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.