Spitfire | English Full Movie | Adventure Biography War

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In the summer of 1940, amid Nazi advances, a squadron leader recounts the tale of the creation of a revolutionary aircraft during the Battle of Britain. Beginning in 1922, the story follows the designer's journey, facing opposition and health challenges, to develop the fastest fighter aircraft. The climax comes with the designer's passing, coinciding with the production order for the aircraft, as the squadron triumphs against a German attack.
Starring: Leslie Howard, David Niven, Rosamund John.
Directed By: Leslie Howard.
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[@zhorkon]

My dad was in the USAAF and, as a cryptographer, spent the war mostly deep under ground and surrounded by thick concrete. Nevertheless, at 73 and having now witnessed a lot myself, I remain profoundly grateful to everyone in his generation, from all free nations and in every role, who did what their times required to put down the evil then threatening the world. It is a pity that, over and over again, dictators continue to arise and, oblivious to the sacred lives of others, necessitate similar sacrifices. Thank you all for your service.

[@jimreilly9749]

I'm an Australian 78 year old kid who is the son of my father also an Australian that was in 457 Aus Spitfire Sqn in the "Ring of London". Operating out of Red Hill, Surrey. He was shot down in 1941 into the English Channel.

[@radiogramgramophonetoons5802]

Every time I watch films about the Spitfire like this or real archive film from WW2 of the Battle of Britain, I always think of the life and sad ending of my dads first cousin. He was Wing Commander Brendan ‘paddy’ Finucane. Who sadly was shot down in 1942 in his Spitfire and lost forever.

[@raypurchase801]

Great man.

[@That70sGuitarist]

Brendan Finucane was a great man and a credit to the Irish people. A natural athlete, he was drawn to the challenge of flight from an early age, and made an indispensable contribution to the RAF during the Battle Of Britain and during the early days of the Circus and Rhubarb raids over occupied France. His final tally (including a number of "probables"/"damaged" that were later confirmed as having been destroyed) may have been as high as 32, making him one of the highest scoring Allied pilots of the war, right alongside Canadian ace George "Screwball" Beurling. Rest you gentle, sleep ye sound.

[@timorvet1]

Have you seen the trailer for the Shamrock Spitfire about his life as a fighter pilot?

[@radiogramgramophonetoons5802]

@@timorvet1 ……. Yes I have. I’ve pre-ordered the DVD from Amazon also 🙂

[@johntatham3016]

At minute 4.20 a map is shown of the South of England. One of the towns shown is Tunbridge Wells. I was born there in December, 1940. My mother died there in 1943. My father died in service with the British Army. It still amazes me that all this was going on right over my head though I was blissfully unaware. This was a great movie. Thank you for posting.

[@Paladin1873]

I'm sorry for your loss. May we never forget the sacrifice so many made.

[@TheAmandahc]

My father was one if those producing the engines. He and Mum endured the blitz in Coventry before moving to where a new plant was opened. Mum told us how after work Dad went off to his homeguard duties taking his rifle from its place under their bed with him. This was an amazing generation.

[@raypurchase801]

My parents made Rotol airscrews.

[@paulsmith4448]

mine to, infract if it wasn't Hitler bringing my parents together I might not have ben born! 😃

[@eddievision]

Another designer overlooked by the British establishment was Frank Whittle father of the Jet engine who had a working prototype in 1930

[@pnotuner1]

The Merlin engine was one of the most important technological developments of the war.

[@martinlagrange8821]

Without this film, all film record of the Supermarine S.4 in flight would be lost to posterity. Lots of Battle of Britain aces in the start of the film. And, for good measure, Spitfire test pilot Sir Geoffrey Quill (on whose character , in name at least, David Niven's character is based on) filmed most of the flying sequences.

[@johndavey72]

Had no idea Jeffrey was knighted. There's no mention of this in his book. And was Alex Henshaw not involved?

[@raypurchase801]

Wasn't Flt. Lt. Stainforth the person on whom Niven's character was loosely based? Also - from one nerd to another - some of the other comments and replies here are very silly. People complaining about inaccuracies and so on.

[@Playsinvain]

Both the US and Britain owe a debt to Mitchell’s

[@davidelliott5843]

Mitchell said “When something looks right, it usually is right.” He also said that any engineer who cannot explain what he does in simple language actually does not know his own job.

[@sblack48]

Which of those guys were aces? Names?

[@mrjockt]

I forgot that the movie was renamed for the American audience, in the U.K. the movie was called “The First of the Few”.

[@dannawaldman3175]

This is a good copy of the film. I don't notice any evidence of the 40 minutes cut from the U.S. release of this film by Samuel Goldwyn because David Niven was on contract from RKO and the studio boss felt that Niven should be in more of the scenes. Another little bit of fiction is that the Merlin engine was named after the bird, not the wizard. Tragically, it was Leslie Howard's last film. He was shot down and killed when the DC 3 passenger plane in which he was flying was attacked by German fighters.

[@andrewmacdonald4833]

I spent an afternoon with "Bunny"Currant in the late 1990s...a remarkable man. Was one of the great Hurricane aces of 1940 and I think he was the C/O of 501 Squadron when this was filmed.

