| Wings | |
|---|---|
“Wings” Title Card Series 2 |
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| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Barry Thomas |
| Written by | Barry Thomas Julian Bond Arden Winch |
| Directed by | Jim Goddard Gareth Davies Donald McWhinnie Desmond Davis |
| Starring | Tim Woodward Michael Cochrane Nicholas Jones John Hallam David Troughton Sarah Porter |
| Theme music composer | Alexander Faris |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Peter Cregeen |
| Running time | 50 Minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | 2 January 1977 – 30 March 1978 |
Wings is a drama series about the Royal Flying Corps that ran on BBC television from 1977 to 1978. It stars Tim Woodward as Alan Farmer, a young blacksmith's son turned fighter pilot in World War I.
Nicholas Jones played his teacher and mentor, Captain Triggers, and Michael Cochrane played his upper-class friend, Charles Gaylion, who began a relationship with Farmer's girlfriend while Farmer was believed dead, shot down over France.
The series reveals that the British pilots are struggling with aeroplanes which are both unreliable and inferior to the German machines, and with an Establishment that classes voicing an opinion to that effect as being tantamount to cowardice. The airmen must also face the resentment of British soldiers who see them having an ‘easy' life. It highlights the rigidity of the British class structure when Farmer becomes an officer in the second series - he faces resentment both from some COs because of his class and NCOs because of his new rank. As an officer with a working-class background he is neither fish nor fowl - the fact that he has risen on merit never seems to cross most characters' minds. The series takes great care with historical accuracy, covering the early days of the parachute, the fitting of weaponry to British biplanes (lacking the Germans’ interruptor gear, they had to be fired at an angle rather than through the propellers) and the horrors of trench warfare. 'Wings' depicts a Britain that is, in some areas, struggling to adapt in the face of change, at a period that was a turning point for many people’s way of life.
The series was created by Barry Thomas. Twenty-five episodes were made in all.
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The book BBC VFX (Mat Irvine and Mike Tucker) states that few First World War aircraft were still airworthy at the time of production so the majority of flying shots were achieved with 1/6 scale radio-controlled models under the guidance of long-time model aircraft expert David Boddington alongside Derek Piggott and Tony Bianchi.
| Episode no. | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | "The Volunteer" | uncredited | Barry Thomas | 2nd January 1977 |
| Spring 1915: Alan Farmer, a blacksmith from Bennett’s Hill in Sussex, has a keen interest in flying and is granted an interview with the Royal Flying Corps. Having been accepted due to his aptitude with engines, at the training centre he meets young officer Charles Gaylion and their instructor Captain Triggers. However on his first flight with the new recruit, Triggers realises that Farmer hasn’t been entirely truthful about the extent of his flying experience. | ||||
| 1.2 | "Never Turn Back" | Jim Goddard | Barry Thomas | 9th January 1977 |
| April 1915: Farmer begins to learn that their machines are the RFC’s biggest enemy. While Gaylion talks of honour and chivalry in the air, Captain Triggers is intent on shooting down the German pilot responsible for his observer’s death. When Alan’s plane stalls on take-off, Triggers’ advice is vital to his survival… | ||||
| 1.3 | "Welcome to France" | Gareth Davies | Barry Thomas | 16th January 1977 |
| May 1915: Alan arrives at ‘C’ Flight in St Marie, France and faces resentment from some officers due to his background (‘A blacksmith? We are getting desperate for chaps’). Farmer is sent on a mission to range for the artillery but is attacked by a German plane. Forced down behind enemy lines, he and his observer are spotted by German soldiers… | ||||
| 1.4 | "Business As Usual" | Donald McWhinnie | Arden Winch | 23rd January 1977 |
| June 1915: ‘C’ Flight is ordered to locate a German Howitzer so the artillery can attack it. Captain Dornish takes a newly-arrived observer on the mission but when they fail to return, a new Flight Commander is appointed: Captain Triggers. When his plane fails en route, Triggers finds himself waiting at the railway station with a wounded Infantry Officer, where he learns the horrible truth of Dornish’s fate. | ||||
