Partner Article

Tees wartime heroes honoured on film

Canadian wartime heroes who served on Teesside are to be honoured with a film premier at one of their old drinking haunts.

Former TV presenter Paul Frost has produced and directed a documentary which traces the history of three squadrons from the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed at what was RAF Middleton St. George, known locally as Goosepool.

Hundreds of young men in the prime of their lives died on bombing missions launched from what is now Durham Tees Valley Airport.

The 80 minute production “The Seeds of Goosepool” is named after rare alpine plants which still flourish around the former Lancaster Bomber turning circles. The seeds were lifted into the night sky in the bombing firestorms, stuck to the aircraft and were flown back to base where they took root.

The project has taken almost twelve months to complete and comes on the 70th anniversary of Goosepool and the 40th anniversary of the commercial airport.

Frost, a qualified light aircraft pilot said: “Those boys were thousands of miles from home, in the prime of their lives, in a strange country, risking death or serious injury every night of the week. If they reached the age of 21 they were thought of as old men. They are part of Teesside history and we owe them a tremendous debt.”

For more information on the documentary contact Paul Frost 07774 682288.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .