Target for Tonight

[Steve Smith]

Hi,

Does anyone have the actual names of the crew and their fate who starred in the 1941 film, 'Target for Tonight'. I am aware of 'Pick' Pickard.

TIA

Steve

[Nick Beale]

According to IMDb, the crew was John Cobb, Richard Peirse, Percy Charles Pickard and Robert Saundby but there is a note “awaiting verification”.

[MW Giles]

You may be a bit out with your crew list

Richard Pierse was AOC Bomber Command and Robert Saundby his SASO

They were in the film, but their days of daring-do were over by that point.

Martin

[RSwank]

An AI search turned up:

The primary crew members who flew the Wellington bomber in the film (call sign "F for Freddie") were:

Pilot / Captain (Squadron Leader Dickson): Played by Squadron Leader (later Group Captain) Percy Charles "Pick" Pickard.

Second Pilot / Co-pilot: Played by Pilot Officer (later Flight Lieutenant) Gordon Woollatt.

Front Gunner: Played by Flight-Sergeant Joseph Ronald Bird.

No idea how accurate this is.

The film is on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L8tXDt6Wr4

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by MW Giles

You may be a bit out with your crew list

Martin

Blame IMDb for that!

[RSwank]

The wounded radio operator in the 1941 Crown Film Unit docudrama "Target for Tonight" was played by active-duty Royal Air Force Flight Sergeant Harry Humphries. Because the film famously cast real service members rather than professional actors, his character (often just referred to as the wireless operator) was an actual RAF airman.

[RSwank]

Duplicate Post: Deleted

[RSwank]

From Wikipedia:

Several actors do appear including Gordon Jackson as the young rear gunner.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Jackson_(actor)


Sergeant Ronald (Ron) Burton played the bomb aimer in the 1941 World War II documentary film "Target for Tonight", serving as part of the real-life crew of the Wellington bomber "F for Freddie".

The navigator was portrayed by the shock-haired Scottish airman Flight Lieutenant J. A. "Bill" Broadley.

[RodM]

OK...

Firstly, actor Gordon Jackson did not appear in the film, despite what Wikipedia says. He has no acting credit in the film in the British Film Institute database.

The crew in the movie:

Pilot: "S/L Dixon"

Percy Charles Pickard, of course

2nd Pilot: "P/O Willett"

Reputedly, P/O James Gordon Woollatt 82710 RAF, subject to confirmation. Woollatt served in 149 Sqn as a 2nd pilot, then pilot, and finished his tour shortly before filming began. I haven't confirmed this through a photographic match.

Observer: "Sgt MacPherson"

Unknown. The airman is a Scottish Sergeant Observer.

A post above says the "bomb aimer" was Ronald Burton, but that is originally based off a Facebook post. I can't find a Sgt Burton in the 149 Squadron ORB at the time of filming.

Another post above says the "navigator" was Flight Lieutenant J. A. "Bill" Broadley. Broadley was Pickard's regular navigator since 1940 but doesn't look like the "Sgt. MacPherson" in the film.

The early war RAF Observer aircrew trade was both navigator AND bomb aimer.

W/Op: "Sgt Lee"

Unknown. It was NOT "Harry Humphries".

Canadian friends and Wireless Operator/Air Gunners R58225 Sgt. John Balfour Gray RCAF and R54094 Sgt. Henry 'Harry' Frederick Charles Humphries RCAF both appeared as background extras in the movie, but not in the F-Freddy crew. Both had only just arrived in the UK and were not with operational units. Gray's letters home detailed their participation in filming.

Front Gunner: "Sgt Bell"

900012 Sgt. Joseph Ronald Bird RAF

He was posted missing on the night of 27/28 July 1942, after 218 Squadron Stirling R9160 ditched in the North Sea. Photographic evidence clearly matches Bird to the actor in the movie. He could also be the "Sgt. Bird" who served as an air gunner in 149 Squadron at the time of filming.

Rear Gunner: "Sgt Harrison"

NZ401805 Sgt. Haydn Neil Guymer RNZAF

Guymer "starring" in the film is according to a December 1941 New Zealand newspaper.

Haydn and his elder brother Leslie served as air gunners in 149 Squadron at the time of filming. Guymer has a vague resemblance to Gordon Jackson (hence the confusion), but he played a New Zealander in the movie with a clear kiwi accent (something Scotsman Jackson couldn't pull off). Haydn Guymer became a PoW on the night of 25/26 July 1941, after 15 Squadron Stirling N6029 ditched in the North Sea. His brother NZ401225 Sgt. Leslie Raymond Guymer RNZAF, was injured in the crash of 149 Squadron Wellington R1229 on the night 31 March-1 April 1941.

PS - don't trust AI answers because they throw up the most inane crap with numerous hallucinations...