Wing Commander Movie Night: Battle of Britain

The Wing Commander movie club had a surprisingly fun time watching An American Werewolf in Paris. It wasn't a good movie but it was a good time... and that's really what we need these days! You'll also be surprised at how obvious the Wing Commander connection is when the after action report comes out. But this week we're heading back to World War II with what is probably going to be our final movie about the RAF: 1969's Battle of Britain. You can join us this Friday via Discord to watch along.

Battle of Britain is a war movie covering the 1940 Battle of Britain (well, duh). The battle pitted the outnumbered but courageous RAF against the might of the German Luftwaffe as heroic fighter pilots desperately fought to defend their homes from Nazi bombers. The movie was lauded for its spectacular flying sequences; the story itself is less a character piece and more a Longest Day-style anthology that covers the entire event.

Our Wing Commander connection isn't so well explained, however obvious the ties to a classic film about heroic fighter pilots might be. Our choice for including this film in movie club sources back to a quote from Chris Roberts about the movie which appears in the production notes, on the official website and in the liner notes with the original edition of the DVD:

"WING COMMANDER is a hard-core war movie set in space. In some ways, it has more in common with Midway and Battle of Britain than with a science fiction film," he adds. "It has lots of effects and combat scenes, all of which serve the characters and story. I wanted to make a film about people under the incredible tension of battle."

Beyond that, we do have a few small historical character connections to the actual Battle of Britain! Particularly, Fleet Action reveals that Admiral Tolwyn has multiple family connections to the battle:

"I am not a politician, I am a warrior, following in the thousand year tradition of my family who served in the ancient navy, army, and air force of Britain and the space forces of the Confederation. My family has seen the best of those moments, proud of the memory of six Victoria Crosses in our past. Tolwyns served at Waterloo, on the Somme, in the Battle of Britain, at Minsk and the siege of London and shed their blood heavily in this latest war. We have seen the best and we have endured the worst, and sir, I fear that this decision might very well produce the most disastrous defeat in the history of the human race, and perhaps even spell its eventual annihilation."

Towards the end of the book, he mentions another, unexpected family connection to the battle: "He thought for a moment of a distant ancestor... who... announced that even if England fell, the Empire, and with it the fleet, would still continue the fight." This is referring to Prime Minister Winston Churchill's defiant 'we shall fight them on the beaches' speech given during the battle... which will surely be seen in the film!

But Tolwyn isn't the only character with ancestors who faced off against the Luftwaffe: Origin's Official Guide to Wing Commander Prophecy notes that Lieutenant Anderon, the Midway's friendly comm officer, traces his family's lineage back to an officer who served in the battle. And while there's no real 'Tolwyn', there was a real Anderson: Squadron Leader Michael Anderson, a Beaufighter squadron leader and a heroic member of "the few".

1st Lieutenant Liam Anderson

Anderson (he never uses his first name socially) can trace his line back to an RAF pilot who helped fight off the Blitzkrieg. Military service (as officers, never enlisted) is simply some- thing the Andersons have always done (Some of the more fanciful family histories trace the line right past the world wars of the 20'^' century and all the way back to a knight who fought in the Norman Conquest.) The Anderson family history is a study in British modera- tion — never seriously poor, and never inconveniently rich. In military service the line is unmarked by either cowards or heroes. It's not surprising that an Anderson should go through four years at the Academy, then opt to become a communications officer rather than a fighter pilot.

To most of his shipmates, Anderson is simply a calming voice talking them quietly through the necessities of flight, whether they involve a pirate ambush or a routine landing. In per- son, Anderson is much like he is on the comm screen — cool, pleasant, competent. He has made vague references to having a fiancee waiting back home, but other than that his post- service plans and ambitions remain a mystery to his shipmates.

Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?

Battle of Brtain is currently available to stream for free on YouTube! It is also available on free services including Pluto and Hoopla and availabe for rent or purchase on all the standard services. If you would like a physical copy, the movie was released on BluRay in 2008 and remains in print around the world. If you are not able to locate a copy please stop by the Discord and ping a CIC staff member before Friday's showing.

How do we watch the movie together?

It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!