Month: Aug 2020

RAF 161 Special Duty Squadron (Lysanders) Occupied France

Timeline documentary interviewing pilots of 161 Squadron including Hugh Verity, members of the French resistance and agents.

Also an excellent interview of a Lancaster wireless operator shot down over Belgium who was rescued and taken to France by the Possum Escape Line (MI9) and later extracted by Hugh Verity flying a Lysander.

Documentary: Nancy Wake: Gestapo’s most wanted (Timeline productions)

Based on my understanding of Nancy Wake this is the best documentary I have seen on her life with the Pat O’Leary escape line, her escape from France and her service with SOE.

Some of her wartime work in France is not covered and there are the following technical inaccuracies during the re-enactment:

During her parachute infiltration she is seen wearing the wrong type of helmet and parachute

The type of wireless shown is not correct

The Gestapo agent Nancy Wake said she would shoot if the Marquis refused to do so was a woman not a male as shown in the film and it was not as straight forward as depicted here.

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A Welcome to Britain, 1943 (US Army information film)

As most Americans had never lived outside the United States this film made by the US Army was intended to introduce American troops to British society, culture and political system

The main culture shock for white soldiers from the south was British communities rejecting racial segregation for instance:

“Local resident Gillian Vesey recalled how, as a young barmaid at the Olde Hob Inn, she stood up for African American soldiers against attempts by white Americans to impose discriminatory practices in the pub, insisting that the American white soldiers wait their turn rather than expecting to be served before their black colleagues…”

Further reading:

Black troops were welcome in Britain, but Jim Crow wasn’t: the race riot of one night in June 1943

https://theconversation.com/black-troops-were-welcome-in-britain-but-jim-crow-wasnt-the-race-riot-of-one-night-in-june-1943-98120

Know Your Ally: Johnny Britain (US Department of Defence 1942)

1942 Creator(s): Department of Defence. Department of the Army. Office of the Chief Signal Officer.

US Public information film introducing Americans to the following:

British, Empire and Commonwealth forces.

Differences and similarities between American and British society, culture, political systems and German propaganda attempts to break the alliance

Confusion between the shared language

Life in Britain during the war and the home front.

Eagle Squadrons- American citizens who joined the RAF before Pearl Harbor

Nine American citizens are listed as pilots serving with the RAF during the Battle of Britain and some pretended to by Canadians in order to be eligible to join the RAF.

Several American pilots serving with RAF Fighter Command also supported the Canadians during the ill- fated raid on Dieppe.

After the United States entered the war the Eagle Squadrons were amalgamated into the USAAF and the pilots were allowed to wear RAF wings on their American uniforms.

Operation Jericho (aka Jail Breakers) February 1944

At the request of the French Resistance on 18 February 1944 British and Canadian Mosquito fighter -bombers with Typhoon fighter escorts were tasked with destroying SS barracks and machine gun positions whilst breaching the wall of Amiens prison to help facilitate the escape of 832 members of the resistance and other political prisoners due to be shot by the SS.

Shortly after the raid the following newsreel called Jail Breakers was shown in cinemas throughout Britain.