The Bristol Beaufighter nicknamed the Whispering Death. British Multi Role Aircraft | Upscaled video

The Bristol Beaufighter was designed and built in England as a development of the Beaufort bomber, and initially saw service as a night fighter. English built aircraft were delivered to the RAAF for service in the Pacific with No. 22, 30, 31 and 93 Squadrons operating this variant.
In Australia the Department of Aircraft Production was in the process of producing the Beaufort bomber and in 1944 the manufacture of the Beaufighter began as a follow on project. Design changes included revised armament and a dihedral tailplane, and between September 1944 and 1946, 365 Australian Beaufighter Mk 21’s were built.
Powerfully armed, fast at low level and very quiet in flight, the Beaufighter earned a grim nickname from the Japanese, who called it “Whispering Death”.
Symbolically, our aircraft was built on the day the Pacific War ended, and saw extensive post war use as a target tug. It was retired in 1956 and given to the Lord Mayor’s Children’s camp at Portsea. In 1962 it became the first aircraft donated to the museum.
The aircraft in our collection is dedicated as a memorial to No 31 Squadron. It is one of only 6 complete examples surviving worldwide, and one of only two complete Australian made examples. As of the end of 2013 it is also the only Beaufighter in the world capable of ground running an engine.
1941 saw the development of the Beaufighter Mk.IC long-range heavy fighter. This new variant entered service in May 1941 with a detachment from No. 252 Squadron operating from Malta. The aircraft proved so effective in the Mediterranean against shipping, aircraft and ground targets that Coastal Command became the major user of the Beaufighter, replacing the now obsolete Beaufort and Blenheim.
Coastal Command began to take delivery of the up-rated Mk.VIC in mid 1942. By the end of 1942 Mk VICs were being equipped with torpedo-carrying gear, enabling them to carry the British 18 in (450 mm) or the US 22.5 in (572 mm) torpedo externally.
The Hercules Mk XVII, developing 1,735 hp (1,294 kW) at 500 ft (150 m), was installed in the Mk VIC airframe to produce the TF Mk.X (Torpedo Fighter), commonly known as the 'Torbeau'. The Mk X became the main production mark of the Beaufighter. The strike variant of the 'Torbeau' was designated the Mk.XIC. Beaufighter TF Xs would make precision attacks on shipping at wave-top height with torpedoes or '60lb' RP-3 rockets. Early models of the Mk Xs carried metric-wavelength ASV (air-to-surface vessel) radar with 'herringbone' antennae carried on the nose and outer wings, but this was replaced in late 1943 by the centimetric AI Mark VIII radar housed in a 'thimble-nose' radome, enabling all-weather and night attacks.
The North Coates Strike Wing of Coastal Command, based at RAF North Coates on the Lincolnshire coast, developed tactics which combined large formations of Beaufighters using cannon and rockets to suppress flak while the Torbeaus attacked at low level with torpedoes. These tactics were put into practice in mid 1943, and in a 10-month period, 29,762 tons (27,000 tonnes) of shipping were sunk. Tactics were further adapted when shipping was moved from port during the night. North Coates Strike Wing operated as the largest anti-shipping force of the Second World War, and accounted for over 150,000 tons (136,100 tonnes) of shipping and 117 vessels for a loss of 120 Beaufighters and 241 aircrew killed or missing. This was half the total tonnage sunk by all strike wings between 1942 and 1945.
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 41 ft 4 in (12.60 m)
Wingspan: 57 ft 10 in (17.63 m)
Height: 15 ft 10 in (4.83 m)
Wing area: 503 sq ft (46.7 m2)
Airfoil: root: RAF-28 (18%); RAF-28 (10%)
Empty weight: 15,592 lb (7,072 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 25,400 lb (11,521 kg) with one torpedo
Fuel capacity: 550 imp gal (660 US gal; 2,500 l) normal internal fuel
Maximum fuel capacity: 682 imp gal (819 US gal; 3,100 l) (with optional 2x 29 imp gal (35 US gal; 130 l) external tanks / 1x 24 imp gal (29 US gal; 110 l) tank in lieu of port wing guns / 1x 50 imp gal (60 US gal; 230 l) tank in lieu of stbd. wing guns)
Powerplant: 2 × Bristol Hercules XVII or Bristol Hercules XVIII 14-cylinder air-cooled sleeve-valve radial piston engines, 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) each
Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers
Performance
Maximum speed: 320 mph (510 km/h, 280 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
Range: 1,750 mi (2,820 km, 1,520 nmi)
Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,800 m)
Rate of climb: 1,600 ft/min (8.1 m/s)
Armament
Guns:
4 × 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano Mark II cannon (240 rpg) in nose
6 x .303 (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in wings four starboard two port (optional, replacing internal long range fuel tanks)
1 × manually operated 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning for observer
Rockets: 8 × RP-3 60 lb (27 kg) rockets
Bombs: 2× 250 lb (110 kg) bombs or 1× British 18 inch (45 cm) torpedo or 1x Mark 13 torpedo
#beaufighter #bristolbeaufighter #wwii

