Angels One Five
Encyclopedia
Angels One Five is a 1952
1952 in film
The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....

 British film directed by George More O'Ferrall
George More O'Ferrall
George More O'Ferrall was a British film and television director.-Selected filmography:*The Holly and the Ivy *Angels One Five *The Heart of the Matter...

, and starring Jack Hawkins
Jack Hawkins
Colonel John Edward "Jack" Hawkins CBE was an English actor of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.-Career:Hawkins was born at Lyndhurst Road, Wood Green, Middlesex, the son of master builder Thomas George Hawkins and his wife, Phoebe née Goodman. The youngest of four children in a close-knit family,...

, Michael Denison
Michael Denison
John Michael Terence Wellesley Denison CBE was an English actor.-Background:Denison was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire in 1915. He was raised by his aunt and uncle from the age of three weeks, following the death of his mother and his estrangement from his father. He was educated at Harrow...

, Dulcie Gray
Dulcie Gray
Dulcie Gray, CBE was a British singer and actress of stage, screen and television, a mystery writer and lepidopterist.-Early life and career:...

, John Gregson
John Gregson
John Gregson was an English actor.He was born Harold Thomas Gregson, of Irish descent, and grew up in Wavertree, Liverpool, where he was educated at Greenbank Road primary school, later St Francis Xavier School...

, Cyril Raymond
Cyril Raymond
Cyril William North Raymond MBE was a British character actor....

, Veronica Hurst
Veronica Hurst
Veronica Hurst is an English motion picture, stageand television actress who was born in Malta. She was raised in Tooting, South London, England...

 and also featuring Bill Everett. Based on the book 'What Are Your Angels Now?' by Pelham Groom (who was also technical advisor to the film under his full title of W/Cdr. A.J.C. Pelham Groom), the plot centres on a young fighter pilot immediately before and during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...

 in the Second World War. Some scenes in the film were shot at RAF Uxbridge, home to a wartime operations room.

"Angels One Five" refers to RAF radio procedure word
Procedure word
Procedure words or prowords are words or phrases limited to radio telephone procedure used to facilitate communication by conveying information in a condensed standard form. - OUT :...

s, from the Second World War, indicating the altitude of a radar contact is 15,000 feet.

Plot

The film begins with a replacement, Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...

 T. B. "Septic" Baird (John Gregson), landing his Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...

 at "Pimpernel" Squadron's airfield. Just as he touches down however, a straggler from an earlier mission taxis across his path. Septic's quick reactions allow him to "leapfrog" the other Hurricane, averting a costly disaster. However, this causes him to crash his replacement plane into the bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...

 of Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...

 Barry Clinton (Cyril Raymond) at the end of the runway.

This earns Septic the wrath of his new squadron leader, Bill Ponsford (Andrew Osborn), because he damaged his plane. The crash also injures the ligaments in Septic's neck, which he is able to self diagnose, as he had been a medical student before the war. The next morning, Septic is told by Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...

 "Tiger" Small (Jack Hawkins) that he will not be able to fly until his neck is healed, so he will instead serve in the operations room for the time being.

Several days later, with the risk of a bombing attack on the airfield, and all of Pimpernel Squadron's Hurricanes scrambled, Tiger orders all aircraft to take-off and fly out of harm's way until the raid is over. With Tiger quickly assembling all available pilots and finding aircraft to fly, Septic wins a foot race with Small to claim the last spare Hurricane for himself. He then proceeds to shoot down a Bf-110 from the attacking force. His delight is short lived however when he is admonished by Small and Sqn Ldr Peter Moon (Michael Denison) for leaving his radio set to transmit, preventing the returning Hurricanes from being diverted to an undamaged airfield. A crestfallen Septic returns to his ground duties.

