Відео

Great color footage, and I can't say I've seen a Spitfire in that color scheme.

INCREDIBLE

Gee using a Brit plane why? they had the P38/,P47/P51

Back in the 80s and 90s you'd often see a nitrogen tank chained up to a telephone pole, at least in this former Contel/GTE area. (Contel always seemed to run their outside plant on a shoestring budget, and many of their service areas seemed to be the sort of place you only move to if you can't afford better, like, for example, Manasas, Virginia).

In our area at Verizon we have one "air guy" who basically does nothing but keep the air driers running in the CO. I've never once seen him in the field where he needs to be. We've lost a lot of cables due to negligence and the company doesn't care at all. It's truly sad to watch.

God bless the ground crew

I was on the gas pressure crew in San Jose in the early 70's. I discovered a few section leaks between manholes in the lead cables. I would use a probe with a microphone on the tip and push it up the duct along side the cable and find the distance to the leak. Then we had West Valley construction come out and dig it up and I would repair the leak which was caused by electrolysis from nearby water mains. Problem was, the electrolysis cause many leaks, as soon as you fixed one leak another would show up 5 feet away. Twenty years later we used helium to find leaks. Because helium would rise, we would put helium tanks on the cable with the lowest pressure and use a helium sniffer to find the leaks. We didn't even have to open the MH we just put the sniffer probe in the hole where the MH hook went.

Fantastic 👍

My favorite PROP aircraft were the P-38’s

The other steamer that is passed between Abingdon & Culham looks like by the name either Sonning or Streatley.

Fascinating. I was aware of Nitrogen (or Bell/Communications people called it "air") being pressurized on lead cables, but once the ANTW cables with a plastic sheath were introduced and the lead cables came down, this became less and less of a problem. I wasn't familiar with the injection of material into the cable where the puncture occurred. I assumed splicers would create a new lead seal. They called it "wiping" the cable. The old BKTS was a problem. Squirrels also liked C-Rural Wire. I cannot tell you how many open wire leads were removed to modernization (and never touched by squirrel problems) until C-Rural Wire replaced it. The squirrels were "c-r-a-z-y" about C-Rural Wire. Nawed on it and loved to chew it. 109 or 104 steel strand was impervious to squirrel knock-outs.

Part of the runway still exists near Berinsfield, there's also a memorial in the village, ( Mount farm farm ) was built over in 50s/60s it's now just all houses , the 2 large tree topped hills in the background in some of the film is Wittenham Clumps , i think P 38 Lightnings flew from here as well ( Recce versions ) , there was another USAAF base not far away at Chalgrove, American Pathfinder Paratroops took off from there on 5/6th June 1944 , there's a memorial to those brave men near the old base which is still there mostly used as an industrial estate nowadays ( a company making ejector seats is based there) but housing is planned for it .

The French refused to sortie because they were on their official lunch time, this was their belief. No wonder they got rolled.

USAAF, not USAF. Sheesh!

This later became the village of Berinsfield, more locally known as "Dodge Ciy" for its reutation of wife swapping. I had not read this all before watchingthe video, and identified the infamous Wittenham Clumps, the hills with the trees on top. This area was littered with airfields, Abingdon, Culham, Benson, Newenham House, Charlgrove, Cowley, Kingston Bagpuize, Grove, Harwell. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Royal_Air_Force_stations_in_Oxfordshire

My qualification? Born in Cowley, have swam Folly Bridge to Iffley Lock at least 5 times 2,552 yards. Lived in Abingdon for 4 years, used to run or cycle from Abingdon to Oxford to work via Kennington/Sandford Lock. Most people will know that at 0:08, this is Salters Yard at Folly Bridge nearish the centre of Oxford and the junction of St Aldates and Abingdon Road. Clearly this is early summer morning as the sun is in the east. At O:40 we are on "The Isis", as the river is known here passing the many College barges that were here up to probably 1970. Many still exist but they were replaced by college boat house on both sides of the river. Behind the barges is Christ Church meadow. At 1:15 we see the old donnington bridge, just past Long Bridges the open air swimming area built in a side cut of the river. The bridge was been replaced by a road bridge in the early 1960's. I just vaguely remember this bridge and no more. The first Lock, is Iffley Lock and at 1:23 we pass the ornate bridge over a cut allowing boats such as college rowing boats that could not go though the lock to pass over the land ramp with rollers.The steps betweemn the two mooring post were the finish of the river swim, tricky to climb having swam from folly bridge (2552 yards) on a early cold may morning. At 1:32 the immaculate launch moored of the mill cut was a feature here from whenever I temember, presumeably a wealthy Iffley resident like perhaps "The Allen" family (John Allen and Sons Oxfordshire Steam Plough Company). The mill had burned down here, in 1908, leaving a fierce weir where I saw trout caught in the 1960's. The locks were all hand operated and gradually automated in the late 1960's onwards. At 2:11 we spy Sandford Paper Mill. The second lock is Sandford Lock on the left approaching at 2.17 is the Kings Arms. This was a family favourite Pub and we would walk there as well as Iffley from Cowley on a summers evening and do some fishing. This was the second pub on the river after Oxford,. The first pub is not in the film and it is on the west side of the river before Iffley Lock. It is now known as "The Isis Farmhouse". The White wooden bridge allows passage from the Pub to the lock. Crossing the lock gates gives access to to the West side tow path of the main river and a lane under the railway to Kennington. At 2:48 we enter Abingdon lock. It may be 1944 war time Britain but everything is beautiful in colour, not like the usual dull black and white we associate old England with. Around 3:30 we pass through Abingdon. At 3:35 there is a glorious shot of the "The Old Anchor Inn" at St. Helens Wharf. At 3:38 I consider tis to be the end of Saxton Road where it joins with Wilsham Road, still in Abingdon, with a Pill Box, the sign of war. This whole area being covered in Airfields, particularly Abingdon and Culham. At 3:51 we are entering Culham Lock in Culham cut. After we leave Culham, there seems to be a huge jump, because at 4:02 is Shillingford Bridge Hotel and then the three arch Shillingford Bridge.

