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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 19, 2019 18:05:20 GMT 12
In a 1998 interview Jimmy Perry talked about a new series he was working on and Gloria Hunniford said it had been accepted, called Women With Wings. It was to be set in WWII and was a drama based around the Air Transport Auxiliary pilots who ferried aeroplanes from the factories to the RAF stations.
Does anyone know if this actually did get made?
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Post by Alan Hayes on Mar 20, 2019 5:46:41 GMT 12
That's not something I'd heard about before. I'll make enquiries.
Since it was during the lifetime of the DAAS, I'd guess that if it had been made, even if it didn't get transmitted, it would be known about as Jimmy would have spoken about it - not least because it appears to have had a thematic link to Dad's Army.
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Post by Andy Howells on Mar 20, 2019 6:03:02 GMT 12
Certainly not heard of it myself, would have been interesting I'm sure!
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Post by Alan Hayes on Mar 20, 2019 6:41:41 GMT 12
Doesn't appear to have been produced. No record of it at TV Brain.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 20, 2019 7:08:38 GMT 12
It is indeed an interesting one. Jimmy and I used to chat regularly at that time but I have no recollection of him mentioning it. I am surprised as he knew of my passion for warbirds and WWII history, both of which would have been involved in this production.
From what was said in the interview I'd guess Jimmy had completed the script and he had been looking for a network to pick it up, and Hunniford stated it had been but she may have had the wrong end of the stick.
These days the ATA story seems to have become a lot more popular and the last living female members became sort of celebrities, appearing in several documentaries ad at events before their deaths. Now there are none left of the British ATA girls, nor any of the five Kiwis who flew with them. There is at least one Canadian ATA girl still with us but that's all I know of.
The statement Jimmy made that they flew without instruments is wrong. The aircraft were straight from the factory and would have had all their instruments. But they may not have had radar fitted to the types that carried that, and when flying the heavier aircraft they'd usually do so alone without a crew.
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Post by petere on Mar 28, 2019 9:04:01 GMT 12
Yes, that would have been interesting to watch! So it would not be an all-out comedy but more of a drama?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 28, 2019 17:49:58 GMT 12
I guess so, yes.
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