[@Dronescapes]

Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions: kzbin.info/aero/PLBI4gRjPKfnNx3Mp4xzYTtVARDWEr6nrT

[@frogstamper]

Australia can be rightly proud of these airmen, these Aussie and, New Zealander pilots certainly won the respect and everlasting thanks of the British people for their skills and sacrifice during the battle of Britain and the entirety of WW2, true heroes

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@alanholloway1264]

There is no evidence that the Japs called the Beaufighter'Whispering Death'. It is more likely a story pushed by post war historians.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

30 Australian pilots out of 2000 plus pilots in the Battle. Hardly a large difference.

[@walk_in_solo1543]

​@anthonyeaton5153 you're right, much easier to not respect them or thank them and pretend it never happened. Dick.

[@walk_in_solo1543]

​@anthonyeaton5153 and 130 New Zealanders, second largest foreign contingent behind the poles.

[@steveedgar5191]

My Uncle, Dallas W. Schmidt, was a Beau pilot off Malta... He was also involved with a flight of 18 Beaus from England, around the outside of Spain and landed at Gibralter on fumes..

[@SISU889]

ALL the guys from this era on both sides of the pond had balls of steel ! Much admiration and respect , thank you .....

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@d-railg4302]

What brave men these are. Truly the greatest generation. I’m afraid that as an American we are lacking greatly for men with this character.

[@Dronescapes]

they certainly are, but I am also sure there are plenty of them in the USA. Did you watch: "The Gift"? Bob Hoover has some really amazing stories to tell: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYipgIKAq5WAasU

[@ryanyoung8245]

I don't know about that. I just think a small amount of squeaky wheels are getting all the attention.

[@grimmertwin2148]

@@Dronescapes Thanks it took me weeks to get to this Beaufighter doco and you sidetrack me with The Gift. Bob Hoover. A legend. Punished and rewarded for speaking truth to power. An artist. Fearless, genius, loyal and modest. Thanks for that. Reminds of the American Top Gun who qualified through the Australian Airforce. Great autobiography. Similar to the Qantas captain who salvaged the high tech latest commercial aircraft on its maiden flight. All the tech failed mid flight. He was never supported by the company post pulling off a miracle and incurring legitimate PTSD. It's the most terrifying in flight account of a crippled commercial plane ever written. Which leads to another book. The Black Cats. Aussie Catalina squadron. Settled a few scores with the Japanese Navy post Pearl Harbour while protecting what was left of the American Pacific fleet. Catalinas hey? Can fly, can land on water, can land on the ground and armed to the teeth is a submariner's nightmare. And in peacetime Jimmy Buffett flew something similar. Grooving out all around the world with guitar, margaritas and surf board. ( Not Apocalypse Now style) Is it true the letters of the airmen who flew with the Enola Gay are in an American Airforce museum? Because they were sworn to secrecy and didn't know if they would return they wrote letters to wives and loved ones explaining their feelings to the horrific loss of life they were going to inflict and secrecy of their mission. Of course the powers that be allowed the onus to focus on the pilots and planes. Funny that. However, how do I know? My sister's husband's father Tex Burns was flying in one of the other craft. It's his letter on display apparently. True or false? Houdini was the first person to achieve powered flight in Australia. True or false? Those Aussies, dem Yanks and all the countries' pilots that fought in the Battle of Britain - no wonder we won WW2. Respect. I hope Bob Hoover wasn't related to Edgar J. True or false lol? Fingers crossed for Artemis. Thanks for the stream. Not sure about the 'expert' commentators from another stream though. They spent 5 hours saying they had no idea what was going on and talked over the top of the official NASA announcements lol. Give it a shot yourself next time. 'Houston we have another problem......again' ( yeah I know) Meanwhile......Elon is still planning and scheming and scrubbing. Where's Bob Hoover when you need him unless he's FIP? Wouldn't have happened in his day. Plus he could have picked up those documents at Mar a Lago on the way....on the quiet. A decent and honourable man who got things done. Patriot Genius Husband and dad. Humble Pretty cool hat selection. Oh yeah Mt Erebus - Whiteout. Air NZ's first and last crash. Royal Commission inquiry's findings? ' An orchestrated litany of lies' by the company. The recovery operation was horrific. It was launched from Wellington. Just a few ideas Peace

[@paulkeogh3518]

I fear every Western democracy is suffering from the same malaise.

