RAAF Beaufighters

RAF Station Dallachy, Scotland November 1944. No. 455 Squadron RAAF Beaufighters UB-M and UB-D taking off carrying rockets. Third Beaufighter takes off carrying torpedo. Beaufighter UB-T undergoing maintenance. Take off filmed from observer's position inside aircraft. Flight crews leaving Operations Room. Crew walking on tarmac towards aircraft. Ground crew ready aircraft for take off. Crew boarding aircraft. Beaufighter UB-M starting engines. Ground crew pull away wheel chocks. UB-P taxis forward. Sheep in paddock with aircraft and shelters in background. Flight scenes at very low altitude over the sea. Rocket armed Beaufighter EE-P of No. 404 Squadron RCAF taxies on tarmac past camera. Flight line of Beaufighters engines running. Flight crews leaving Ops Room. Flight crews boarding truck. Ground crewman on wing of UB-L. Various aerial shots of Beaufighter formations. Beaufighters taking off toward camera. Armourers attaching rockets onto launch rails. Ground crew fitting gun camera and polishing cockpit canopy of Beaufighter sporting an Australian flag painted on nose. Beaufighters in flight. Flight shots of pilot and navigator. Armourers carrying rockets. Further flight scenes of aircraft interiors. Views of base and surrounding countryside filmed from the air. Flt/Sgt Jack Tucker putting on parachute harness. F/O Bill Herbert standing in cockpit. UB-P parked on airfield. Take off scenes. Aerial Identified personnel 455 Squadron RAAF are: 422957 F/Sgt Peter L.T Ilbery first scene of men leaving Ops room, tall man no cap; 415335 Flt Lt W. Kimpton leaving ops room with F/Sgt Ilbery, collar turned up on flight jacket; Flt/Sgt Ilbery first in group of four men walking on tarmac, Beaufighter UB-E in background; 422832 FO W.D. Bawden of Sydney second in group walking to aircraft etc; same scene "Doc" Watson third in group; same scene 415797 Flt/Sgt A.W. Ibbotson fourth in group; Murray Walsh second scene leaving ops room first man out walks straight to camera; same scene Ibbotson leaving ops room first man wearing unbuttoned sheep skin sleeveless jacket; Spink same scene wearing buttoned up sheep skin and peaked cap; same scene 402453 F/O C.G. Thompson of Petersham wearing peaked cap; same scene 432095 P/O John Douglas Blackshaw [KIA 9 February 1945] second last man leaving ops room wearing buttoned up sheepskin; same scene 422968 P/O William Douglas Mitchell [KIA 8 March 1945] last man out of ops room; 40118 Flight Sgt Jack W. Tucker of Carlton, Vic donning parachute harness in front of tail of Beaufighter; 418410 F/O William (Bill) G. Herbert of Elwood , Vic standing in cockpit of Beaufighter looking down to camera. [455 Squadron personnel identified by Dr Peter Ilbery]. See also Cinesound newsreel F02015 RAAF convoy busters.

[@thevelointhevale1132]

My Great Uncle, Alan Brown, was a Beaufighter & Mosquito Pilot ( Rank Sgt P/O A ) for both RAAF 456 Sqd, RAF No 46 and No 108 Sqd in the North African/ Med campaign - one of 4 Australians in a Unit ... 108 flew Night Fighter patrols over Egypt, Libya, Malta, Greece and the Aegean generally. His personal file shows the destruction of Ships, Trains, motor vehicles and a Heinkel HE. 111 among other victims. T Through 1943-44, flying out of an airfield in Athens - after the HE. 111 was intercepted and destroyed - records state his Beau harassed a German retreat by strafing Railway and Motor Transport following this up with nightly 'Intruder Missions' over the wider Aegean ( Salonika, Crete, Rhodes, Melos, Leros and Cos ) God bless them all!

[@warrenhunt5556]

My Dad, Raymond Herbert HUNT was a Wireless, Navigator with 31 Squadron, who inspired me, to join the RAAF in 1984 and served for 36 years. Thank you to AWM and look forward to you re-opening soon.

[@jonjor.9094]

Hey, how you being well. Could u help me in a research about the ability of the Beaufighter MK.21 to carry bomb ordnance. Any kind of bomb it used during the time in service? This is a personal research for a historical game named WarThunder.

[@alanbrassil5074]

Hello Warren, my father was a 31 Squadron Navigator flying out of Coomalie Creek in the NT. Did most of his flying with a Pilot named David Strachan. My father’s name was Jack Brassil. Great to see this footage.