[@johncaldwell-wq1hp]

THE PILOT STANDING NEXT TO DAVID NIVEN (7:50)--GOT HIS FACE BADLY BURNED,-AND HAD TO HAVE "PLASTIC SURGERY"--HE APPEARED IN THE 1969 MOVIE "THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN"--THESE MEN CANNOT BE THANKED ENOUGH !!

[@darkknight1340]

That was WG foxley, who sustained his terrible burns after his hurricane was hit in the main fuel tank, which,unfortunately,was situated just in front of the pilot.

[@johncaldwell-wq1hp]

Thanks for confirming--people don't realize what close run thing it was !!-what a brilliant movie -@@darkknight1340

[@raypurchase801]

I DID NOT KNOW THAT !!!

[@DADoughty]

WG Foxley was a navigatior with bomber command and was burnt when is plane crashed landed during a training mission.

[@timorvet1]

Its actually Christopher Frederick "Bunny" Currant, DSO, DFC & Bar. He served with 605 Squadron during the Battle of Britain flying Hurricanes, one such he flew on occasion and which survives today thanks to the Banaras Hindu University engineering department in India, Hurricane Mk 1 R4118. Currant was given command of No. 501 Squadron, which was based at Ibsley and operated the Supermarine Spitfire. It was around this time that he appear in the film "The First of the Few", which was filmed at Ibsley. He died in 2006.

[@chrisperrins8082]

Super film. Leslie Howard and David Niven were just the right two to play the roles. The British made great movies then.

[@raypurchase801]

They were two of the biggest Hollywood names at that time. Howard played Ashley in "Gone With the Wind".

[@martinquarton184]

This is the American title. First Of The Few in the UK.

[@phoenixfridge1495]

The sound of a Spifire going over my house in Eastbourne on a Saturday always reminds me of the sacrifices our grandparents made I cant imagine what a coupleof squadrons sound like Once saw 10 at an commemorative airshow. Truly amazing 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧

[@mike_skinner]

I was walking down Victoria Drive one day and I saw a dogfight for the Battle of Britain film. My sister's friend from school was the niece of Mitchell.

[@jariheikkila4782]

Good film. Niven is marvelous as usual. Thanks for sharing this great film 🎬🇫🇮

[@PaulWhitcomb-ty6md]

This was good. I knew nothing about the origin of the Spitfire, and less about R.J. Mitchell. I find his original patron, the Lady Huston, to be enigmatic and intriguing. I should like to know some more about her. I salute all involved in the design, refinement, financing, production of the Spitfire. This movie also evoked a desire to see an equivalent film about the Hawker Hurricane and its designer, Sidney Camm. The struggle to get the Hurricane approved and built was just as great as the Spitfire's, and its contribution just as monumental.

[@jadams3427]

Brilliant movie. 'Seen it twice before. Lady Houston was a miracle, as well as Mitchell and the Spitfire.

[@raypurchase801]

Plus Henry Royce. Neither Sidney Camm (Hurricane, etc.) nor Roy Chadwick (Lancaster) could've achieved much without him.

[@tonygriffiths2485]

My mother was the dental assistant in a fair sized town, None of the wardens would say anything when she went past all who scrambled into the air raid shelters, to get herself up to the top of the hilll "To cheer on our boys". If the wardens said anything they knew they would be getting a hard time when next at the dentist, there was only one in the town :) The RAF used to fly straight into the German formations scattering them all over the place. Sometimes she did this daily :)

[@caseyjonessnr1200]

Released in the UK as “First of the few”. I haven’t seen it in many years. Superb flying sequences and stirring music by William Walton.1:56:56

[@allandavis8201]

You beat me to it, I have watched this film so many times that I almost know it word for word. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱🇨🇦

[@raypurchase801]

This movie explains why Walton was hired to compose the music for 1969's "Battle of Britain". The producers were unimpressed with Walton's efforts and hired Ron Goodwin instead. Laurence Olivier was a personal friend of Walton and demanded Walton's reappointment, or his own name must be removed from the credits. The producers relented. Walton's phenomenal "Battle in the Air" was retained for the climactic battle, but Goodwin's brilliant music was used everywhere else. Result: soundtrack perfection.

[@allandavis8201]

@@raypurchase801 , Thanks for the information, I didn’t know anything about the musical score or the composers, but now that I do I have learnt something new. Tx again. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱

[@hamshackleton]

It's in my collection - on a shiny spinny shaving mirror thingy!

[@desertmandan123]

Brilliant film....lost count of how many times Ive seen it. I never tire of it, thanks for the upload.

[@raypurchase801]

The Spitfire's great prestige came from this film. I want a movie about Sidney Camm (Hurricane, Tempest etc.) or Roy Chadwick (Avro Lancaster). But none of them could have achieved success without Henry Royce.

[@mickeybitsko1676]

Niven actual war vet

[@Paladin1873]

David Niven was serving as a Commando in the Royal Amy when he made this movie. His good friend Leslie Howard was director and producer. In an ironic twist of fate, less than a year later Howard would become a victim of the Luftwaffe when the civilian DC-3 airliner he was a passenger aboard was shot down by a German Ju88 over the Bay of Biscay. The First of the Few (aka "Spitfire" in the USA) was his last film.

