| Accession Number | F07307 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Film |
| Measurement | 2 min 53 sec |
| Object type | Newsreel |
| Physical description | 35mm/b&w/sound |
| Maker |
Fox Movietone News |
| Place made | France: Picardie, Somme, Amiens |
| Date made | 18 February 1944 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Unlicensed copyright |
| Copying Provisions | Copyright restrictions apply. Permission of copyright holder required for any use and/or reproduction. |
RAF gaol breakers
Description
Fox Movietone newsreel on the breaching of Amiens prison by the RAF. In February 1944, some one hundred and eighty seven French underground members were due to be executed for their efforts in the Allied cause and were held in a prison at Amiens, France. On 18 February 1944, Mosquito aircraft of 464 Squadron RAAF, an RAF and a RNZAF Squadron attacked the prison and breached the surrounding wall in two places. At the same time the ends of the prison block were damaged sufficiently for the prisoners to be released. The whole operation called for great precision. All but thirty seven of the prisoners escaped unhurt.