Pathfinders (1972–1973, aka The Pathfinders) is an ITV drama set in the Second World War, telling the story of the fictitious Royal Air Force 192 Pathfinder squadron. The Pathfinders were specialised RAF squadrons that marked targets for RAF Bomber Command.
The series used radio controlled Avro Lancaster models for the flying scenes. The technical adviser for the series was Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie. The music was by Malcolm Lockyer.
Premise A new squadron is formed with hand-picked, volunteer crews to rectify the highly inaccurate bombing of the Royal Air Force: 95% of all bombs are more than away from the target, according to Wing Commander MacPhearson. They are supposed to receive three weeks training and evaluation, but are instead given their first mission for that night by naysayers eager to discredit the concept.
Cast Robert Urquhart as Wing Commander MacPhearson (13 episodes) Jack Watling as Doc Saxon (12 episodes) Julian Orchard as The Padre (4 episodes) Jack May as Squadron Leader Shanks (3 episodes) Christopher Cazenove as Flight Lieutenant Doug Phillips (2 episodes) Jonathan Sweet as Flying Officer Bill Short / F (2 episodes) Mark McManus as Flight Sergeant Joe Cameron (1 episode)
Episodes No. Original broadcastdate (UK) Episode title Guest cast 1 27 September 1972Into the FireJeremy Bulloch, Jack May, Luan Peters, David Ashford 2 4 October 1972 For Better, For WorsePeter Armitage, Peter Blythe, Jennifer Clulow, Tony Selby, David Simeon, David Warwick 3 11 October 1972 FogChristopher Cazenove, Michael Craze, Richard Heffer, William Marlowe, Jack May, Kate O'Mara 4 18 October 1972 Fly There, Walk Back Michael Coles, Arnold Diamond, Wolfe Morris, Jane Seymour, David Weston, Michael Wolf 5 1 November 1972 Jonah Man (aka "Forced to Ditch" on NTSC vhs)Eric Flynn, Ray Lonnen, Mark McManus, Julian Orchard, Sheila Ruskin 6 8 November 1972 One Man’s LancasterJeremy Bulloch, John D. Collins, Anthony Valentine 7 15 November 1972 Sitting DucksJohn Arnatt, John Barron, Edd Byrnes, Brian Grellis, Rutger Hauer, Roy Holder, John Horsley, David Lodge, Basil Moss, Julian Orchard, Johnnie Wade, Kenneth Watson, Hans De Vries, Richard Shaw 8 6 December 1972 (aka "Assignment Top Secret" on NTSC vhs)Peter Egan, John Levene, David Lodge, Christopher Timothy, Neville Barber 9 13 December 1972 Codename GomorrahDonald Douglas, Bernard Lee, Paul Massie, Mike Pratt 10 3 January 1973 Sweets From a Stranger (aka "Unusual Ally" on NTSC vhs)Geoffrey Bayldon, Johnny Briggs, Christopher Cazenove, Linda Marlowe, Jack May, Morris Perry, Shirley Stelfox 1110 January 1973 Operation PickpocketIan Collier, Mark Eden, Richard Franklin, Olaf Pooley, Michael Wolf 12 17 January 1973 NightmareJohn Bluthal, Julian Orchard, Paul Shelley, Ian Stirling 1325 January 1973 In the Face Of the EnemyRay Brooks, Susan Jameson, Diane Keen, Julian Orchard, Dennis Waterman In 2006, Simply Media released the series on DVD in the UK. Despite being sold as "The Complete Series", the release is actually missing Episode 8 "Our Daffodils Are Better Than Your Daffodils", without any explanation. The episode was also missing from the 2002 four-tape UK VHS release of Pathfinders from DD Video, although the episode was released in the US on VHS using the title "Assignment Top Secret".
References
External links
CTVA archive Pathfinders