[@attaat]

No such thing as the 'Royal Army' mate. Royal Airforce and Royal Navy but just the Army.

[@Paladin1873]

@@attaatYou are correct. It is only certain regiments and corps within the British Army that are called Royal. I should have said he was a graduate of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and served in the British Army.

[@davidelliott5843]

Niven resigned his first commission in the army. He signed up again when WW2 kicked off.

[@andrewbage3250]

People moaning about a film about how the Spitfire came about and it development from a seaplane to a fighter, it was made during the war so it is going to be jingoistic, the germans are going to be made to look like war mongers, so what, it is a fab film one of the best from that time along with The Way a Head again featuring David Niven.

[@raypurchase801]

Given the constraints of time and budget, this was a very creditable depiction of real events.

[@RANDALLBRIGGS]

Re the Germans as war-mongers, in this case, that was correct. They were.

[@wr9733]

The lead actor, Leslie Howard, died a few months after this movie in real life. He was in a plane that was shot down in the actual war. That makes this film especially poignant, to say the least. Thank you for uploading! Does anyone have any idea how they filmed that lost shot before the credits roll? The one where there seems to be a stationary camera up in the sky, filming planes flying into the horizon? I would assume that if the camera was on a plane, you would be able to see the clouds moving?

[@davidelliott5843]

The camera man could have pulled the zoom.

[@everestyeti]

You quite right Leslie Howard did die, the plane he was in was flying back from Spain, although the plane was marked as being from a neutral country it was shot down by the Luftwaffe. The Nazis and in particular Adolf Hitler believed him to be a spy, never proved but he had made a few films making a mockery out of Nazi Germany.

[@kaythomas5884]

Leslie Howard was a wonderful actor. Probably was active in British intelligence. Especially considering the Scarlett Pimpernel role.

[@BradBrassman]

The Spitfire live firing at the end is superb!

[@bill2953]

I saw one up close at the National Aeronautics and Space Museum and was set back on my heels at how small it was compared to today's fighters. It had to have been a seat of the pants experience.

[@alaingingras7224]

The Man that built England's Air Defense and Offensive capability .Without the Spitfire who knows...

[@keithlillis7962]

Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding was responsible for implementing the RADAR and communications network, which allows us British to see the Germans coming in at a distance of about 90 miles, which gave time for the Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons to scramble and get the height advantage on the Luftwaffe. Without 'Chain Home' we would have probably lost the Battle of Britain. There is one RADAR tower still standing on the South Coast, as a memorial. Dowding was side-lined by the RAF after the war. Disgusting! More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowding_system

[@markharlock6474]

The combined work of Hugh Dowding and Keith Park managed to set up and perfect the air defence system just in time for the Battle of Britain.

[@user-jn5nx6gt4o]

So many to so few. Winny is with us.

[@timorvet1]

Some famous fighter pilots get a speaking part in this film all veterans of the Battle of Britain, Brian Kingcome CO of 92 Squadron with pipe in mouth, Bunny Currant of 605 Squadron standing beside David Niven and Tony Bartley of 92 Squadron leaning against the crew hut. Tony Bartley married actress Debra Kerr after the war and moved to Hollywood to work in the industry he was also a good friend of actor Nigel Bruce who played Doctor Watson in the 1940s series of Sherlock Holmes films.

[@raypurchase801]

That's TWO phenomenal comments.

[@ricogo2447]

The plane that saved England ... along with the Hurricane.

[@Bill23799]

What a great film.

[@JohnHill-qo3hb]

I have seen this movie several times, I always choke up when Mich dies.

[@raypurchase801]

Beautifully done.

[@Flowerchild778]

I guess when one has an important contribution, they must do all they can to complete it before the end of their life

[@jeffsiegel4879]

What a great movie! The First of the Few is its name. Per sources, Mitchell had no say in naming the plane and thought Spitfire was "a rather silly name".

[@raypurchase801]

It was going to be named the Shrew.

[@iainstevenson6658]

"For how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers And the temples of his gods?" Macauly

[@lawsonj39]

Answer: peacefully in his sleep, full of years and contentment.

[@falconeaterf15]

@@lawsonj39 Amen to that.

[@paulputnam8211]

"The First of the Few" surely ? Why the title change ?

[@hubertcrevels9843]

The real heroes in the battle of Britain were the pilots of the Hurricane not the Spitfire. The Spitfire with their fast speeds and maneuverability kept the German fighters occupied while the slower Hurricanes attached the bombers. The loss of bombers forced Germany to give up. 344 Hurricanes and 226 Spitfires were involved in the air battle. The Hurricanes inflicted 60% of the German losses.

[@leonscheepers5350]

and?!

[@joseignaciovivas4372]

It was a highly technified war in fact: radars, sighters, control desks, coms, squadrons, planes, fighters... Spitfire was part of it but not a minor thing. It was the invincible craft Britts were not supposed to achieve: psycological war. UK History during 30's is a vacine for todays foolness. Marshall and the other technicians, RAF as well as conscious company managers and politicians, our respect from Spain. Their suffering wives as well.