Sugar’s Blues! 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙🇺🇸

Nice would have been nicer with sound. And the "USAF" maybe 'USAAF"

What a beautiful aircraft!

would be nice to see a Spitfire in this colour scheme showing off at the air shows in Britain

I don't know why footage like this generates so much bile in some people. I just watched the spitfire 944 footage with Lt Col Blyth and have nothing but admiration for the bravery and selflessness of these young men who risked their lives. It doesn't matter what plane they flew.

Blue-Orange-Green-Brown-Slate White-Red-Black-Yellow-Violet

Fascinating as I used to live along that river. Wish locks had names, though. What was the tall chimney we saw at the start of the film.

Very enjoyable, interestingly many scenes have changed very little. I was interested to see what seems to be an old college barge at the Shillingford hotel in the water. We used to go there in the 1950's and it had been pulled out and was on dry land, being used as a cafe. It's now gone completely.

Passing by Abingdon and Shillingford Bridge Hotel, which is still there.

To all the doubters here. This is 1944, the USAAF at this time had the P51 and plenty of P38s and yet they used the Spitfire Why?

Back in the day, I cracked an iron case while putting it back together, the very next day our PPM dept was there putting up a waffle case due to the air alarm. Today sadly there is little to no air pressure on our cables exept for right outside the co.

What happened to 944? Did the plane survive the war? Is it still around?

All film makers should watch this clip if your making a WW2 war film don't forget loads and loads of bicycles

Squirrels. A cable maintenance man's money maker. 25 years in the San Jose, CA area. Work multiplex systems and air pressure systems and everything in between.

Legendary Fred Jackson

Great video. We want more....

This deserves far more views! Excellent, thank you.

It's mysterious to me -- how major film companies continued shooting in b/w during the war, while hobbyists took color videos this good. If you're trying to convey a scene, it's hard for b/w to compete with this.

At 3:36 is the Old Anchor inn Abingdon and 3:44 is pillbox is S0012021 at Caldecott located at the end of the AT ditch which ran over to Kingston Bagpuize then north to the upper Thames. here is the site of the pillbox today www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6637779,-1.2834992,3a,75y,273.43h,82.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZLFh46gy3tAvYMeupa9PFQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

what moron gave this a thumbs down

Real men.

the CGI animation is informative but I'm sorry to say that unfortunately it's incredibly nauseating due to how quick and constant moving the transitions are

I love it how they just clown around just to pass the monotony of waiting for they're next mission .

why do the Dept of Defence remove all the sound? official secrets act perhaps? just a question as it would be so good to hear the original sound along with the footage no?

Nicest thing I've seen all day...respect.

Incredibly brave. Respect. From Guernsey (West of France)

Simply awsome. Very well done.

Wow! Excellent Film!! I would like to see all the other film that Doc shot around the base!

GOOD JOB MAN!

Thanks for sharing such a great and inspirational film about an incredibly brave Spitfire pilot.

That pilot has balls to do that without guns or bullet-proof glass. The spitfire was a real marvel for it's time, probably kept him alive. Good man with a kind heart it seems.

"Every pilot should fly a Spitfire at least once". I think every pilot agrees with him, but sadly...

Absolutely incredible!! So good that Jim savage captured such things - & John Blyth - WHAT A GUY!! Well done, & thank you HEAPS for sharing this - with us, and especially with John.

That was absolutely fantastic. Mr. Blyth is a certified bad ass. That guy could tell stories all day and I would sit right there and listen to every bit of it. I really enjoyed watching his reactions. Great stuff.