| 1.5 | "Speaking From Experience" | Jim Goddard | Arden Winch | 30th January 1977 |
| June 1915: On his arrival at ‘C’ Flight, Triggers sees the inadequacies of the planes and asks the pilots and NCOs for ideas on how to improve them. Back in Sussex, young Richard Hollis continues his flying lessons as the Army begins recruiting in the village. | ||||
| 1.6 | "Over The Top" | uncredited | Julian Bond | 6th February 1977 |
| June 1915: With a break in the bombardment, Alan goes swimming and Morgan experiments with fitting bombs with parachutes. Meanwhile, Gaylion gets a taste of the horrors of life in the trenches when his plane is forced down and he must wait overnight for Alan to arrive with a replacement propellor. | ||||
| 1.7 | "Time Out of War" | Jim Goddard | Julian Bond | 13th February 1977 |
| July 1915: There is unrest among the NCOs at Farmer’s friendship with Gaylion. Alan and Charles are sent back to England to pick up a new plane from Farnborough, where Lorna comes to see Alan at the factory. Back at Charles’ home, after meeting Gaylion’s sister Kate, Alan learns of the need for ‘structure on the ground’… | ||||
| 1.8 | "The Hunters" | Desmond Davis | Barry Thomas | 20th February 1977 |
| July 1915: Although ordered to continue with reconnaissance and not to engage the enemy, Alan wants to do something about the German plane that has been causing them so much trouble. Fitting the Lewis gun to their plane, he and Gaylion take on the enemy plane but only just get home in one piece when Alan does more damage to his own craft. Goaded by the Germans who wish to renew their duel ‘with our gallant enemy’, Triggers orders them to accept the challenge. | ||||
| 1.9 | "New Deal" | uncredited | Julian Bond | 27th February 1977 |
| July 1915: Alan helps to capture a German plane and its crew but is not invited to the meal in their honour in the Officers’ Mess that evening. However it is Farmer who thwarts the Germans’ escape attempt when the British officers are too drunk to notice them go. Rather than give him a commendation (which will expose the officers’ negligent behaviour), Triggers allows him a 48 hour pass to Paris where he meets Charles’ sister Kate again. When ‘C’ Flight is ordered to bring down a German observation balloon, despite the shortcomings of their planes, Alan improvises but finds that someone else gets the credit from the officers. | ||||
| 1.10 | "The Burning Question" | Jim Goddard | Arden Winch | 6th March 1977 |
| August 1915: Back in England, Lorna has volunteered to be a nurse and is looking after injured pilots. Meanwhile a new monoplane is puzzling the pilots of ‘C’ Flight. Gaylion thinks it’s a French Morane but when Alan goes on reconnaissance with his new observer, Lieutenant Conrad, they are attacked from behind by a German plane. Triggers is frustrated that his superiors do not believe their planes are being outclassed by the Germans but his frustration turns to anger when a magazine provides the answer. | ||||
| 1.11 | "The Prisoner’s Friend" | Desmond Davis | Arden Winch | 13th March 1977 |
| August 1915: The arrival of the new German monoplane forces Triggers to order the pilots of ‘C’ Flight to fly in pairs however he then insists on flying a routine reconnaissance alone and is declared missing. Alan is ordered to photograph a German artillery dump with his observer Conrad, however faced with the Eindecker, Farmer turns and avoids a confrontation. Back on the ground, Conrad insists Farmer be court-martialled for disobeying an order and cowardice in the face of the enemy. Gaylion represents Farmer but his inexperience begins to show until an unexpected witness makes a sudden entrance in court. | ||||
| 1.12 | "Welcome Home" | uncredited | Barry Thomas | 20th March 1977 |
| Following the court martial, Conrad demands a different pilot but Alan insists he wants to carry on flying with the same observer, admiring Conrad’s bravery. Conrad is unrepentant and, despite being ordered not to look for trouble, orders Alan to fly slightly off-course in the hope of engaging the German monoplane. Conrad manages to shoot down the Eindecker but is fatally wounded himself. Alan is granted a week’s leave but his plans to meet Kate again end in disappointment, as Charles warned they would. He meets up again with Lorna back home in Bennett’s Hill. | ||||
