World War II In Colour - Air War (DVD)

...most glamorous.

World War 2 In Colour, Air War, tells the true story (shown with actual live colour footage, filmed by combat cameramen) of the real story of the fighting aircraft of World War 2 and of their brave and dedicated aircrew and equally brave and dedicated ground support staff who, at great risk to themselves, kept the aircraft serviceable and fighting against the enemy Axis forces.

The image of the airman, ...
...being an air combatant during World War 2 was often not much fun.

The programme shows how dangerous and how short the life of an air combatant could be, and, sadly, often was. Many of them just never returned, or returned severely injured physically or mentally.

The films were taken by US Army Air Corp volunteer cameramen, who were using the latest high tech 16mm film cameras. The programme relates how many people from ... more

Of all the branches of the armed services of probably pretty much any country the air force is probably seen as one of the most glamorous, or perhaps even the most glamorous.

World War 2 In Colour, Air War, tells the true story (shown with actual live colour footage, filmed by combat cameramen) of the real story of the fighting aircraft of World War 2 and of their brave and dedicated aircrew and equally brave and dedicated ground support staff who, at great risk to themselves, kept the aircraft serviceable and fighting against the enemy Axis forces.

The image of the airman, smartly dressed in his flying suit, and flying free above the earth was only a small part of it. A very small part of it. For being an air combatant during World War 2 was often not much fun.

The programme shows how dangerous and how short the life of an air combatant could be, and, sadly, often was. Many of them just never returned, or returned severely injured physically or mentally.

The films were taken by US Army Air Corp volunteer cameramen, who were using the latest high tech 16mm film cameras. The programme relates how many people from the Hollywood film making community, including at least one Oscar-winning directors volunteered for active service as wartime film makers with the USAAF.

Apparently something under half the USAAF bombers crews completed their 25 mission tour of duty. Thus it would seem logical that some of the combat cameramen also failed to make it home.

As well as covering the missions that the aircrews participated in, they also showed footage of the somewhat Spartan and basic living accommodation that many of them enjoyed or endured, depending on one's point of view. This, explained the narrator, was due to the suddenness with which America joined the war, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour. (An old Brummie joke: "I dain't realise 'ow far off America is. After all, we shouted for help in 1939, and they only 'eard us in 1942.")

Many of the deaths of aircrew (1 out of 5) was as the result of accident. 22,000, nearly, in total. The film told that a common problem in England was fog, known to the USAAF as "the soup".

They were bedevilled by low temperatures (-40c) and had problems with sometimes faulty electric heated suits.

And, of course, there were the attacks on Allied day bombers from German fighter 'planes. Genuine footage of attacks by these fighters, and watching a gigantic American bomber cart wheeling out of the sky, totally out of control as the pilots seemingly fought to control their aircraft is distressing. In the film it looked as if one of the aircrew was attempting to bale out.

By 1943, the Germans were destroying as many as 20% of all USAAF bombers on some missions. This caused the USAAF to stop bombing raids deep into German territory. This situation was changed several months later when 'planes like the Mustang P51 became operational. With extra fuel storage it could stick with the bombers all the way. They were called "Little friends" by the bomber aircrews. And there is no wonder in that. There is something stirring (and sad, too) to watch the destruction wrought on the German fighter planes when the Mustang P51s suddenly fell upon them and turned them from fighter 'planes into falling, expanding balls of orange and red fire.

As well as film crews, some of the bombing raids carried our old friends the war correspondents, who would bravely record and/or broadcast back their bombing raids over Axis targets.

When you can hear the flack bursting outside the aircraft you can hear a change in the tone of Jack Westerly the war correspondent. But only just! There was a man with a cool head under fire. After all, he could do nothing to defend himself. He had to leave that to the aircrew of his bomber.

The film also included some captured German film of antiaircraft units attack Allied airplanes

The programme then turns to the RAF, who, whilst the USAAF decided to make daytime attacks, were making night-time attacks.

With a commentary over the first scene of RAF crew being served what looked like biscuits by a padre, we seem how the RAF crews dealt with their "equally harrowing experiences," as the American narrator put it.

The American narrator pointed out that the stripped-down armaments of the Lancaster Bombers (to increase the bomb load) resulted in far too many of the 'planes being shot down. As a result, it was decided that they would fly night-time only missions.

Sadly some of the accents of the readers of the British bomber crews was highly variable, and that is being charitable. One very short extract ran from Cod Liverpudlian to sort of south Welsh, via South Africa by way of an unidentifiable brogue to iffy Scottish ending in a vague (very vague!) attempt at something like a West Midland accent.

The next attempt at a "British" accent even managed an accidental mild obscenity. He should have said "shot down" But accidentally said something else.

I mention this only because in my opinion failing to get the accents of the readers right (even just using one genuine British actor to read all the voices) detracts from the tragic story that they are telling.

The attrition rate of the RAF crews was worse than the USAAF. The RAF crews could only expect to complete ten missions before being shot down, as the narrator pointed out.

The film also makes critical remarks about Arthur "Bomber" Harris and his attitude towards the safety of his bomber crews.

Sadly only one colour film was made of British night bombers in action. Luckily, the History Channel was able to include the footage in their programme. Incidentally, the programme had harsh words for the treatment of RAF bomber crews who snapped under the strain of constant bombing raids. They were, said the narrator, treated with little sympathy, merely being labelled LMF (Lack of Moral Fibre), stripped of their rank and re-assigned to menial duties. I wonder how similar USAF crew members with broken nerves were treated? We don't know because the narrator fails to tell us.

The programme makers also take a somewhat sneering attitude to Bomber Command's decision to target German cities, as individual military-industrial targets could not be easily identified at night. How nice to know that the USAAF never bomb civilian targets. (USAAF firebomb attacks on Japanese civilians, anyone? Hiroshima, anyone? Nagasaki? No?)

After thus summarily dismissing the British involvement in the air war over Europe, the film returns to the History Channel's favourite topic, How the Americans Won the War.

In all, this particular episode of this series has some severe shortcomings. Expect them and you will perhaps not be too disappointed.

As part of a TV series, this has no extras.

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