MrDrakesDuck

After Dresden and postwar there began a trend to run down the effectiveness of the bomber offensive, it seemed rather 'inconvenient' to be responsible for over half a million civillian deaths.

Held against it was it didn't win the war alone like Arthur Harris had claimed it could, and that the Germans still managed to maintain and increase production through 43-44.

It needs to be remembered though that the Germans invested a phenomenal amount of resources countering the offensive with radar, nightfighters, flak guns and their crews etc, you could go on and on and on.

Also, away from the city raids, vital for it's attacks on the Normandy defences, transport infrastructure and V weapons sites.

Personally I think Bomber Command has been very unfairly maligned, but it's one of those debates you could go on about for both sides for an age.

As for the crews, it's scandalous they were never given a campaign medal after their corageous effort and appalling losses, but unfortunately they became a victim of politics and were particularly betrayed by Churchill.

Sorry to waffle on, but you did ask wink and it's a bit of an interest.

:)

"I thought I had to shoot Germans, not chew 'em"

Jim

Correct MDD, that reply was pretty much as I had heard it elsewhere. Thanks for the reply.
thumbs_u

Good morning boys.

Marky B

Spot on,Jim
I think a majority of Asians and negroes who work in this country despise political correctness. Councils stop places celebrating Christmas because "it might offend ethnic minorities". Where I buy my beer from is run by a nice family from India,who obviously look forward to Christmas as they will make plenty of money and also they go to Nottingham on Christmas Day to celebrate the festival with their family.
Political correctness has never been elected,so it shouldn't govern :mad: :mad: violent violent

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

Jim

CORRECT MarkyB! Can't add any more to that!

Good morning boys.

Marky B

Right now,back to The Dambusters :)
Glancing through my Halliwell's Film Guide to look up its critique on The Maggie,I thought I'd have another look at The Dambusters. According to Halliwell,the music for The Dambusters was written by Leighton Lucas and Eric Coattes. What contribution did Leighton Lucas give to the famous march?
When is it out on DVD?
Watch out for a young Robert Shaw as Flight Sergeant Pulford and note Patrick McGoohan standing guard outside the briefing room. Also Richard Thorpe (Alan Hunter in Emmerdale) is also in the 617 squadron.
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

smudge

It's already out on DVD Marky, and has been for a while. I THINK you can get it individually, but it's current in THE BRITISH WAR FILM COLLECTION box set in HMV's sale. ICE COLD IN ALEX is another one in there.

McGoohan is the guard who sends 'that dog' off to it's untimely death....

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

alan gowdy

Not that it detracts too much from the overall quality of the film but it's a pity that some of the model work is pretty ropey. Still a great yarn for all that.

"Don't forget... one of petrol, two of meths"

Freddy

A special effects chap mentioned that the best way to get a more natural water splash as in the Dambusters would have been simply to add salt to the water.
As you say though Tony it is far better to suspend
belief, similar to the landslide in the Railway Children, you could practically see the wires but it did not spoil the enjoyment of the film.
regards
Freddy

"What I owe you Colonel Lawrence, is beyond evaluation."

Hackett

I know that bit of film with the shot down plan Tony. It's like the burning buildings at night one when the whole front of the building falls across the road making the firemen scatter. This is usually followed by the morning after air-raid shot of the double decker bus with the Hovis advert on it in the bomb crater. No old B/W war film would be the same without them.

alan gowdy

Ah yes, the Hovis bus lying at a peculiar angle after being hit by a bomb. It's one of those oft-repeated and enduring wartime clips that stick in the mind. Another is the shot from a landing craft of scattered beachside houses during the D-Day landings and yet another is the scramble being rung at a fighter base on a bell bearing the words "Don't come till I ring then run like hell" or something along those lines.

"Don't forget... one of petrol, two of meths"

Hackett

The D-Day one Alan has just reminded me of the Dunkirk clip. The soldiers are walking into the sea off the beach and then climbing onto a ship. The camera is filming from the bridge and picks up a shot of one squaddy arriving on deck who only has the top half of his battledress on.
I think the sign at the fighter base says "Don't stand and yell ring like hell".

DAVID RAYNER

The wartime newsreel clip I remember the most is a shot of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben surrounded by barb wire, with a double decker bus coming towards us on the far side of the road and an armoured scout car going away from us on the near side and passing the bus. It was the shot that used to open the 1961 weekly television film series "Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years" on BBC Television every Saturday evening. Now that was a great series, so why isn't it available on video or DVD as with "Victory at Sea."

Coming back to the subject of Political Correctness, I recall that as a youngster in the early 1950's, we used to have an ornament on the sideboard of a little negro boy sitting on a log and the embossed caption underneath read:"Little Black Sambo." I doubt whether the BBC would ever allow that to be screened on the Antiques Roadshow these days.

Jim

Now, there IS a point!

Good morning boys.

Russ

I take some of your points re PC, however the fact remains that terms previously used in normal conversation are now totally offensive to decent minded individuals.
I would therefore be grateful if members could refrain from airing their repugnant racist views any further on this thread.
Lets get back to British films.

Thank You

Jim

Hold it there lad! - nobody's endorsing what you call repugnant racist views. If the film/play/script was written in that fashion, then it must stand that way! AND people are still entitled to their opinion, whatever the PC brigade may think.

How can you say 'get back to british films', when many of the old films we talk about on this webby were full of racist remarks anyway?

I work with many immigrants and I can tell you when it comes to racists remarks, they take some beating!!!

Good morning boys.