[@papabear2]

@@paulkeogh3518 I think the Ukraine will present an example with the battle they are fighting now.

[@mrshoashe]

Man I’ve been fascinated by the Ausie air battles in the Beaufighters for years and THIS was the greatest documentary ever! Bloody great blokes all of em!

[@davidarchibald50]

"They will not grow old, as we who are left grow old." Yes, they did grow old, but not in my eyes. Forever they will be young men in their aircraft, flying peaceful skies, the skies they gave us. Never forget any of them.

[@mgytitanic1912]

The Fallen do not grow old. That is what that line refers to.

[@multibucker]

Some of the most awe inspiring stories of WWII I've ever heard. Salute.

[@stephenconnolly3018]

Yes stories in deed.

[@salvagedb2470]

Best combination Aussie Pilots flying Beaufighters , it was built as tough and hardy as the Men who flew them..great vid and footage..

[@Rusty_Gold85]

and the Tough mechanics as well !

[@anthonyeaton5153]

@@Rusty_Gold85The British crews who flew the Beaufighter were just as tough and so were the ground crew. I had a friend who was a pilot of a Beaufighter who shot down three German aircraft in the Med attacked shipping there and fought over the jungles of Asia doing the same. He was very gentle and mild mannered but he was tough. You never miss a chance to brag do you. It’s a bit sad really always needing reassurance.

[@daystatesniper01]

Superb video , thank you, the Australians ,as well as all our allies were incredible RIP brave men the likes we may never see again.

[@bruceweaver5917]

Stumbled across by chance......what a treasure find. Great collation of actual footage and irreplaceable personal interviews of flight crews, which becomes preserved personal history. Those were men knew what real fear was all about when in close quarter combat of a hundred metres or so.

[@Dronescapes]

♥️🙏

[@jonesyjones7626]

I agree. I need to find a good book on this. Any ideas?

[@bruceghent8776]

Great documentary. Nothing but admiration for the Aussies. Greetings from Canada.

[@Dronescapes]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@stilllearning1160]

Agreed. Back then you knew who your enemy was. Nowadays it is harder and their seem to be worse enemies amongst us, Trudeau etc.

[@MrDaiseymay]

@@stilllearning1160 EVERY UK GOVERNMENT SINCE MAGGIE.

[@samrodian919]

What a magnificent video. Thank you for sharing it with us. As a Brit, and knowing very little about the war in the Far East it is heartening to see and hear about the gallantry of our Antipodean cousins and their magnificent defence of their homeland flying the Bristol Beaufighter, and the American co-operation was great too. That was an hour and twelve minutes well spent!

[@Dronescapes]

Thank you!

[@billynomates920]

their defence of ours, too! the first pilot he mentioned, i think the narrator said he shot down six enemy aircraft in the battle of britain. before youtube, i also knew next to nothing about the war in the far east. thank you, dronescapes. another excellent upload.

[@markhepworth]

The British suffered over 90,000 casualties in the Far East in WW2,although harshly overshadowed by the European theatre of operations,there’s still a massive amount of information out there about the campaign..🤷‍♂️

[@barnbersonol]

For those baffled about what a sleeve valve engine is, I've tried to get to the bottom of it and its something like this, sorry I'm not an engineer! So here goes ... The cylinder lining is double skinned. The outer lining is fixed to the crankcase but the inner lining, the sleeve, is mobile. It is driven up and down and also rotates, driven by a cam off the crankshaft. It moves at half the speed of the piston. The inner and outer bores have identical holes in them, ports, 3 inlet and 2 exhaust. Because the sleeve twists and goes up and down it allows the ports in the sleeve and those on the outer bore to line up at the right point in the 4 stroke cycle to suck in fuel/air then expel exhaust gas. The sleeve moves at half speed compared to the piston. During the compression-power stage the sleeve is as high as it will go inside the barrel, covering all the ports. Then it drops, allowing the exhaust ports to open, then twists thus covering the exhaust ports and uncovering the inlet ports. When the gas has entered to start a new cycle the sleeve is back up to the top ready for the compression stroke. If there's something not right or missed out, then please comment. Like I say, I'm no expert just a curious person like the rest of us.

