Entertaining The RAF -The Astra Gazette Newsreels 1951-1959 DVD

The Royal Air Force Astra Gazette newsreels were made by Path'' in the 1950s to be shown to serving RAF personnel in the RAFs very own Astra Cinemas that were housed on their air bases all over the world! The surviving editions start with the young Princess Elizabeth taking the place of her sickly father King George VI at the graduation parade at RAF Cranwell way back in 1951. Most of the Astra Gazettes used a newsy format with short items featuring many young ladies in swim suits to keep the lads happy! But it is the Astra Gazettes insider round up of RAF news stories... which afford such a fascinating insight into the RAF of the 1950s and include many of the key service personalities of the time such as Douglas Bader and Bob Stanford Tuck. By 1953 Path'' were filming all the items in full colour such as Ejector Seat Testing a Sunderland flying boat rescue and the 1955 closure of the famous RAF Fighter Station at Biggin Hill. The reports end with RAF Waddington receiving The Freedom of the City of Lincoln with some stunning shots of the Vulcan in 1959. Film stars of the time also feature heavily including Peter Cushing Jill Day Jack Hawkins and Lee Patterson. These surviving Astra Gazettes are included here just as they would have been seen by the serving RAF personnel of the 1950s in the RAFs airbase Astra Cinemas that they are named after. Titles Comprise: 1. 1951 Special Edition- Graduation Parade 2. 1951 Astra Gazette Number Eight 3. 1952 Presentation of The Kings Colour 4. 1952 Astra Gazette Number Twelve 5. 1952 Astra Gazette Number Thirteen 6. 1953 Astra Gazette Number Nineteen 7. 1953 Astra Coronation Review- Special Edition 8. 1953 RAF Halton Queens Colour Presentation 9. 1953 Astra Gazette Colour Collection 10. 1955 Astra Gazette in Colour 11. 1955 Astra Gazette Biggin Hill Closes 12. 1956 Astra Gazette in Colour Return to Biggin Hill 13. 1957 Rubber Masks- Turko Bath-Sunderland Rescue 14. 1958 Kat on Trial- Chimps Boxing Dog Champs 15. 1958 Pylon Men- Car Museum- Peter Cushing 16. 1958 Emets Ideal Home-Scooter Jousting 17. 1958 Motoring Inn-Old Cricket- Spaghetti Contest- Mushroom Farm with Bob Stanford Tuck 18. 1959 Ejector Test-Houseboat Girls-WRAF Horsewoman 19. 1959 RAF Waddington Freedom of The City of Lincoln [show more]

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