The 1952 British World War 2 film Angels One Five will be broadcast on BBC Two this Saturday morning at 10:15am, with a limited-time streaming window on BBC iPlayer afterwards.
Directed by George More O’Ferrall, the film is an adaptation of the book What Are Your Angels Now? and stars Jack Hawkins as a young fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain. It holds the distinction of being the first British post-war film about the RAF’s conflict with the Luftwaffe.
Historical Significance
Some scenes were shot at RAF Uxbridge, which housed a wartime operations room. The film’s title refers to an RAF radio procedure from World War 2: “Angels” denotes altitude, and “One Five” means 15,000 feet.
Upon release, the film received widespread critical acclaim. The Daily Mirror called it “an outstanding British film… brilliant realism… ace-high entertainment,” while the News of the World described it as “a splendid film, awe-inspiring entertainment.” The Sunday Express praised its “sincerity, a moving simplicity,” the Daily Mail found it “straight, clean, modest, true, moving,” and the Daily Herald noted, “This film polishes up your pride.”