[@warrenhunt5556]

@@alanbrassil5074 G'day Alan, Thank you for taking the time to send a comment and highlight the connections we both have with 31 Squadron, Navigators and Coomalie Creek, South of Darwin. Dad was posted to 31 Squadron in September, 1942 at Wagga from where the squadron moved to Batchelor in the Northern Territory the following month and in November, the big move to Coomalie Creek, which was home for Dad until January, 1944, before being posted to 55 Operational Base Unit at Gorrie. Whilst with the squadron he was only a Sergeant and like your dad, left the RAAF as Warrant Officer. Also like your Dad, my Dad was born in Paddington too. I couldn't agree with you more, that it was great to see the footage, hence the reason I left a comment. Later on today, when I have first drink, I'll give a cheers to your father, Warrant Officer John (Jack) Leslie BRASSIL and to Flight Lieutenant David Bryan Frith STRACHAN for their contribution to Australia, that makes me proud of them....

[@alanbrassil5074]

Warren Hunt Thanks Warren - likewise when I pour this afternoons Pinot I’ll raise a glass to WO Hunt.

[@steveibbotson7672]

Amazing, I hadn't realised that this footage captured my father in it. I bet he didn't even know it got published.

[@christhompson4950]

Steve Ibbotson where was he in the video?

[@clacicle]

It must have been a great surprise to see him in this footage.

[@andgate2000]

Be proud.

[@steveibbotson7672]

@@christhompson4950 Sorry Chris missed your comment. He is in scene 02:03:20:11 on the right hand side spits out his cigarette as he enters the no smoking apron :-)

[@steveibbotson7672]

@@clacicle It sure was

[@johngordon1576]

Used to walk my dog (2012-2019) in the woods around RAF Dallachy. The remants of the bomb dumps, the foundations of the crew nissen huts, latrines and the blast shelters are still to be found in the woods. Strange to think that these are the men who used to work, live and sleep there.

[@steveibbotson7672]

I visited to old base a few years ago. The control tower is about the only thing left and it has returned to being a sheep paddock. There is a nice little memorial at the front gate to the SQNs.

[@lanceharker5845]

My uncle flew the Beau in WWII; thanks for taking the time to post the footage.

[@MCCXK120]

Excellent film, brave crews and magnificent aircraft. Thank you.

[@StephenDPRK]

I'm named for FLTLT Stephen Sykes 455 Sqn who I suspect is in some of this footage. It looks incredibly cold at the airfield. Great post, thanks

[@Road38910]

In the 70´s, Dallacy was used by the Highland Gliding Club that formerly shared the airfield at Milltown (near RAF Lossiemouth), with The Fulmar Gliding Club RAFGSA and the ATC Gliding School. Prince Andrew spent some time at Milltown learning to glide with the ATC. Mike Foal, the British Astronaut also was gliding with the Fulmar Club. Anybody out there remember those days? Please contact me AKA Brain Damage.

[@normplatt7549]

Salute to a job Well done!

[@frankeimer3906]

Great video,pity some engine noise would of been great.From a Canadian.R.I.P the greatest generation.

[@australianmade2659]

Frank Eimer yes that was the greatest generation. It was also a time when our countries were loved and cherished by the people lucky enough to live in them

[@barrybristow4646]

I love this aircraft, whispering death. Barry .

[@michaelpage7691]

If there is any footage of the 100 squadron, please release it. My father was a Beaufort pilot and I'd love to find him in a film. Thank you.

[@hamishdavidson3368]

Yes are they in Scotland? Looks cold anyway. I wonder what area they were operating?

[@thegreatdominion949]

These squadrons were part of the Dallachy (Scotland) Strike Wing. Their objective, shared with the Banff Strike Wing, was to attack and destroy Axis shipping in Norweigian fjords and the North Sea. RAF Dallachy in NE Scotland is probably where this was filmed. The description of the video says as much.

[@minair99t]

@@thegreatdominion949 Its Sumburgh on the Southern tip of Shetland.

[@johncare]

Sqn Ldr John Care DFC. Beaufighter and Topbeau coastal command RAF North Coates

[@ingosippel9653]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@hamishdavidson3368]

Ok I think it’s 455 Squadron RAAF based at Langham Norfolk. UB- was their designator

[@ivorbiggun710]

Looks a bit hilly for Norfolk. Possibly RAF Dallachy, Moray, Scotland. They were there from October '44.

[@steveibbotson7672]

spot on

[@alexlanning712]

@@ivorbiggun710 Have you thought of writing a book? I'd love to see your name on it!

[@gregedwards1087]

Errrrrr, sound? Narrative? Some excellent footage but seriously it would be great to hear what it was all about, ever heard of Audio Visual?

[@andgate2000]

Be thankful you’ve got footage of something from 75 years ago. Have you any idea how hard it was to even get a camera back then.

[@steveibbotson7672]

Most official footage never got audio

[@gregedwards1087]

@@andgate2000 , from AWM Collection not the original filmmakers, surely it would not be too hard to do some research and provide some narrative

[@gregedwards1087]

​@@steveibbotson7672 , from AWM Collection not the original filmmakers, surely it would not be too hard to do some research and provide some narrative.

[@steveibbotson7672]

@@gregedwards1087 Depending on what written documents survived with the footage. We have to remember that it was a war and not everything worked as planned. I am just amazed there was any footage at all. We can be thankful for small mercies.