[@raypurchase801]

The idea that the Spitfires tackled the fighters whilst the Hurricanes tackled the bombers is a myth. It's been repeated so often, it's almost become accepted fact. RAF squadrons comprised either Spitfires or Hurricanes, they were never mixed. Even the "big wings" tended to comprise one or the other. The main target was always, ALWAYS the bombers. The enemy fighters just got in the way.

[@user-cp4bz5we3b]

Must have seen this movie 10 times never get sick of it

[@fg55hle]

So proud my father was in the raf. Or I wouldn't be here

[@gothicpagan.666]

Most of us wouldn't be

[@organicpaul]

Thanks for posting that!

[@ronaldweed6103]

So enjoyed this,thx for sharing 😀

[@Ornithologist]

The film was made in England and in England is called “The First of the Few” I have never heard it called “Spitfire”

[@stevetaylor8698]

In the US it was released as "Spitfire".

[@That70sGuitarist]

This film was released throughout the rest of the English-speaking world as "The First Of The Few." Only the US release featured the alternate title, "Spitfire," probably because not too many people in the US knew about Churchill's famous comment; "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few." Sadly, this would be Leslie Howard's last film. In the Spring of 1943, he paid a visit to Portugal to drum up support for the Allied war effort; during his return flight to Britain on June 1st, 1943 onboard a DC-3, the aircraft was intercepted and shot down by a flight of Ju 88-C6 from V/KG40, killing all aboard.

[@algarvornia]

A great movie...but why not use the real title - The First of the Few - ???

[@milliewilkie1969]

they can get taken down sometimes with copyright

[@TheCaptain64]

Have this film on dvd, in GB its title is First of the few .

[@colinmcgregor123]

Is England/Britain same thing 🤔

[@TheCaptain64]

@@colinmcgregor123 No Colin, Great Britain/UK is made up of four country's , England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Island . There are some slight differences with the terms Great Britain and UK but by n large that's the gist of it .

[@davidirvine991]

Watched the first few minutes and all I can say is the Krauts got their eyes wiped

[@andreasjosepi175]

Jolly Good Show! ...

[@BinkyTheElf1]

Jolly good and tally ho! Very informative and enjoyable.

[@stevetheduck1425]

The studio ghibli film 'The Wind Rises' has a similar story, with more emphasis on the love of flying rather than the wartime need, but it's worth seeing as a companion piece. The designer of the Spitfire went though several designs before the Spitfire, it wasn't just the Racer floatplanes, but a complete previous fighter, very advanced for it's time, but let down by a underpowered engine and a too-advanced evaporative skin cooling system. This plane revised was drawn, then skipped over for the first Spitfire.

[@matthew09ify]

First of the few the name of this movie brilliant film

[@lablackzed]

Look at the UK now if these brave souls saw it now they would say why the hell did we bother .😠

Not only in the UK

[@bobbybigboyyes]

The USA too!

[@eoincaomhanach1983]

funny its attitudes like yours they were fighing against.

[@falconeaterf15]

The flying sequence at 1:40 is amazing. You won’t see that at an Airshow. Cutting the grass at 1:41

[@daveenglish2]

@falconeaterf15 : The links you provide do not show any flying sequence or grass cutting.

[@falconeaterf15]

@@daveenglish2 Sequences are at 1 hour and forty minutes, not 1 minute and forty seconds.

[@daveenglish2]

@@falconeaterf15 - Then you should alter / correct your misinformation. Have the decency to put right your mistake and then there is no need for you to explain that you have made one. Another thing that you won't see at air shows is pilots and controllers being sloppy and confusing hours and minutes with minutes and seconds.

[@falconeaterf15]

@@daveenglish2 Meh.

[@michaelcoghlan9124]

Thanks for this, was also great to see Calshot spit an the old control tower. Southampton aviation museum see the trophy an S 6 in real life. M

[@stevesmith866]

Took exactly a minute and a half for the tea drinking to start. Must have been hard for the director to hold off for that long. the first tobacco pipe spotted only a few seconds later so there you go, everything you need for a Brit war film. Let’s see if things get hairy and we get a “Not now Sargent” when more teacups are seen. Back to the film….

[@Michael-by4jw]

Awesome movie, very tiny editing, ignore whats below. Thanks for making my Sunday

[@pacwest1000]

Thank you so much for posting this great film.

[@davidelliott5843]

I need an aeroplane not an ambulance. An echo of “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelensky

[@andyt9296]

This film is also known as “the first of a few”

[@listerofsmegv987pevinaek5]

This is a fantastic film. However you have the wrong title. This film is called. The First of the Few. Staring Leslie Howard and David Niven. Two fabulous actors. The young pilots he's talking too weren't actor's they were fighter pilots. I've long wondered how many serviced the war.

[@Gwaithmir]

Sometimes, the real title isn't used to get around copyright restrictions.

[@raypurchase801]

@@Gwaithmir This movie was renamed for its US release.

[@Gwaithmir]

@@raypurchase801 Thanks for that info.

[@falconeaterf15]

I have it on VHS with Spitfire as the title, Canada.

[@daveenglish2]

@listerofsmegv987pevinaek5 re- However you have the wrong title - the US title is Spitfire.

