Target for Tonight

A very realistic film although one has to get used to the old English accents which are rarely heard these days. The pilot of F for Freddy was ultimately to be Gp Capt P C Pickard, DSO, DFC, at this time playing a Sergeant Dixon, although I am unsure of that. Pickard became one of the best specialists at pin point low level missions, mainly using Mosquitos and a great air leader. In 1944 AVM Basil Embry, selected him to lead the raid on Amiens prison, a raid of very great daring. Unfortunately after his run to the target a FW190 attached itself to his tail and he was shot down. Gp Capt P C Pickard, aged 28 years of age and his navigator Flight Lieutenant J. A. 'Bill' Broadley, aged 23 years old, were killed. Rest in peace.

'F for Freddie', OJ-F (P2517) was used as the 'star' aircraft in the Ministry of Information film 'Target for Tonight', piloted by then Squadron Leader 'Percy' Pickard. It served with No. 149 Squadron from November 1940 to September 1941, but never saw actual combat operations (transferred to No. 3 Group Training Flight) (Caption to Photograph p30)

For one month covering the last two weeks in March and the first two weeks in April (1941), No. 149 Squadron's aircraft and crews were used as background for the Ministry of Information film "Target for Tonight" with P C (Charles) Pickard seconded from No. 311 (Czech) Squadron to play the part of the pilot (the only member of the crew not from No. 149) of No. 149 Squadon's Wellington P2517, 'OJ-F' for Freddie' around which the story was written, the film being made at Blackheath Studios in London with Harry Watt as director. The man in the flare-path caravan shown in the film was No. 149 Squadron's Commanding Officer, Wing Commander 'Speedy' Powell. Pickard later rose to Group Captain, but was killed while leading a Mosquito attack on the Amiens prison on 18th February 1944. (p36)

At the time of filming, No. 149 Squadron was based at Mildenhall, Suffolk (12th Apil 1937 - 6th April 1942).

Strong By Night. History and Memories of No. 149 (East India) Squadron Royal Air Force 1018/19 - 1937/56. John Johnston and Nick Carter. An AIR-Britain Publication. www.air-Britain.com

I remember seeing this film when I was boy which made me as well as many other youngsters want to join the RAF

I know it was made by the Crown Film Unit and I think it was directed by Harry Watt who was a well known documentary producer and director. The skipper of the crew was Flying Officer Pickard, unfortunately "F" for Freddy was shot down late in the war with the loss of all the crew.

The comment made by most subscribers are very fair, though I cannot agree that the film was "Laughable" as on person put it. I always thought the US war films were more unreal than the UK equivalents. Usually about one man saving an entire army. Example Errol Flynn in the Burmese jungle.

Another good propaganda film was "The Way Ahead" a movie about the Brtish Army which was more fictional than "Target" but based on fact. Has anyone seen it?

I would like to know if a copy of Target for Tonight is available as I would very much like to see it again.

It's a 47-minute documentary about the planning and execution of an air raid by RAF bombers on an oil dump in Germany. The performers are, we are told, the actual personnel who carry out such operations. We watch the slow beginning, as personnel go through their daily routines, maps are examined, checks are performed and the crews selected and briefed. It's not until halfway through that the planes take off, and if you're looking for it, another seven minutes before the cutting rate increases. Up until then, it's a steady 10-15 seconds between edits. At the 30-minute mark, the cutting rates increase; after a couple of minutes, each shot lasts three or four seconds. After the raid, the edits slow down, but the tension is maintained by moving shots.

It's directed by Harry Watts, who co-directed the landmark NIGHT MAIL for the GPO, and did uncredited work on LONDON CAN TAKE IT! Alfred Hitchcock did uncredited editing on it, and it shows a master's hand, punctuating the action with cuts, moving shots and sound effects. Everyone is calm throughout, the British doing-your-job attitude very much in evidence throughout. It's never flashy, but it's enormously effective.

This is one of those fascinating documentaries that came out during WWII that made no attempt to be anything other than war propaganda.

It's so funny now to see people get all hot and bothered by films like "Fahrenheit 9/11" and crucify Michael Moore for pushing such a blatant agenda. They act like before Moore came on to the scene, no documentarian ever had a point of view or tried to manipulate audiences to think a certain way about an issue. Obviously, these people have never seen any of the propaganda films that came out around this time in world history, or for that matter any films by Frederick Wiseman, Leni Riefenstahl, Robert Flaherty or a hundred other documentary film makers who have been making movies for the last 80 years.

"Target for Tonight" is actually kind of laughable now, because it's SO heavy handed. But don't lost sight of its historical context and forget that this movie and others like it were deadly serious in their intentions.

Grade: A