| 2.1 | "Forward Action" | Peter Jefferies | Barry Thomas | 5th January 1978 |
| As Alan’s leave in Sussex comes to an end, he and Lorna become engaged, while Harry leaves Bennett’s Hill to work in a munitions factory. Enraged by the RFC losses against superior German machines, Triggers attempts to ram an Eindecker but fortunately misses. ‘C’ Flight is ordered into forward action, to keep the Eindeckers busy and prevent them from shooting down the British reconnaissance planes. With a new French engine and a Lewis gun fitted, Triggers is relieved: “At last, we’re going to do some fighting in this war”. | ||||
| 2.2 | "Zeppelin" | John Sichel | Gidley Wheeler | 12th January 1978 |
| With German Zeppelins making bombing raids across Britain, ‘C’ Flight is ordered to forget the Eindeckers and bomb the Zeppelin sheds in Belgium. The pilots are instructed in bombing techniques by Sgt Hollywake but his disregard for the threat of the German monoplanes angers Alan. Too late to impress a conference on the flying service, the bombing raid is a failure on all counts: not only does Hollygrave drops his bombs to avoid engaging superior numbers, but Alan’s BE2 is shot down behind enemy lines. | ||||
| 2.3 | "Another Country" | Peter Jeffries | Julian Bond | 19th January 1978 |
| The replacement pilot Lieutenant Michael Starling arrives, keen to show off his expertise in flying theory. Meanwhile Triggers is ordered to drop a British spy, Madame Boissier, behind enemy lines but when their plane is hit, they are forced to land and take refuge with a French curate. Starling locates the grounded plane and destroys it, cutting off their escape route. Triggers and his passenger are betrayed to the Germans. Out of uniform, both Triggers and Madame Boissier are found guilty of spying and sentenced to death by firing squad at dawn the following day. | ||||
| 2.4 | "Transfer" | John Sichel | Julian Bond | 26th January 1978 |
| When Gaylion crashes a BE2 on takeoff, he attempts to take another plane up at once but there is an accident and one of the mechanics loses both of his hands. Despite the fact that a faulty ignition switch is discovered, Gaylion blames himself and begins to think he has lost his nerve. He is posted back to England as a flying instructor where he must face his father’s outdated attitudes to warfare. | ||||
| 2.5 | "Stunt – Or Die!" | Peter Jeffries | Barry Thomas | 2nd February 1978 |
| While supervising training in England, Alan visits Lorna at Bennett’s Hill. He advocates a new system of training for pilots, teaching them dangerous manoeuvres to avoid trouble but his suggestions are dismissed as ‘emotional rubbish’ by his superiors. He takes one pupil up, demonstrating how to get out of a spin, risking their lives to prove his point. However his second pupil, Westerley, later decides to take a plane up alone to attempt the same manoeuvre. | ||||
| 2.6 | "Dawn Attack" | John Sichel | Barry Thomas | 9th February 1978 |
| Alan is alive and being cared for by a French family close to a German airfield. Meanwhile the German planes attack Sainte Marie and decimate both the aircraft and base. Driving the early morning milk delivery, Alan gains entry to the German airfield and in a daring move, makes his escape in an Eindecker. However, lying in wait for him is Captain Triggers in the last airworthy BE2, intent on taking his revenge for the attack on Sainte Marie. | ||||
| 2.7 | "Machine-Gun Post" | Peter Jefferies | Barry Thomas | 16th February 1978 |
| Bravington is determined to learn to fly while Triggers is ordered to deal with a German machine-gun post prior to a big ‘push’. Alan returns home to England on leave but catches Charles and Lorna sharing a kiss. With his plan to bomb the German post having failed, Triggers plans to land and attack it with grenades. A German officer spots Triggers’ plane landing, but he is captured and taken back to Sainte Marie by Bravington. Triggers sets off to attack the post alone in the hope that Bravington will return for him in time. | ||||
| 2.8 | "Officers and Gentlemen" | John Sichel | Arden Winch | 23rd February 1978 |
| Triggers is intending to recommend Farmer for a commission. Bravington and Starling have reservations about his suitability and Alan also faces resentment from several NCOs due to his background. When a German plane drops a note about an injured British airman, Alan misunderstands his purpose and attacks the German. At the interview, Alan’s background and academic record are picked over by the selection panel, then in a bar afterwards he experiences further resentment first hand when he comes across a number of embittered soldiers. | ||||