[@radiogreenduck]

55' Is Harry Enfield playing Sir Ian Maclaren? Sounds like Greyson!

[@frances4797]

What happens to the audio at 2:16 ? 🔇🤷 Sound comes back on at 3:02

[@davidelliott5843]

It’s common with these copies. Who knows why.

[@daveashby9989]

If biographical classic films such as this , that no longer infringes upon copyright protection laws in whatever territory, are to be decimated by pathetic editing just so to appear on this forum? Then it is better not to post this movie of actual history on KZbin at all. Editing out music that no longer receives copyright royalties, and to remove Churchills words , because an actor spoke them for this movie , is a diabolical disgrace. If any of you wish to see this movie in full on free sites including government funded sites? Please reply and i will reply.

[@sjb3460]

It's disgraceful and I don't know how to remedy the situation. The problem is, you are dealing with AI and not with a human technical support team.

[@daveashby9989]

Hi:) thanks 🙏 very much for your reply. Unfortunately, this problem has very little to do with AI. This movie was available on this forum for many years. A human decide, for whatever reason , to include this movie on the standard copyright list. Even though copyright issues no longer apply worldwide. So subscribers are trying various edits and modifications to post this video to try to make money rather then considering about the wider picture. We will see if any of these terrible edited versions will still be available in a few weeks. While The first of the few and spitfire are on the delete list for no legitimate reason whatsoever

[@sjb3460]

@@daveashby9989 thanks for the explanation.

[@EnfieldNo4]

Who is the CO who crashes at the beginning? “What I want is an aeroplane not an ambulance“ Chilling. No doubt he was the genuine article.

[@ifeyecouldpaint]

Such a shame it loses sound at the beginning of the film for about a minute or so

[@deadguy217]

unfortunately that is the result of ACK ACK guns in the background

[@That70sGuitarist]

Ah, this is an old favourite of mine, one I've seen many times under its original title, "The First Of The Few." As soon as the film started, I realised this must be the US release due to the alternate title. Still a cracking great watch, even after all these years! Sadly, this turned out to be actor/producer/director Leslie Howard's final film. On his return flight from Portugal to the UK on June 1st, 1943, the DC-3 he was aboard was intercepted and shot down by a flight of Ju 88-C6 from V/KG 40 out of Bordeaux, killing everyone onboard.

[@MikeGreenwood51]

Took me some time to place Lady Houston's Agent (uncredited). I recognised him almost immediatly as many characteristics seemed so famillia. I had to look it up. He was Bernard James Miles Born September 27, 1907 ·Died June 14, 1991 · Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England, UK. Where I recognised him from is revealed below. So if you enjoy racking your mind trying to figure out where you may have seen him in which English Classic. Please do as I post 'spoiler Alert' below out of sight. v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v He played 'Joe Gargery' in the 1946 adaption of 'Great Expectations'.

[@hariseldon2577]

"Looks good, tastes good and by golly it does you good"

[@Lucky_Red_Fish]

This movie is called "First of the Few" which is a great movie.

[@davidkyle5017]

"First of the few" was the original name of the film, but the studio then changed it to "Spitfire" probably to take advantage of the appeal and enthusiasm behind that great airplane.

[@derekheeps1244]

This is 'The First of The few'

[@raypurchase801]

I think the movie had this different title when released in the USA during the war.

[@gothicpagan.666]

How useless would Britain be today. Different times, different mentality

[@darrena2625]

Terribly useless. We have no sizeable and effective army or navy, just a remnant of what was; totally incapable of defending ourselves without allies. Be thankful that we are part of NATO.

[@lawsonj39]

Not really a different mentality. The British armed forces went to hell during the interwar period, too.

[@everestyeti]

​@@lawsonj39Totally agree after the Great War there was no wish to fight another war.

[@quercus8833]

With no support from Trump's America....

[@PillSharks]

That’s what happens when a country gets untangled in this WOKE madness!

[@hamshackleton]

Orignally titled "The First of the Few"

[@Mercmad]

I would have thought the Name "Merlin" had nothing to do with King Arthurs wizard. But was one more in list of Bird names Rolls Royce used then,Buzzard Condor Crecy Eagle (V-12)Eagle XVI (X-16)Eagle (H-24)ExeFalcon Kestrel Pennine Peregrine "R"Vulture

[@thosdot6497]

Crecy is the name of a battle - as per Wikipedia, RR used English battles for the names of their two-stroke aero engines. The Crecy, as a two-stroke supercharged V12 would have been quite something.

[@raypurchase801]

True. Postwar RR engines were named after British rivers.

[@stevetheduck1425]

The 'allied reporting names' system was in effect long before the war. Handley-Page Hyderabad, Avro Aldershot, Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire. In the mid-1930s manufacturers were supposed to have alliterative names beginning with the first letter of their company name. DeHavilland Dove, many more. This changed in the late 1930s, so that Avro bombers were named after cities; Manchester, Lancaster, York, Lincoln. Hawker fighters were named after winds; Tornado, Typhoon, Tempest, Fury,. DeHavilland had Mosquito, Hornet, etc. Engines were similar, and changed similarly. Kestrel, Merlin, Griffon, etc.

