andrewg-747-30514 Review of Raiders in the Sky

Raiders in the Sky (1953)

In the end a moving and accurate testament to Bomber Command

[2 September 2011]

I quite love this film. It DOES feel a bit talky because it's predominantly so ground based...but the depiction of Wing Commander Mason's 90th "op" puts it into a class of its own. I love the audio in the raid of the Pathfinder commander...Has such an urgency and veracity which is irresistible. I agree that it's not in the same class as "12 o'clock High"...For me the film Gregory Peck should have won his Oscar for..it truly is a "maxium effort"..but it's an elegant and high quality cinematic testament to the heroism of Bomber-Command. I like too the Aussie pilot played by Bill Kerr in his darker blue RAAF uniform. We Aussies were there in high numbers like so many Commonwealth aircrew who included my Pilot-Officer Uncle Arthur(Nash)shot down with the loss of all in a Wellington bomber on a night raid over Dusseldorf.