The Memphis Belle, a B-17 "Flying Fortress" was assigned to the 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, at Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, England, during the early part of the USAAF strategic bombing campaign during World War II. Between November 1942 and May 1943, the Memphis Belle and its crew flew 25 bombing missions, including strikes against targets in Germany, France, and Belgium. This film portrays a bombing mission over Germany during World War II, including preparations for the raid, the take-off from England, the flight over the English Channel, the bombing of the submarine base at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, and the return to base.
There is still a 'Memphis Belle' in the USAF. It's a B-52 at Barksdale and had the nose art and logo of Memphis Belle IV.
ReplyDelete"Memphis Belle" was the last movie I ever watched in a theater. I was stationed at NAS Cecil Field at the time, & got a free ticket from the USO. Haven't set foot in a movie house since.
ReplyDelete--Tennessee Budd
I'm of a similar view, films like this are made for people who are generally ignorant about aviation and that means the rest are offended by over dramatised rubbish and CGI. There was a bonus though as on a trip to Australia I went to Movieworld near Brisbane where they had sound stages showing how they do special effects. One show was Memphis Belle and I got picked as the pilot so got to climb into a real B17 cockpit and pretend. Quite cool.
DeleteYou haven't missed a thing !
DeleteThat film makes this man proud to be an American.
ReplyDeleteMan…the more I learn about the Allied bombing campaign in Europe, the more my stomach sinks. Awful war all around.
DeleteThe original Memphis Belle (restored) is in in the USAF museum in Dayton Ohio
ReplyDeleteThe Belles final mission was on or about 17 May 1943. The AF wanted the crew and the plane to all have 25 missions. The belle would have been 1 short so was sent out on 14 may with a composite crew. The ball turret gunner that day was my dad, several others were the crew my dad trained with. The target 17 may was Wilhelmshaven, the 91st went back to wilhelmshaven on 21 May. The 324th squadron (one of 4 of the 91st. BG) had launched 7 B17’s. One turned back with engine problems, the remaining 6, as part of the larger formation, continued on toward the target. Only 3 made the target. The germans were relentless in their defense with head on attacks down to point blank range. My dad in one of the 3 that made it, observed from the ball turret, a 17 named “Desperate Journey” with many of his crew aboard go down in flames. It was the 90’s before he could talk about it. Toward the end of his life, my dad was bothered by the fact that soon there would be no-one left to remember them. He asked that I remember them, so, if I may name them; Lt Norbert Kohl, pilot, KIA. Lt Wayne Buck, co pilot, KIA. Lt. Joseph Ferry, navigator, WIA/POW. Lt Edwin Bruton bombardier, KIA. Tsgt Albert Zavaril, engineer, KIA. Sgt. Alfredo Davaril, radio, KIA. Ssgt Guy wyatt, gunner, KIA. Sgt Elwin Roberts, gunner KIA. Ssgt Bobby Abt, ball turret, WIA/POW. Ssgt William Callegan tail gunner. I’m running out of battery so I’ll close for now. There are a couple more stories of these men and the 91st that I would like to tell after battery recharges.
ReplyDeleteI’m back, per my dad, ball turret gunners were tasked with observing the fall of the bombs and the particulars of any bombers that left the formation. He observed and reported that “Desperate Journey” had an inboard engine on fire but appeared to be under control as the pilot/ copilot was sideslipping the aircraft to keep the flames away from the fusilage. The aircraft started descending, steeper and steeper until it descended below the clouds, no parachutes were observed. Per reports from Lt Ferry and Ssgt Abt made after returning from captivity, Ssgt Abt got out of the ball turret, saw they were on fire and going down and bailed out. In the nose of the plane, Lt ferry lay wounded with his right hand almost severed and wounds in his chest and stomach and incapable of helping himself. Lt. Bruton, himself severely wounded, crawled to Lt Ferry, realizing Ferry couldnt pull a ripcord, attached an oxygen hose to Ferrys D ring and managed to push ferry out the nose hatch. Ferrys chute opened and he descended into captivity. The Germans told him that none of the others had gotten out.
DeleteEarlier in the documentary at about the 5 minute mark Col wray gives a briefing and there is a quick scan of the chalk board which shows a diagram of the planes with the pilots names. Near the bottom is a pilots name “Cox”, he was known as “ commendation Cox”. Bombers who lost an engine couldn't keep up with the formation and would drop back to be picked off by fighters. On more than one occasion Cox would drop back with the wounded bird to provide protection. He was ordered to stop since he was just putting his crew at risk without affecting outcomes.
Dad finished his 25 missions in the fall of 43 and was assigned to headquarters as an instructor. He then met my mom, a WAC corporal. When they sent him home he volunteered to fly another tour if he could go back to the area mom was at. So in 44 he flew another 35 missions with the 388th BG. Within a day or two of his crew going down dad was wounded when a 20mm shell hit the mount of the 50 cal next to his head, he minimized it, actually making a joke about crapping himself. The loss of his crew affected the rest of his life, he drank himself to sleep for the next 30 years and had screaming nightmare's until the end.
I was a tech sgt in the AF for 5 of my 12 years but I sign myself Tsgt Joe in honor of Tsgt Rog, USAAF.