[@michaelbrogan7537]

But what is the idea there? Why design it that way?

[@barnbersonol]

@@michaelbrogan7537 the radial arrangement of cylinders means that some are upside down so how would you circulate oil to the OHCs? Sleeve valves were more tolerant of prewar petrol so we're also used in in-line engines but didn't operate well above 3000 rpm.

[@tonestar008]

@@michaelbrogan7537 way less friction and much more accurate fuel to the cylinder ..and of course....quieter...

[@paulhenry5060]

My hunches...? Smoothness, noise down, lower wear. They get spoken of highly in the context of low height warfare. ​@@michaelbrogan7537

[@sUASNews]

My favourite Airfix model by a country mile, this is an amazing video. I didn't know these stories at all. Thanks very much.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@The1nsane1]

Yep built the same model. It was my favourite, with the P40 just behind. Always thought the Beau was a beautiful looking aircraft, yet menacing.

[@aussie6910]

Ordered the Revell Beau in 1/32 this morning. Will do it as a 30SQN plane.

[@johnmclean6498]

This was engrossing. To hear the stories in the crews own words. And the photos! Superb shots of the old Beau. Living and flying from those strips must have tested the best of them, but they stuck at it in true Aussie spirit. Well done.

[@franciscook5819]

Thank you for posting this. I love to hear the first hand accounts of the brave souls that won us all victory against the axis powers in WW2. Their humour (note "What do we do with the Drunken Pilot?") and modesty never cease to impress me. The Aussies, Kiwis, Canadians and the other Commonwealth nations performed brilliantly, as did the yanks, and they have the eternal gratitude of the UK, where I live. This particular video is poignant for me because my father flew, amongst several types, RAF Beaufighters in the night fighter role while my mother worked in ops in the RAF. Neither liked to talk about the war - too many deaths and too much destruction to think about.

[@Dronescapes]

Thank you Francis

[@samrodian919]

Yes I agree with you. Sadly they must all be gone now. My dad served in the RAF in the medical branch ( he was a trained nurse went with the first RAF mobile field hospital to France on D+7 no 50 MFH Ending up in Northern Denmark ) he would have been 112 this coming Halloween.

[@hazchemel]

Thanks for your comments. It used to be the case that the youngsters never heard stories from their family who had served in the war. But i can see now that the servicemen had very good reasons for their silence, and indeed is in keeping with their general selfless attitude. In my mind, they are magnificent.

[@billyantis9843]

31:22

[@jmcc2275]

My father was in the RAF ,he was most impressed by the Poles and the Czechs. He said they fought like demons.

[@adamskinner5868]

I've watched this before at some stage but it was just as good the 2nd time. Those old men certainly had an exciting but trying n dangerous time risking it all to protect Australia, thank goodness they were up to the very difficult tasks involved. I don't think folks really understand how hard n dangerous it was or the sacrifices made by all involved. perhaps because the men are so humble and nobody really talked about it except amongst themselves until decades after. I'm grateful and very interested in what they did n went through, they deserve great respect n honor from the rest of us, good on them for being great Aussies.

[@LuoJun2]

I jumped with some Aussie paratroopers in a joint exercise. Hawaii in the early’90’s. Those guys were insanely good at what they do. I got orders for Australian Jump Wings from the experience. I salute the Australian Para’s and celebrate your service. You’re men amongst men.

[@ronasaurus74]

Because Australia has a relatively small, all volunteer military, every single one is precious, and extremely well trained. Their basic infantry are trained to the level of other nation's special forces, every fighter pilot to the level of "Top Gun". As for the level of the special forces, like the paratroopers- well, you saw it for yourself. Certainly not to be messed with!

[@jonathanstein1783]

My younger brother has Aussie jump wings as well. He served with the 2nd Of the 75th Rangers out of Ft Lewis, WA, back in the 1990's.

[@geradkavanagh8240]

I'm just totally amazed anyone wants to jump from a perfectly good aircraft. Kudos to all the defence force personnel that do this training. (I'm Australian)

[@anthonyeaton5153]

Didn’t know Australia had paratroopers.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

@@ronasaurus74so doesBritain and Canada and NZ and the US. Volunteers all.

[@chrisdebeyer1108]

Very good compilation. Marvellous to see the Pilots and Crew relate views of their experiences. Also to see more on this excellent aeroplane.