[@raypurchase801]

@@stevetheduck1425 I learned stuff from your reply. Postwar R-R engines were often named after rivers. The R-R Adour (British-French co-operative effort) was named after a French river.

[@gar6446]

Eagle, Goshawk, Peregrine, Kestrel, Buzzard, Vulture, Merlin. Obviously, all famous wizards

[@jonathanchartrand3351]

Good movie but the audio volume was erratic.

[@hamshackleton]

Probably because the version now available is pieced together from different original film copies, with different wear rates.

[@GWorxOz]

Loses sound a few minutes in.

[@ashwayn]

The correct name is.. first of the few

[@raypurchase801]

Renamed for its US release.

[@YachtEventHorizon]

So the test pilot crashed the plane because of his problems and then they use him again.

[@theoccupier1652]

Wow! ... Talk about CLICK BAIT .... This isn't Spitfire it's The First of the Few

[@bobbythorman7421]

Thank you,I was thinking I had lost my marbles.Now I can open the decanter again.Cheers.

[@wthorwirth]

Its not wrong, in the USA the movie was named Spitfire

[@SirReginaldBlomfield1234]

Yes but still the wrong title to appease the thick Yanks who couldn't understand the reason for the correct title.

[@theoccupier1652]

@@SirReginaldBlomfield1234 LOL :)

[@bernehalligan]

belter just a belter....

[@KABModels]

The actual title of this film is ‘The first of the few’ - you might wanna change it to that

[@raypurchase801]

Renamed for its US release.

[@AR-iu9jv]

The film is called First of the few

[@daveenglish2]

A simple bit of research will reveal it had more than one title, depending on the country of release.

[@user-kk2bo4de8m]

If this was re- made today how woke and inclusive /diverse bilge it would be .

[@stevetheduck1425]

Best not look into where all those Commonwealth volunteer pilots came from, especially not the Jamaican and Indian pilots.

[@user-qk4qy3tu5l]

I hope all the foreign pilots, French, polish, Canadian, new zetlandets, Aussies all get a mention. The Nazis could not replace their pilots with experienced men. But we could. An American that flew the Me109 ans spitfire in the Battle of Britain film, he owns both types of plane, stated that the Me 109 was the better plane.

[@TheJonnyzeus]

I think the 109 could fly higher and might be quicker in a dive. One of the problems with the 109 was the narrowness of the landing gear. The armament on the 109 was also impressive.

[@raypurchase801]

@@TheJonnyzeus Both aircraft were about equal in '40. The 109's advantage was that it could perform negative G bunts without the engine cutting out. This was fixed in the winter of '40 -'41. Improved fuel gave the Spit a marginal advantage. The 109E was replaced by the F in '41, and the Spitfire II by the Mark V. The F was regarded as marginally better than the V. The FW 190 outclassed the Spitfire V. The short term fix was clipped wings and cropped vanes on the supercharger, so that it matched the 190 at low altitude. The Spit IX matched the 190. Every Spitfire after the Mark IX was increasingly superior to the 109 and the 190.

[@TheJonnyzeus]

@@raypurchase801 Thanks for the detailed info. Cheers

[@raypurchase801]

@@TheJonnyzeus Very nice of you to offer me a polite reply. Spiffing nice of you, old boy. Very unlike normal KZbin replies.

@@TheJonnyzeus The only real advantage the Messerschmidt had was its FUEL INJECTED engine. The Spit's carbureted engine didn't respond well when nosed hard into a dive, whereas the German engine never missed a beat. Made a difference in dogfighting.

[@Flowerchild778]

1:15:08 😮

[@adrianovasconcelos2739]

Intro missing, no actors' names, no director identified. Othewrwise good copy

[@paulreilly3904]

It's a classic film. The credits are at the end.

[@oldman1734]

Makes a great story, but in reality Britain was saved by its navy. There was no way Germany could cross even the narrowest part of the channel. The Royal Navy showed the reality during the Norway campaign. Most of the German surface fleet gone in days. Never to recover.

[@alvaropelayo8084]

No credits no movie

[@SirReginaldBlomfield1234]

This is some bloody Yank version with the wrong title anyway.

[@AleisterCrowley.]

Didn't they have conspiracy theorists in 1940?

[@stevetheduck1425]

Sure. Everyone who read Mein Kampf had absorbed a bunch of conspiracy theories. Everyone who got married in Germany was given a copy, which the publishers paid for. Hitler was a millionaire on the quiet, just from that. What a c**t, eh?

[@johndavey72]

When Britain WAS great . But even back then there was political shenanigans.

[@simondowley2483]

Banana 🍌 🍌 🍌

[@Sam_Green____4114]

They knew Leslie Howard was going to die but they let him board that plane from Lisbon to London in 1943 !!

[@RaggyAl1971]

Don't know your history do you.

