themes from the book, especially the constant pressure of fighting day after day for months.

The book has a great deal more than this Jeff, so the film won't spoil it for you. Highly recommended.

Another book I enjoyed recently is Brotherhood of the Skies by David Ince which redresses the fighter -versus-fighter emphasis of the early WW2 books. Ince flew Typhoons from late '43/early '44 to the war's end and is very interesting on the 2nd Tactical Air Force's close-support role from Overlord to VE day. Not anywhere as well-written as First Light - he could use a better sub-editor - but I mention it particularly because Wellum finished the war as a production test pilot on Typhoons.

And there's some pointed talk of Horton flying wings which some recent broadcasters could have read to their advantage...
 
Well? Did anybody watch it? Was it any good?
Click to expand...

It was first rate Nigel, it really was. They just don't make stuff like this anymore so as I've read the book I was so pleased when I heard they'd made it and I wasn't disappointed.
Footage from the BoB movie was used with it (well there's nothing else) so Geoff's a/c carried the fictional AI*B code so that it matched the movie. The whole thing was seamless and the parts where Geoff Wellum was speaking in-between was just excellent and quite moving.

I have a mate who knows a way of getting the Iplayer download stripped of the code they use to make it disappear after so many days. If I can do this I'll stick it on DVD and mail it to you, I'm a license payer after all - I've paid for it! There's a few more proggies in the series, I'll try and get them all.

Also last night was a documentary of a propoganda film made in 39/40 of a Wellington being built in the factory in 24 hours (to beat a US record) which was wonderful. If it's available I'll get that too.
 
Cheers, Clive! :ernae:

Yes, I noticed the AI- code on the aircraft in a still, and wondered. That explains it!
 
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