Target For Tonight Film

[Dai Fledermaus]

I've just started watching Target For Tonight a film I recorded a few weeks ago on the Talking Movies channel. I tend to watch films like this in bits and pieces when the Memsiab doing something else.

It's interesting in as much that it was made in 1941 by the Crown Film Unit and all the characters are played by RAF personnel in the roles in which they served. The story centers around a Wellington bomber raid on a target somewhere in Germany. The accents are interesting, RAF personnel sounded quite posh in those days.

However, in one scene, I spotted something I thought was interesting. As the Wellington prepares to take off and the engines are started up, a member of ground staff is seen holding a large pad, I can't think what else to call it, to the exhaust outlet of each engine in turn, presumably to aid starting.

Anyone know the reason for it, something to do with increasing back pressure perhaps? By modern health and safety standards, getting a face full of exhaust fumes seems like a fairly unhealthy thing to be doing.

[J D 8]

F for Freddy's pilot was Group Captain Pickard who was later to lead the Amiens prison raid in a mosquito and was shot down. He and his navigator were killed.

[alan p]

If H&S had been round then they wouldn't have got in the aircraft never mind flown. Brave men one and all

[Peter Miller]

I enquired about a hearing test when seeing my Optician.

She was totally horrified that in the 50 and 60s (and obviously before that) we used to stand in front of aircraft and all round with four Rolls Royce Merlins and Griffons and assorted jet engines running up with no ear defenders.

A Lightning doing ground runs or Vulcan doing ground runs borders on the pain threshold. While a Shackleton doing ground runs makes every part of the body tremble.

Health and Safety???

[Pete B]

Posted by Peter Miller on 01/05/2020 13:32:25:

While a Shackleton doing ground runs makes every part of the body tremble.

It can do a bit more than that, Peter!

Pete

[Scott Edwards 2]

It's a fascinating film, purely for being contemporaneous. When they made it in early 1941, they had no idea how the war would pan out. Even though it's propaganda, it shows the real attitudes of the people at the time. For all they knew, Hitler could have been amassing an invasion force as they were filming. The aircraft, airfields and sets were all genuine and active.

[Denis Watkins]

Posted by Dai Fledermaus on 01/05/2020 11:08:48:

However, in one scene, I spotted something I thought was interesting. As the Wellington prepares to take off and the engines are started up, a member of ground staff is seen holding a large pad, I can't think what else to call it, to the exhaust outlet of each engine in turn, presumably to aid starting.

Anyone know the reason for it, something to do with increasing back pressure perhaps? By modern health and safety standards, getting a face full of exhaust fumes seems like a fairly unhealthy thing to be doing.

That's like a canvas pillow Dai, and the action would temporarily choke the Motor for the start up

[Ben Arthurs 1]

Having watched the film earlier , I suspect the pillows were to damp flames on start up , The Wellington being a fabric covered airframe ..