First Air Raid of WWII – 44

“Squadron 992” drama-documentary film

In 1940 the work of the Auxiliary Air Force balloon squadrons was brought to the public’s attention when a film was released by the GPO Film Unit entitled ‘Squadron 992’ in which the officers and airmen of the RAF played the starring roles. The film also included a detailed and particularly evocative reconstruction of the German air raid of 16 October Significantly the film was directed by Brazilian Alberto Cavalcanti who later became friends with 603’s Richard Hillary.  At one time Cavalcanti considered turning Hillary’s best-seller The Last Enemy into a film. Squadron 992 is a drama documentary which includes action footage of a Spitfire of 609 Squadron, based at Drem at the time, chasing a German bomber (actually a Blenheim I) at low level over the East Lothian countryside before finally being shot down and its crew rescued by the crew of a fishing boat.

John Dickson at the tiller of the Dayspring and its neighbour boat took part in the reconstruction of the rescue of Storp’s crew. With accuracy in-mind, filming initially took place at the original sites of Port Seton and offshore at the crash-site but this attracted a great many onlookers who gathered along the coastline to catch a glimpse of the action.

Unfortunately for them the Navy was unhappy that such a large number of people were gathered in one area and ordered the film crew to move. This they did, and filming actually took place on a Saturday afternoon in the Forth to the east of Inchkeith. The water off Port Seton may have also been getting a little too rough for filming. In order to include a convincing Aryan German in the part of Storp, Port Seton resident Jack Nicholson (a medical student who later qualified as a GP) was given the role simply because he had blue eyes and blond hair! Even at the new location progress still did not go unhindered as the army arrested the film crew and the Dicksons on suspicion of spying and locked them up until their position was clarified!

John Dickson’s son, John, still Jives in the area and at the time of writing had the tiller from the Dayspring in his garden.

The Imperial War Museum website hosts parts one and 2 of a video of the Squadron 992 movie.