[@80sMod1]

Those Nazis got it wrong 😂

[@welshparamedic]

Agreed but my main point was that this movie was pure propaganda, nothing like the true story of Mitchell's himself and the spitfire As I point out the Mk1 did not dive at 500+ MPH as the film shows, And Mitchell did not die of overwork and exhaustion, yes he valiantly did carry on until his health was so poor that others took over, but it was bowel cancer that was responsible for his death. Whilst I wholeheartedly acknowledge what a good aircraft the Spitfire was (And this will upset some but it was recognised that in a pure 1 on1 dogfight the spitfire could out manoeuvre the P51 but of course we all know the fact that the P51 had longer legs) No, what I objected to was the spitfire being eulogized as if it alone won the war! The Hurricane had many good things going for it. It was a better gun platform as it's guns were grouped close together in each wing, i.e 2 lots of 4 where as the spitfire's guns were widely spaced on it's wings. Later versions with the 20mm Hispano canon not such a problem, but in the context of WW2 B of B it was relevant! Especially when you consider that they were only of rifle calibre. the same calibre as an infantryman's Lee enfield! Yes, some Spitfire pilots got their guns harmonised at a much closer range than standard but they had to for that very reason. The hurricane 'grouping' was already very close due to the thick wings allowing guns to be placed next to each other. Finally in defence of the hurricane, Yes it was old school being made of a steel and wooden frame covered in canvas (in the early ones, even the wings were canvas not steel too!) But this very construction helped it in so much as many Bf109 or 110's cannon shells passed clean through failing to 'detonate' where as the Spitfire's steel monocoque fuselage had a surface where the shells would explode. Often, the strike of one shell on a steel surface could literally bring down the aircraft! not like the pea shooter 303 of the spitfires and Hurricanes of B of B era! This 'old school' design of the hurricane meant more could be produced and more easily repaired in the field. Look I loved the spitfire. I was born in Hong Kong and grew up in the 50's and 60's My father was in the RAF and would regularly take the 7 year old 'me' and my brother to see one of the last operational Spitfires in the RAF or rather the Royal Hong Kong defence force. it had been kept flying since retiring 7 years earlier in 1955. But this was, as I have now found out, a Mk 24 I believe the last variant produced, nothing like the Mk1 in the film, or supposed to be the Mk1! I have many memories as does my brother of watching this takeoff whenever it visited Kai-Tak. So I am not a spitfire hater, far from it. Although I am now getting on in years I do feel privileged to have seen one of the last Spitfire that flew in defence of the crown (colony) actually flying. It's just the 'over the top' hype of this film is a bit rich, yes I know it was a wartime propaganda film and David Niven's character of 'Crisp' never flew in the Shnieder trophy or indeed flew the prototype spitfire. the film was in a different universe from the actual truth. That was my main criticism (oh plus the fact that there were other players in the B of B mainly the Hurricane, but others too. Defiant, even Gladiator but this film gives the impression that the spitfire did it all.)

[@mrjockt]

The film was made in 1942, and yes it was made as a propaganda movie, at the time as far as the British public were concerned the Spitfire was the greatest fighter ever built, nowadays we know that the Hurricane made a greater contribution to the victory in the Battle of Britain and that other lesser known aircraft participated but at the time it was the Spitfire that everybody wanted to know about.

[@raypurchase801]

Interesting to read a detailed comment. I wonder whether Mitchell's Rolls-Royce car survives.

[@thosdot6497]

The Hurricane was a better gun platform because it was a steadier aircraft, with firmer (very solid, just look at the thickness!) wings. The difference of the spacing of the guns along the wings meant almost nothing when the Air Ministry's recommended convergence distance was 250-300yds or more. But your complaint is valid, if very common - the poor old Hurricane has always been the slightly dumpier sister of the glamorous Spitftire. Unfair maybe, but the Spitfire was half a generation more advanced than the Hurricane, and was still successfully being used in 1945 - although it's obvious that the Mk1s of 1939/1940 bore little resemblence to those.

[@mrjockt]

@@thosdot6497 Your final comment about the Spitfire is so true, the final couple of Marks, the 22 and the 24, had virtually nothing in common with the Spitfire of 1940.

[@pamelaiverson5527]

And the point of the film was to raise the spirits of the people, make them believe that here was one plane that could outfly and out manoeuvre anything the Germans could throw at them. Truth and propaganda rarely gel, but this was about hope, belief and fortitude and their ultimate victory. A simple film with a powerful message meant to lift the spirits.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Dear commentators. Any more than a paragraph or two is just a lunatic rant that no one reads. 😂

[@raypurchase801]

WELL SAID!

[@danluisvi]

Películas en castellano basta de idiomas gringos

[@davewright8206]

front end so full of propaganda

[@raypurchase801]

Wartime movie. A fictionalised story of real events.

[@Sokol10]

And what? It was made in wartime, propaganda was need for the moral.

[@michaelmayo3127]

The film was good for a laugh.

[@wr9733]

The lead actor, Leslie Howard, died a few months after this movie in real life. He was in a plane that was shot down in the actual war. That makes this film especially poignant, to say the least.

[@raypurchase801]

@@wr9733 All true. Some people remain disappointed because they believe the other side should've won.

[@davidelliott5843]

If Hitler had not been allowed to control German tactics, it’s likely the other side would have won.

[@anthonywilson4873]

Nice try no content on your channel. Russian Troll?? The basic facts are correct. If you find a war winning machine funny and something to laugh at well the world is full of weird sorts.

