Royal Air Force Film Production Unit

The film director and WAAF continuity girl discuss the set-up of a shot in a scene at a railway station from "Journey Together" at No. 1 RAFFPU at RAF Stanmore Park, Middlesex
Hamburg in ruins, eyewitness photograph by a Royal Air Force official photographer

Royal Air Force Film Production Unit (typically abbreviated to the acronym RAFFPU) produced propaganda films depicting RAF personnel and aircraft both on the ground and in aerial action during World War II from 1941 to 1945. Personnel included early commander Flight Lieutenant John Boulting; later director Richard Attenborough flew camera missions over Europe.

History

The RAFFPU was formed in 1941 after it was recognised that captured film footage was being processed by civilian companies before it could be securely classified. Additionally, many civilian cameramen were not able to be taken on bombing raids, so service personnel were trained to be able to perform these tasks.[1] The RAFFPU had two main tasks; to document the RAF's work and to produce propaganda films involving the Royal Air Force.[2]

The RAFFPU mainly worked out of Pinewood studios which is where Richard Attenborough was seconded to. He starred in one of their films, Journey Together, which was directed by Flight lieutenant John Boulting. After the war, Attenborough went on to be directed by Boulting in the film Brighton Rock because of his connection to the RAFFPU.[3]

The unit had access to Beaufort, Anson, Hudson, Havoc and Auster aircraft based at RAF Benson and RAF Langley. Whilst production stopped in 1945, the unit was officially stood down at RAF Stanmore Park in March 1947 when it became the Film Production Unit Library.[4]

Films

These were some of the films produced by the RAFFPU.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Buckman, Keith (1997). "The Royal Air Force Film Production Unit, 1941-1945". Historical journal of film, radio and television. Oxford: Carfax. 17 (2): 219. ISSN 1465-3451.
  2. ↑ Browne, Stephen (2013). The encyclopedia of British film (4 ed.). Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 663–664. ISBN 9780719091391.
  3. ↑ "The Richard Attenborough Stage opens for business at Pinewood Studios". www.pinewoodgroup.com. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  4. ↑ Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF : the ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912 (1 ed.). Shrewsbury: Airlife. p. 175. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
  5. ↑ "Royal Air Force Film Production Unit". BFI. Retrieved 24 July 2017.

Further reading

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