LIVERYMAN ROBERT MCCLEMENTS HOSTS HIS WORLD PREMIERE OF HIS DOCUMENTARY OPERATION GISELA - ECHOES OF A SACRIFICE (THE POWER OF PRINT)
13 MARCH 2025
Liveryman, Robert McClements, recounts an incredible story of how Jon Bailey, CEO Precision Proco, set in motion an event that spanned the world, connected long-lost relatives and culminated in a Service of Remembrance and a documentary film about the RAF in World War II.
During a conversation with Jon, Robert McClements, his former collaborator with the BPIF’s Visual Media Conference, showed him a smart phone photograph of a stained-glass window in Canada dedicated to an RAF pilot. Hearing the story of Robert’s research into his late father’s war time service and the enduring impact of the tragedy of his friend, Jack Laffoley’s, death Jon suggested it could be possible to print a replica of the window. Thus began the project, Operation Gisela – Echoes of a Sacrifice.
Armed with this Robert contacted Jack’s family in Canada to explore the possibilities to mark the 80th anniversary of his death, 4th March 2025. Once he had their support and commitment, he engaged with the Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air Forces Memorial who agreed to hold a service – that service was attended by over 70 people with family from Canada, UA, France, Germany and included the dedication of the stained-glass window replica light box.
PHOTO – Jon Tolley and Robert McClements in the Station Chapel, Yorkshire Air Museum
Inspired by Jon’s suggestion and the prospect of such a gathering Robert spent the next four months bringing together a unique collection of research to create a twenty-four minute’s documentary about Operation Gisela, properly known as, Unternehmen Gisela, the Luftwaffe’s last desperate attempt to stem the RAF’s victory. Following the bomber stream back from Germany 117 Junkers88s were circling the East coast of Britain, waiting to shoot them down as they landed.
The story is told in full on the YouTube channel: @operationgiselaecchoes
TECHNICAL
After a painstaking exercise working from that limited image, Studio Manager Neil Newsome, recreated the image picking out all the fine detail of the lead to give a solid opaque line – allowing the brilliance of the colours to shine through. Printed on a Jetrix LXi7 LED UV flatbed press, the Sunderland production team did a great job.
The lightbox is illuminated by LEDs and was provided by Omega Signs, Leeds.
POWER OF PRINT
Robert McClements said, “The printing of the window was just the start. So much of the research was dependent on printed records ranging from RAF archives to family letters. I brought together different parts of the story from a variety of printed books and even found copies of the Luftwaffe pilots’ original flight logbooks provided by an aero-historian in Brazil.
Remembrance brought to life by PPG
This amazing replica of the stained-glass window printed by PPG reads:
In Memory of our only son
Flight Lieutenant Jack Laffoley R.C.A.F. March 4, 1945
The Flying Tenth Bomber Squadron
(inscription on Charles Kelsey window, Mountainside United Church, Westmount, Canada)
John Gifford Laurence Laffoley
The window was dedicated in the chapel at the Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air Forces Museum and unveiled in a Remembrance and Reconciliation Service on Sunday 2nd March by Jack’s nephew, Ross Oliver.
Operation Gisela, resulted in 98 Allied Air Force casualties including Jack. He was 22 years old and on his 33rd and last operation flying in Halifax Bomber V-Victor. These were the markings of the plane Robert’s father had successfully completed his own 38 operations in just two weeks before at RAF Melbourne, York. There were many casualties on both sides including members of the Moll family killed tragically when one of the attacking Junkers 88s crashed into their farmhouse close to the museum. The operation was never repeated. The service honoured all casualties.
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