Eventually a reinstated Septic joins in Pimpernel's operations, but he is mortally wounded while shooting down another enemy aircraft. His last words are heard over the Sector control room tannoy
Tannoy
Tannoy Ltd is a Scottish-based manufacturer of loudspeakers and public-address systems. The company was founded in London, England as Tulsemere Manufacturing Company in 1926, but has been based in Coatbridge, Scotland, since the 1970s...

 (public-address system), when he tells Small that their planned return foot race will have to be "postponed indefinitely". Small replies "Your message received and understood. Out." Septic then passes out and crashes to his death.

Cast

  • Jack Hawkins
    Jack Hawkins
    Colonel John Edward "Jack" Hawkins CBE was an English actor of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.-Career:Hawkins was born at Lyndhurst Road, Wood Green, Middlesex, the son of master builder Thomas George Hawkins and his wife, Phoebe née Goodman. The youngest of four children in a close-knit family,...

     as Group Captain 'Tiger' Small
  • Michael Denison
    Michael Denison
    John Michael Terence Wellesley Denison CBE was an English actor.-Background:Denison was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire in 1915. He was raised by his aunt and uncle from the age of three weeks, following the death of his mother and his estrangement from his father. He was educated at Harrow...

     as Squadron Leader Peter Moon
  • Dulcie Gray
    Dulcie Gray
    Dulcie Gray, CBE was a British singer and actress of stage, screen and television, a mystery writer and lepidopterist.-Early life and career:...

     as Nadine Clinton
  • John Gregson
    John Gregson
    John Gregson was an English actor.He was born Harold Thomas Gregson, of Irish descent, and grew up in Wavertree, Liverpool, where he was educated at Greenbank Road primary school, later St Francis Xavier School...

     as Pilot Officer 'Septic' Baird
  • Cyril Raymond
    Cyril Raymond
    Cyril William North Raymond MBE was a British character actor....

     as Squadron Leader Barry Clinton
  • Veronica Hurst
    Veronica Hurst
    Veronica Hurst is an English motion picture, stageand television actress who was born in Malta. She was raised in Tooting, South London, England...

     as Betty Carfax
  • Harold Goodwin
    Harold Goodwin (English actor)
    Harold Goodwin was an English actor born in Wombwell, Yorkshire, England.Goodwin trained at RADA and was a stage actor at Liverpool repertory theatre for 3 years...

     as A.C. 2 Wailes
  • Norman Pierce
    Norman Pierce
    Norman Pierce was a British actor, born in Southport, Lancashire.-Selected filmography:* Everything Is Thunder * This Green Hell * Saloon Bar * Uncensored * Front Line Kids...

     as 'Bonzo'
  • Geoffrey Keen
    Geoffrey Keen
    Geoffrey Keen was an English actor who appeared in supporting roles in many famous films.-Early life:Keen was born in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England, the son of stage actor Malcolm Keen. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School. He then joined the Little Repertory Theatre in Bristol for whom...

     as Company Sergeant Major
  • Harry Locke
    Harry Locke
    Harry Locke was a British character actor.He was born and died in London. He was a familiar face in three decades of British cinema, with appearances including Passport to Pimlico , Reach for the Sky , Carry On Nurse , The Devil-Ship Pirates and The Family Way .In 1969 he appeared in Randall...

     as Look Out
  • Philip Stainton as Police Constable
  • Vida Hope
    Vida Hope
    -Selected filmography:* Champagne Charlie * English Without Tears * Hue and Cry * Nicholas Nickleby * It Always Rains on Sunday * Woman Hater * For Them That Trespass...

     as W.A.A.F.
  • Amy Veness
    Amy Veness
    Amy Veness was a British film actress. She played the role of Grandma Huggett in The Huggetts Trilogy.-Selected filmography:* Please Help Emily * Let Me Explain, Dear * A Southern Maid...

     as Aunt Tabitha
  • Ronald Adam
    Ronald Adam (actor)
    Ronald Adam OBE , born Ronald George Hinings Adams, was a British RAF officer, an actor on stage and screen and a successful theatre manager.-Early life:...

    as Group Controller
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