[@peterclark7879]

As a Kid i thought the Beaufighter was the best aircraft ever I still love the look of it.I have to thank all the servicemen and women for there service without them I would not exist as my mother was an army nurse on Morotai, our freedom comes from their sacrifice god bless you all.

[@Dronescapes]

👍♥️

[@TheHomeMaker1]

What a strong hearted group of men these aussies were thank you all for your service!! U.S. Americans thank you for everything you did!

[@MrDaiseymay]

ABSOLUTELY, AND SO DO US BRITS.. My half brother flew with a AUSSIE SQUADRON IN WW2, THEN SWITCHED TO 199 SQDN OF 100 GROUP AND WAS KILLED ON THE LAST BOMBING RAID OVER KIEL, GERMANY, 3/5/45

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

I think Australia owes just as much or more to the US for helping us during our time of greatest need. Australia and America have been close friends ever since WW2 and that friendship maybe tested again in the future unless there is a leadership change in China. 🇦🇺+🇺🇸=😂🍻

[@glenchapman3899]

@@scroungasworkshop4663 I remember during the Apollo missions, the US asked if the could use some Australian facilities. Australia said yes without hesitation and were surprised when the Americans asked how much the rent would be lol

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

@@glenchapman3899 I certainly hope the reply was “she’ll be right mate” meaning free. 👍👍👍

[@glenchapman3899]

@@scroungasworkshop4663 Thats exactly what it was. The Australian government was genuinely shocked the Americans would think they owed them anything

[@lauriecroad3186]

Amazing stories, amazing pilots, crews and fitters keeping the aircraft flying. Thankyou for the vid.. (Brit, my Dad was in India during all this, collecting crashed aircraft to cannibalise to keep our flyers going in East India, Burma and over the sea. He refused to discuss his war because of what he saw in these crashed planes and soldiers pulled back to be hospitalised).

[@grantovenden2646]

Fantastic doco - thanks to everyones hard work putting this together!

[@robertsmith2227]

Good start to another day. That was very good thank you. Looking back 80 years its hard to believe what these guys did and where they did it on land at sea and in the air. WW2 was unbelievable.

[@CaptainQueue]

10 guns! Including four 20mm cannons, what a beast.

[@jayg1438]

Proper history. Thank you.

[@johnrudy9404]

As an American, I salute all of these old warriors. They had it tough. My Uncle Mike was Airborne 1945, Op Varsity. Dead when he hit the ground, from Ger Volks army. I like to think he wracked the slide of his Thompson and served up a burst to the SoB who shot him. I see these men of that generation, tip my head a give thanks. Theres' a meme titled, "Okd Soldier, Young Shadow". Certainly for all of them. Thanks, men!

[@ronasaurus74]

In the description text above, the museum referred to is the aircraft museum at the Moorabbin aerodrome, in Melbourne. Their Beaufighter is much more complete than the one at Camden in NSW and indeed their whole collection is quite impressive, and very much worth a visit!

[@MegaBloggs1]

home built in Australia -because of a far sighted railway man who built the beaufort and beaufighter in railway workshops

[@alganhar1]

Still needed to ship the engines in, which is often overlooked. Australia at the time had no domestic Aero Engine industry.

[@ianseddon9347]

Fabulous video of stories I’ve never heard before. An uncle-by -marriage flew Beau’s in Australia during the war, but I never heard any of his stories. Thank you for reminding me of the astonishing skill determined and courage of Theo greatest generation.

[@nikbear]

Absolutely wonderful video, was a pleasure to watch, one of my favourite all time aircraft, and some truly heroic gentlemen, with some amazing memories,...just fantastic 😉👌 greetings from 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@michaelbrogan7537]

44 days those P40s battled overwhelming odds like heros. Awesome!

[@BrianWMay]

Superb, thank you. Deep respect towards those brave men.

[@gone547]

The Bull Terrier of aircraft, tough as nuts and just as mad.

[@starsailor49]

A tough Aircraft flown by even tougher Men. Huge respect to you all.

[@partygrove5321]

The Bristol Beaufighter was a bad ass plane.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@macdansav1546]

Incredibly brave men. Without the assistance of the Australians and our Commonwealth friends we would have lost the war by the end of 1941. Greetings from Britain.

[@clive373]

Back in 1991, my dentist, in S London, was a charming old gentleman from Trinidad. He had flown B24 Liberators! I have a PPL, and he fixed my smile after I crashed a hang glider. One time I sat in the chair for an hour, and no dental work got done. But I discovered how to measure drift, at night, whilst flying over an ocean, and heard some amazing tales.

