News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 12th Year

Issue

Issue No.

3

Date Released

Nov 1958

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. LUCKY STRIKE
• 2. SAFE DRAW
• 3. SKY SHIFT
• 4. WHITWICK

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: Miners in the Territorial Army practice parachute jumping from a captive balloon.
NCB Commentary - At Usworth R.A.F. Station Territorial Army members of the Parachute Regiment report for a week’s training. Many of these men are coal miners. They will be practicing jumps from a balloon.
After collecting their gear they get into harness. Brian Clyde from Algernon Colliery and Peter Lawes from Blackwell help each other on.
Bill Borthwick from Rising Sun helps Corp. Cliff Adams from Wadley pit. Dennis Ford of Montague can look after himself.
And now its off into the balloon gondola - looks nice enough on the ground but as a Mining Review’s cameraman was to find out for himself its not so funny when you’re upstairs.
Jumping conditions are carefully controlled. Parachuting in the Territorial Army is not allowed if the wind rises above 15 miles an hour. But at 800 ft. on this occasion the weather was fair.

Keywords

Sport; Aviation; Aircraft; Territorial Army

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.13 No.150 April 1959, p193.
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board