Regiments on DVD
Oct 27, 2008 09:26 ET
Wartime Heroes Honoured on Film
DARLINGTON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Oct. 27, 2008) - Canadian wartime heroes who risked their lives night after night on bombing raids from the UK are to be honoured with a film premier at one of their drinking haunts - an old pub outside the airport gates.
The documentary traces the history of three squadrons from the Royal Canadian Air Force at what was RAF Middleton St. George, known in the North East of England as Goosepool.
Hundreds of young men in the prime of their lives died on bombing missions from today's Durham Tees Valley Airport. The DVD lists the name of every crewman who was killed, injured missing in action or taken captive.
One, Andy Mynarski, won the Victoria Cross. The DVD features his story and re-enactment, yet unpublished WWII photographs, rare footage, first hand accounts of the almost suicidal raids and what's left of the base on the south side of the airport - directly opposite today's holiday and business terminal.
The 80 minute production "The Seeds of Goosepool" is named after rare alpine plants which still flourish around the former Lancaster Bomber turning circles. The seeds were lifted into the night sky in the bombing firestorms, stuck to the aircraft and were flown back to base where they took root. They're found no where else in the UK.
The launch is in The Oak Tree at Middleton St. George on October 31st at 10.30. Coincidentally for Hallowe'en, one of the Canadian squadrons was named "Ghost Squadron" because of the number of losses. An average of five aircraft - that's 35 men each night - didn't return.
The project has taken almost twelve months to complete and comes on the 70th anniversary of Goosepool and the 40th anniversary of the commercial airport.
Producer Paul Frost, a qualified light aircraft pilot and former TV presenter said: "Those boys were thousands of miles from home, in the prime of their lives, in a strange country, risking death or serious injury every night of the week. If they reached the age of 21 they were thought of as old men. They are part of UK history and we owe them a tremendous debt."
The production team worked alongside local historians to bring the story to life. Available at the premier will be pilot and author Stan Howes, collector Geoff Hill with a selection of his memorabilia, Frost's mum, Doreen, 85, who made the bombs at nearby Aycliffe, a wartime WAAF to hand out coffee, cameraman Les Coates and editors Joe Weir and Richard Gill. Media will be issued with clips for TX.
The production will not be televised but is on sale from regimentsondvd.com. Please note the web site will not be live until Friday October 31.
For more information, please contact
Regiments on DVD
Paul Frost
011 44 7774 682288
Email:
paulfrostmedia@aol.com
Website:
www.regimentsondvd.com
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