[@glenchapman3899]

Well think about it. If we had let you get beaten by the Germans, who the hell would we have played cricket against 😀

[@neilpemberton5523]

​@@glenchapman3899 Once in a blue moon I read a comment that says everything I care about in a few words. THIS IS THAT COMMENT.

[@glenchapman3899]

@@neilpemberton5523 Thank you for the kind compliment

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Twas t"Empire and our reliance upon, at the time. But, thank you all the same. 🇬🇧

[@formisfunction1861]

Brilliant! Love the detail!

[@jonathansteadman7935]

I recommend Warby's War, a book about photo reconnaissance pilot Adrian Warburton. Flew Beaufighters from Malta. The bit where the observer mentions the doors to the pilots cockpit flew open from maneuvering through flak, Warburton wearing his officers cap on top of his flying cap, pyjamas and slippers with cigarette butts flying around while he's humming a song. These guys were amazing characters.

[@djdaz72]

What a great video big respect to those brave men from the uk 🇬🇧

[@Dronescapes]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@garynew9637]

Ah, Aussies.

[@306champion]

A year since I've seen this and it's still about the best doco yet about Australian WW2 aviators and servicemen. As an Aussie it fills me with pride and I think it should be shown in all our schools. Thank you.

[@gergatron7000]

Great documentary of first-hand accounts of our Aussie contribution to the war. Imagine if the Aussies and Yanks had truly combined their strengths of navigation skills and good equipment/supply respectively, that would have made for a formidable team.

[@garynew9637]

It did.

[@jonboy9912]

Brave men and a wonderful aircraft - I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their stories and feel so grateful for their service.

[@paulhenry5060]

An amazing watch/listen.

[@gdj6298]

This is such a pleasure to watch. Not only the self-deprecation of courageous men, but then filtered through the Aussie tendency to dry understatement.... "....yeah, that was a bit exciting...." Great.

[@Dronescapes]

🙏👍

[@raymondyee2008]

Glad I get to play as RAAF 30 Squadron in the "IL-2 1946" campaign.

[@glenchapman3899]

Roger that Wombat One lol

[@NoName-ds5uq]

My grandfather often told me about the Beau from his time in the army. He said he’d be walking along and feel the hair on the back on his neck stand up, and he’d look up and see a Beaufighter almost close enough to touch! These aircraft and their aircrews were held in the highest regard by our soldiers.

[@Kingmick58]

The C.O. reminds me of Squadron Leader Rex from the Piece of Cake series in appearance. Great post and thanks from the old Aussie.

[@mgytitanic1912]

That's a fantastic book, and a series that needs to be remade now that we have enough Hurricanes again.

[@annsmith8000]

Fantastic documentary, all those wonderful brave brave gutsy men including aircrew and ground crew all support from that time don’t think we will ever see their like again. Well as a 74 old I thank them all from the bottom of my heart. Bless them all ❤️❤️❤️

[@Dronescapes]

Glad you enjoyed it Ann

[@TheRcgordon]

brilliant video . Great aircraft and amazing people.

[@jonesyjones7626]

What a first class video that fully explains the history and context of the war in that part of the world. It definitely deserves more exposure. Of course using the experiences of those outstanding veterans makes it all the more engaging. I’m going to see if any of those gentleman interviewed wrote memoirs.

[@kevinquinn7645]

It's great to see this history has been captured for us to enjoy.

[@rustykilt]

Air Cdre Bill Garing, what a brilliant interview of an amazing man. And to all those brave Airmen who took on the overwhelming odds of the IJN, bless you all.

[@ianando9459]

Great post . Thank you. Good Aussies in full swing .

[@Dronescapes]

👍🙏

[@mothmagic1]

Along with the Mosquito one of the most versatile aircraft of WW2

[@jackwaycombe]

My great-uncle flew more than one aircraft in WW2, including Hurricanes. But his favourite mount was the Beaufighter. Not as fast or agile as many of the opposition, but impressively armed - he claimed 2 seconds in his gunsights was all he needed. His total certain kills amounted to 4, but he surely accounted for more.

[@richardglen9761]

Have an excellent book on the beaufighter whispering death by Neville parnell some great photos

[@alanfaulkner6329]

My favourite aircraft from WWII.