[@rogerhill138]

20th century ad. And I'm an English atheist. Stuff your U.S. Woke crap.

[@starpawsy]

This was amongst the most cynical of sour grapes Pommy propaganda ever to be put on celluloid. That said, it was a fun movie LOL.

[@seansabhaois]

Ohhhh "Cynical sour grapes Pommy propaganda...." 🤦‍♂️👎 I think someone needs their nappy changing 🤣🇬🇧🫵

[@starpawsy]

@@seansabhaois Ask your mother to change yours for you.

[@adrinathegreat3095]

It is laughable British propaganda, I'm not sure why you are arguing over it.. It was made as a piece of wartime propaganda, that was its purpose

[@63bplumb]

Anyone that was in the RAF at this point in time would be horrified by this piece of fantasy! The general story of the creation of the Vickers Spitfire is generally ok but the rest of this patently propaganda riddled dialoged is too banal even by British standards! It does NO one any good to screed tis kind of information on the public!

[@raypurchase801]

Your comment demonstrates you wish the other side had won.

[@63bplumb]

Not at ALL! The Allied powers Always refer to "German Propaganda" but this is near to the same thing. They may have perfected it but we used it too. It just sounds ridiculous now even though it is of course still used today. It's called fake news.

[@jonathansteadman7935]

Leslie Howard explained to Mitchell's family that he would play him with a posh accent as he thought it more acceptable than the very working class accent Mitchell really had. Looking back from this point in history it seems more of a put down of a working class man getting to be successful, but you didn't get leading men with working class accents till the 60s with the likes of Michael Caine. It's also obviously a 'flag waver' in times of war. If they made it now it wouldn't be much better, inserting 'ethnic minorities ' where there was none.

[@butzee]

@@jonathansteadman7935 totally agree, the churchill movie with oldman where churchill converses with a black man on the tube in 1940? Invented woke trash!!

[@stephencrowther524]

Oh,give it a rest ! It was a film of the times (1942) Of course all sides used propaganda,or at the very least,put the best light on things. I’m sure some had a good chortle at the time and most would have taken it with a pinch of salt ! Stop trying to reinvent attitudes of the time to suit your take on life then. I very much doubt if you were there,in the RAF,flying Spitfires in the Battle of Britain.

[@prophetsnake]

Oh yeah,that totally original British airplane of which the wing was copied from a Heinkel and stil wasn't half the airplane the 109 was. That Spitfire.

[@ItsACamellia]

If the 109 was such a good aeroplane, how come the Nazi's lost the Battle of Britain?

[@prophetsnake]

@@ItsACamellia Same reason that the UK flushed itself down the jacksie - arrogance and mismanagement.

[@arfajob4246]

Nevertheless, wing shape origins inspired by British or Aryan seagulls or no, British engineering, workforce determination & the dedication to succeed of the pilots all combined to get the job done, yah?

[@prophetsnake]

@@arfajob4246 No, they did not. the airplane is probably the most over-rated machine in history. It's legendary status is a masturbatory device for Brits to convince themselves they are better than anyone. they are not.

[@konewone361]

⁠​⁠@@prophetsnakeI’m thinking you’d know all about masturbatory devices.

[@VilhelmHammershoi1666]

Right just to be Fu£king clear, it's no big deal this film was released in the US as spitfire its a stiff upper lip British jingoistic patriotic load of crap the RAF was full of pilots from all over the world

[@carolyngilbertdymock2002]

During the Battle of Britain, RAF Fighter Command had about 145 Poles, around 85 Czechs, maybe 30 Belgians, a bit more than a dozen French, 10 from the Republic of Ireland, 10 Americans. There were also about 130 New Zealanders (from a country with just over a million population at the time), 112 Canadians, 25 to 30 Australians, 20 to 25 South Africans, and up to 10 from other parts of the Empire/Commonwealth. So that's five countries outside the Empire . . . hardly "from all over the world". The New Zealanders, Australians, South Africans and so on would have regarded themselves as being as British as someone born in Manchester, London, Glasgow or Cardiff.

[@BillyBoy1235]

The subject of this “jingoistic crap” affords you the opportunity to freely express the crap you just have.🇦🇺

[@raypurchase801]

@@carolyngilbertdymock2002 Excellent reply. This movie concerns the Spitfire's birth as a Schneider Trophy racer, not WW2 itself. The movie is substantially true. It's an excellent effort, considering the wartime constraints on budget, timescale and special effects. David Niven's character combines several real officers (Flt. Lt. Stainforth, etc.), a bit like the Tom Hanks character in "Catch Me If You Can" combines several real FBI agents. It's unfair to complain about this movie being propaganda, given its date. "Jingoistic" is a false accusation. The characters are portrayed as gentle, softly-spoken and hampered by a backward-looking Air Ministry. Somebody who wants a detailed history should read a dozen books. As you and I have done. But videos like this will always attract numpties.

[@bobroberts6155]

Someone got out of bed the wrong side.

[@itsonlyme9938]

The Eagle squadron flew spits .

[@user-qk3kn2xc4r]

스핏파이어 영국 왕립 공군 고맙습니다....히틀러를 무찔러서...................이제는 같이 푸틴을 무찔르러 갑시다