Filmed at RAF Kenley in Surrey, Angels One Five tells the story of some of the “Few” – the men of the Royal Air Force who flew the Hurricanes and Spitfires during the Battle of Britain in 1940 – who managed to stave off the Luftwaffe despite being outnumbered six to one by the Germans.
Much of the film deals with the day to day life of the young anxious Hurricane pilots of Pimpernel Squadron under the command of the stern but likeable Group Captain ‘Tiger’ Small (Jack Hawkins).
Pilot Officer ‘Septic’ Baird (John Gregson) is new to the squadron and makes a serious mistake during a mission where the lives of the other pilots are put in danger because of his lack of discipline and disregard for protocol.
Everyone is terribly polite and decent but there’s little in the way of air combat until the last few minutes, and while the Hurricanes are real (some of them were borrowed from the Portuguese Air Force), the German planes are all quite obviously models.
Group Captain ‘Tiger’ Small
Jack Hawkins
Squadron Leader Peter Moon
Michael Denison
Squadron Leader Bill Ponsford
Andrew Osborn
Squadron Leader Barry Clinton
Cyril Raymond
Flight Lt. ‘Batchy’ Salter
Humphrey Lestocq
Pilot Officer ‘Septic’ Baird
John Gregson
Group Controller
Ronald Adam
Nadine Clinton
Dulcie Gray
Betty Carfax
Veronica Hurst
Aunt Tabitha
Amy Veness
Jacko
John Barry
Raines
Russell Hunter
Falk
Terence Longdon
Mortimer
Harold Siddons
Bonzo
Norman Pierce
Squadron Leader Marlow
Anthony Moore
Director
George More O’Ferrall