[@Dronescapes]

👍♥️

[@nickwebb9290]

A superb documentary, thank you 🙏

[@Dronescapes]

Many thanks Nick! Glad you liked it

[@simonpenrose5466]

I am bloody greatful to these blokes. Fascinating story. First Airfix model I made with my dad, was the Beaufigter. I have loved it ever since.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@gordonpeden6234]

I had the privilege of speaking to a couple of Aussie Air crew who spent some time in Papua New Guinea in WWII. Wow! Great men, humble, self effacing, salt of the earth.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@306champion]

13:50 Is that Clive Caldwell in front? Thank you for some great Aussie history. I think I even saw my Dad inlaw at Milme Bay.

[@peterdavey8348]

Fantastic. I hope this video's in the National Archive.

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

If I am not mistaken the Beaufighter was devastating at the battle of the Bismarck sea among other outstanding aurcraft.

[@bremnersghost948]

One of my fave Planes on World of Warplanes when i played it.

[@haroldmclean3755]

Bloody Good Doco 💪

[@johncrispin2118]

Excellent accounts , priceless evidence from aircrew who now I guess have passed on. Please get the three Beaufighter restorations in the air by making the engines available. As a living memorial to these brave men. Often rather unfairly compared to the mosquito, but as usual horses for courses. the mossies timber airframes would not stand up to tropical,conditions so were unable to replace the Beaufighter as intended. Graham Pitchforks book ‘Beaufighters boys ‘ although mainly European theatre also complements the testimonies from the Ozzie airmen Interesting indeed the comment about the MK11 with Merlins which was never a good match with the Beaufighter , as with other types, Halifax for example .

[@davefloyd9443]

Aussies, tough, professional, resourceful warriers with a properly developed sense of humour. Their service will never be forgotten, in the UK

[@markdavids2511]

Imagine this firepower pouring into your plane, vessel or vehicle, you’re done for.

[@jonnybeck6723]

Great vid, lots of great footage and wonderful stories GRADE AAA

[@Dronescapes]

👍♥️🙏

[@rolanddunk5054]

What a brave bunch of blokes.As much as I think that the beaufighter looks great,I sometimes wonder what it would have looked like with a cut down rear fuselage.Roly🇬🇧.

[@jedicobb1753]

Awesome stories from the pilots..

[@Dronescapes]

Glad you like them!

[@Rusty_Gold85]

Makes me think I would want to fly something tough rather than Popular. Thanks Boys for all your Efforts. I gather this maybe a decade or 2 old film as I refer other Beaufighter doco's back to this , when it was first posted. Now I have a need to go and see one if there any examples left in Museums

[@harryricochet8134]

Moorabbin Air Museum has the most complete Australian Beaufighter in existence. Enjoy.

[@peterbamforth6453]

An excelent documentory 10/10

[@Dronescapes]

👍🙏❤️

[@johnmilhuisen2607]

Great doco. What characters.

[@jonathanstein1783]

The Beaufighter and Mosquito are my favorite British aircraft, and I'm partial to the Beaufighter.

[@johnhough6300]

Great Documentary

[@Dronescapes]

❤️👍

[@stephenbesley3177]

Respect to those brave Aussies. I will always have respect for diggers - A whingey Pom

[@ralphgrunz7377]

What a wonderful video

[@Dronescapes]

Glad you enjoyed it Ralph. Thanks for watching and for the kind comment

[@roses2155]

Great video. Some wonderful men telling stories of great bravery. BYW - the :59 mark is discussing the B-25 Mitchells skip bombing, yet the video is stock footage of B-24 Liberators. A small goof in a fine video.

[@barrierodliffe4155]

Something I found interesting is that for air combat in the RAF while no surprise that the Spitfire and Hurricane had the most success, the Beaufighter came 3rd ahead of the Mosquito , P 40, Typhoon, Tempest and P 51.

[@alec2726]

What a story I've never heard! Truly men from the Great Generation!

[@Dronescapes]

🙏

[@Sarah_Swede]

If your ever gonna fight Aussies, pack a lunch. If they have Kiwis with them, it's probably your last meal.

[@petergoodwin2465]

Excellent comment, the only thing I hate about Kiwis is there's not much of them in Australia.

[@Bruvva_Wu]

Canadians deny being there

[@badcornflakes6374]

If you ever are in a gold rush, be the one selling shovels and pickaxes.

[@flyingsword135]

Those days are long gone

[@anthonyeaton5153]

How very very childish. Go back to your dolly and pram your comment added nothing to the discussion.

