# Pathfinders (TV series)

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 10 miles (16 km) 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 list

* Wing Commander MacPhearson – Robert Urquhart (13 episodes)
* Doc Saxon – Jack Watling (12)
* The Padre – Julian Orchard (4)
* Squadron Leader Shanks – Jack May (3)
* Flight Lieutenant Doug Phillips – Christopher Cazenove (2)

## Episodes

| No. | Original broadcast date (UK) | Episode title | Guest cast |
| 1 | 27 September 1972 | Into the Fire | Jeremy Bulloch, Jack May, Luan Peters, David Ashford |
| 2 | 4 October 1972 | For Better, For Worse | Peter Armitage, Peter Blythe, Jennifer Clulow, Tony Selby, David Simeon, David Warwick |
| 3 | 11 October 1972 | Fog | Christopher 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 Lancaster | Jeremy Bulloch, John D. Collins, Anthony Valentine |
| 7 | 15 November 1972 | Sitting Ducks | John 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 | Our Daffodils Are Better Than Your Daffodils (aka "Assignment Top Secret" on NTSC vhs) | Peter Egan, John Levene, David Lodge, Christopher Timothy, Neville Barber |
| 9 | 13 December 1972 | Codename Gomorrah | Donald 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 |
| 11 | 10 January 1973 | Operation Pickpocket | Ian Collier, Mark Eden, Richard Franklin, Olaf Pooley, Michael Wolf |
| 12 | 17 January 1973 | Nightmare | John Bluthal, Julian Orchard, Paul Shelley, Ian Stirling |
| 13 | 25 January 1973 | In the Face Of the Enemy | Ray 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".