An Airman's Letter to His Mother

John Gielgud - Narrator
Michael Powell - Prologue

Michael Powell speaks the introduction. The film-short is based on an authentic letter written by a bomber pilot to his mother. When he never returned, his station commander was so impressed by it he asked the mother for permission to send a copy to The Times. It made such a hit with the readers that it was printed into a small book that ran to about 15 editions in the UK and United States. The film is quite schmaltzy (along the lines of "It is a far, far better thing I do") but it's an effective propaganda piece. The film shows the letter being delivered to the mother, and her reading it (voiced by Geilgud as her son speaking it). We never see the mother clear enough to identify her but it's possibly one of the great English actresses.