Piece of Cake

Heartland · #1 (**permalink**) June 30th, 2003, 06:53 AM

Anyone remember this great series on the Hornet Squadron's exploits in France and the Battle of Britain?

It ran on Swedish TV many years ago, and I found it excellent, although my deteriorating tapes haven't been watchable for years. Seems like a great shame it isn't available on DVD, in fact I haven't even been able to locate it on VHS which would also do in a pinch.

Martin Bull · #2 (**permalink**) June 30th, 2003, 04:08 PM

Believe it or not, I missed the series when it came out and it has never been repeated or made available on VHS...

It was very 'controversial' at the time, causing considerable upset among BofB veterans. I have read the book ( by Derek Robinson ) and assume that the controversy surrounded Robinson's depiction of 'schoolboy rivalry' among the pilots, leading them to trick one another into fatal accidents, and even on one occasion the shooting down of an officer by members of his own squadron.

Who knows...except that the 'shooting down' incident did happen, I think in 92 Squadron....?

Heartland · #3 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2003, 06:08 AM

It has the best air-to-air combat scenes that I can remember seeing in a movie.

I heard it was pretty controversial for those reasons, plus the fact that the pilots are not exactly the cheery tally-ho shouting boys having a great time at the huns expense that are often depicted. For example, after the exhausted pilots have listen to Churchills famous speech about "The Few", it is greeted by a heavy silence. Shortly followed by an annoyed "Well that's just bloody great, does that mean we can all go home now?" by one member.

Martin Bull · #4 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2003, 06:22 AM

I think I read somewhere that some of the air-to-air scenes were 'spliced in' from 'The Battle of Britain'...