| 2.9 | "Guardian Angel" | Peter Cregeen | Arden Winch | 2nd March 1978 |
| Leroy Schultz has invented a parachute which can be opened manually but can only be used once. Alan is in favour as it could save lives; standing to make a fortune should the RFC take the parachute, Schultz offers Alan a cut of the profits in return for his support. Triggers, however, is against the idea as he feels it will encourage the pilot to jump and sees it as an excuse for cowardice. Convinced by Alan’s faith, Schultz agrees to do a demonstration jump but just before take-off he realises the chute has been tampered with. | ||||
| 2.10 | "The Price" | John Sichel | Arden Winch | 9th March 1978 |
| After the latest reconnaissance aircraft is shot down by the Germans, Triggers is recalled to England to advise at the factory which is to build a new fighter - the factory owned by Triggers’ own father. The initial signs are good, the new ‘Viper’ has a better rate of climb and will be equipped with a forward-mounted machine gun yet Triggers has concerns. Following a test flight, he insists the design be amended before putting the prototype into production, making it safe enough for the average pilot to fly. He strives to ensure pilot safety while his father is more concerned with the company’s profits. In an attempt to prove the ‘Viper’ can be handled by the average pilot, the designer Tony Snow takes it for a further test flight... | ||||
| 2.11 | "Mutiny" | uncredited | Julian Bond | 16th March 1978 |
| Soldiers from a battallion stationed nearby break into Sainte Marie and steal the pilots’ rations. Enraged that not only are the men of ‘C’ Flight being ‘slaughtered in obsolete machinery’, they are now also being attacked by their own men, Triggers threatens to take the law into his own hands. Starling secretly flies to the mutineers’ encampment in an attempt to speak with them but is held prisoner. When two planes from ‘C’ Flight arrive to rescue Starling, Alan fires the first shot in a gunfight which results in Starling being injured and all the mutineers being killed. Visiting Starling in hospital, Alan and Charles meet Lorna again. | ||||
| 2.12 | "No Medals" | Peter Jefferies | Gidley Wheeler | 23rd March 1978 |
| The pilots of ‘C’ Flight are dispatched to Veuve sur Meuse under the command of Captain Boucharlat to assist in fighting the Eindeckers. Gaylion is delayed on take-off and is shot down by an Eindecker. Having destroyed his aircraft, he is befriended by a Frenchman who knew his uncle at The Hague. He informs Gaylion of the Germans’ plans for a massive offensive, something Triggers has begun to suspect from the Germans’ movements. Boucharlat refuses to listen and irritates the pilots of ‘C’ Flight with his mocking attitude towards the British equipment and their lack of medals. Their housekeeper’s daughter grows attached to Triggers and asks him for a souvenir – one of his buttons. When the girl is caught kissing Triggers, her mother locks her in her room. Angered by Boucharlat’s blinkered view of warfare, Triggers takes to the air and finally shoots down the Eindecker but his triumph has tragic consequences. | ||||
| 2.13 | "Heroes" | Peter Jefferies | Barry Thomas | 30th March 1978 |
| When Lorna visits Sainte Marie, Gaylion asks her to marry him. With a big 'push' due, Colonel Smith arrives with orders that ‘C’ Flight are to adopt new signalling methods and patrol the lines, reporting progress. Smith insists on accompanying Triggers on his patrol to view battle conditions but their plane is hit and forced down in No Man’s Land. Taking cover in a ruined building, they find two trapped soldiers and realise they are under attack from both sides of the lines. Triggers and the men make it to a bomb crater but Smith is killed attempting to reach the British lines. On hearing that Triggers is trapped, Gaylion and Farmer take off in an attempt to draw the German fire to allow Triggers and the others to reach safety. | ||||
Series 1 consisted of 12 episodes. Series 2 consisted of 13 episodes.
The first series was screened on BBC1 from 2/1/1977 to 20/3/1977 (Sundays). The second series was shown on BBC1 on Thursdays from 5/1/1978 to 30/3/1978.