[@mgytitanic1912]

The Beaufighter doesn't get lauded enough, it always seems slightly overshadowed by its replacement the de Havilland Mosquito.

[@johnryan2193]

They were a special breed of men , terriers of the sky's . We have a lot to thank them for !

[@taproom113]

Epic bravery by all! Salute ... ^v^

[@michaelbrogan7537]

My second viewing. This is a fantastic documentary

[@Dronescapes]

Thank you

[@paulkirkland3263]

I believe the name Whispering Death was dreamt up in jest by some RAF officers in India, responding to propaganda hyperbole in a local or regional newspaper.

[@wor53lg50]

More like germans in africa...

[@alganhar1]

Either that or a reporter. There is no evidence in any Japanese source of the Japanese military calling the Beaufighter that, official, diaries or letters, nothing. Its one of those myths, like the German 'Blitzkrieg', which they actually called Bewegungskrieg. A nice story but unfortunately not true.

[@AnthonyTolhurst-dw1nc]

Ya reckon?

[@davidholder3207]

What an interesting video about such brave men. Stupid question but did Australia also manufacture the Bristol Hercules sleeve valve engines?

[@doughart2720]

The Hercules were imported into Australia but one prototype was built with Wright cyclones in case supply problems arose. The cyclones were being built in Australia

[@mikepxg6406]

Great story.

[@Dronescapes]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@flyingbeaver57]

My dad, at that time a Flying Officer, RCAF flew in 89 Sqdn RAF with F. Lt. Shipard, who's interviewed starting at 1m 25s,. In fact, my dad's logbook from 89 Sqdn mentions F. Lt. Shipard! I don't know when that interview was done; my dad died in 1989, age 73. His AI Op/Navigator, Charlie Baron, lived well into his second century. Small World. I wish the war historians in Canada had had the foresight (and funding) to interview some of the many RCAF pilots who flew both day- and night-fighters. Canada's loss - and a shame for future generations.

[@Dronescapes]

Wow, thank you for sharing this precious memory and testimony

[@vincenthawke3049]

There is another one in the UK, It was being restored to airworthy condition but no suitable engines are available for this version. Apparently in the UK the engines must be the same as the original type that was fitted when the aircraft was originally built. This Beau is a mk 21 (Australian) owned by the fighter collection based at Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Beaufighter and typhoon are my all-time favourite aircraft of ww2.

[@vincenthawke3049]

Mk 11 not 21 ......

[@errolstewart5155]

Lest we forget 🇦🇺🦘

[@Dronescapes]

👍

[@44razorback]

Every one of the Fighters who served in the Wars were the Heros.There were all great men!I I am afraid the young men we have on either coast Not the same as they were.

[@stilllearning1160]

Those men were raised with responsibility from a young age. Today's boys are raised with alot of rights. Having alot of rights is like having a pocket full of IOUs, blank cheques made out to oneself to be cashed against the general account of somebody else. Only problem with this is that unless someone else is fulfilling their responsibilities there is nothing for the people with rights to draw from. For current demands of 'rights' to be fulfilled when there isn't enough being contributed, governments go to some glorified Mafia, also known as the IMF and agrees to license more of the next generation of Australians' future seeing as though the current generation is already maxed out.

[@jamesdoust6975]

It's not possible to write off the young men of today until they are put in similar situations as the men of WW2. People rise to the occasion when it is least expected of them. Speaking as a 67 yo.

[@jameswatters9592]

the left wing fell off,and the right wing fell off and he laughs.

[@stanbattle7436]

An interesting note that I have to offer is about those prefabricated runways they actually still exist in Tacloban, Leyte in the form of fencing. So many front fences are made of perforated sheet metal, I don't know that the property owner knows the history or value of them

[@davidelliott5843]

Beaufighter was the original ground attack gunship. Later in the war, the Americans took the hint. The B-25J-NC Mitchell had 16 forward firing 50 cals.

[@MegaBloggs1]

aussie legends -a great underated plane

[@Dronescapes]

Indeed

[@Anglo_Saxon1]

It was a British plane(6,000 were built) The Aussies were legendary bloke's though!great pilots.🇦🇺

[@geradkavanagh8240]

42:40 into the video. reference to Comalie Creek South of Darwin. I had the opportunity to drive that old airstrip and and see leftover buildings around the area in the 1970's as a student with Darwin's Catholic school. The Creek was an awesome swimming hole then. Probably full of crocs now. Just down the western road was Rum Jungle. An old Uranium mine.