Squadron 992

Synopsis

In response to a request for a film that showed the importance of balloon barrage, Harry Watt made this drama-documentary about the training of a balloon squadron and its first assignment to the Forth Bridge, which had just been unsuccessfully raided. For his reconstruction of the raid itself, Watt got the Air Force to put German markings on their planes, which caused considerable consternation. Watt also claimed he was ‘arrested twice as a spy, because filmmaking was absolutely unknown and anybody with a camera was a spy’. Cavalcanti thought this film, along with THE FIRST DAYS, would be considered very important later. In his opinion such documentary records of history as it unfolded would ultimately matter more than the experimental work.

Series

Britain at War: The First Days

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. VHS. b&w. 26 min.

Year of production

1940

Availability

Sale

Notes

See: BRITAIN AT WAR: THE FIRST DAYS for availability on compilation videocassette.

Subjects

History

Keywords

armed forces; barrage balloons; documentary films; World War II

Credits

Director

Harry Watt

Producer

Alberto Cavalcanti

Writer

W D H McCulloch

Contributor

Frank H ‘Jonah’ Jones; Julian Spiro; Ken Cameron; Muir Mathieson; R Q McNaughton; Walter Leigh

Cast

Lionel Gamlin

Production Company

Name

GPO Film Unit

Distributor

Name

Post Office Film & Video Library

Email

poes@edist.co.uk

Phone

01795 426465

Fax

01795 474871

Address

c/o Post Office Education Services
PO Box 145
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 1NH

Notes

Contact: Barry Wiles