Battle of Britain (1969)

Barry Foster: Squadron Leader Edwards

Photos 

Quotes 

• Air Vice Marshal Keith Park : [Seeing an unknown marker on the strategy planning board]  T-5, what's that?

  Wing Cmdr. Willoughby : Training squadron, sir. They're the poles.

  Air Vice Marshal Keith Park : Get them out of there. Get them down.

  Wing Cmdr. Willoughby : Blackhawk leader. Vector two, three zero and return to base immediately. Over.

  Squadron Leader Edwards : Blackhawk leader. Received and understood. Out. Blackhawk leader to A flight. Turn to port, and steer two, three, zero.

  Polish R.A.F. pilot : [In Polish]  Germans! Germans on the right!

  2nd Polish pilot : [In Polish]  I don't see. Where?

  Polish R.A.F. pilot : [In Polish]  Down there on the right.

  3rd Polish pilot : [In Polish]  I see the Jerries! I see!

  Squadron Leader Edwards : Stop that Polish chatter and steer two, three, zero.

  Polish R.A.F. pilot : [Peals off to engage the Germans]  Repeat please.

  Squadron Leader Edwards : I say again, two, three, zero.

  2nd Polish pilot : [Peals off to engage the Germans]  Repeat please.

  Air Vice Marshal Keith Park : For crying out loud, two, three, zero.

  3rd Polish pilot : [Peals off to engage the Germans]  Repeat please.

  4th Polish pilot : [Peals off to engage the Germans]  Repeat please.

  5th Polish pilot : [Peals off to engage the Germans]  Repeat please.

  Squadron Leader Edwards : Now just shut up the lot of you. And follow me unless you're blind as well as... Oh

  [Sees that all the Polish pilots have left to fight the Germans] 

  Squadron Leader Edwards : God's truth!

• [With the aid of an interpreter, Edwards has berated the Polish pilots for attacking German bombers against orders, before pulling a telegram out of his pocket] 

  Squadron Leader Edwards : Finally, and God alone knows why, I've received the following signal:

  [looks down] 

  Squadron Leader Edwards : "Congratulations! As of today, this Squadron is operational." Signed, Air Vice Marshall Keith Park, AOC 11 Group

  [the men start cheering, and Squadron Leader Edwards smirks, before the scene changes to Dowding's office] 

  Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding : I was wrong about the Poles.

  Air Vice Marshal Keith Park : We also have the second Polish Squadron.

  Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding : [Donning his cap]  I *thought* you'd mention them. Allright, make them operational.

  Air Vice Marshal Keith Park : And the Canadians?

  Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding : And the Czechs. We need them *all!*

  [They exit] 

• [to his flight of non-English-speaking Polish pilots] 

  Squadron Leader Edwards : Shut up! Silence - in Polish!