Restored to look like the B-17 "Ye Olde Pub", here's the B-17 of the Erickson Aircraft Collection on its debut tour: ruclips.net/video/LN6Z35TA3Zo/видео.html
My mother has my grandfather's footlocker where he kept all of his bombing maps as he was the navigator. Incredible things to see growing up. Wish I had the chance or forethought to ask him about his time. Before he lost it to Parkinson's I got to take him to a visiting tour of a b17. He absolutely loved seeing the beast again
My dad flew B-17s as a navigator in WWII, 30 missions over France and Germany. He got a purple heart, air medal multiple times, distinguished flying cross multiple times. In Korea he flew B-29s. He hated the B-29s because of the tunnel he had to go through to get to another section of the plane.
I live in England, surrounded by 3 of the airfields for the B17's and one fighter airfield support, their are memorials flying the stars and stripes every day of the year, we never forget these young hero's, not a day goes by when we give a salute of gratitude and gratefulness for their sacrifice. Truly the greatest generation.
Yes. True. My father was a bombardier/ navigator in B-17's. 39 missions over Germany without a scratch; I have his Lucky white silk scarf, still. We had our differences, but I'm very proud to be his daughter..my parents were part of that Great generation. + 🌹
*The Greatest Generation to Have Ever Walked The Earth* Indeed those brave and courageous young men did things that we can't imagine doing... And they at the time destroyed the Evil of that time and era... We can't ever say, "Thank You" enough....💗🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦
Had a friend who flew 33 missions in the ball turret of a 17 and made it home. He was in 3 different planes and in those missions only lost two crew members in those missions even though they lost two aircraft. He once said it was surreal, bullets flying everywhere but none hitting his position. When they got back from the last mission one bullet hit just behind his head. They went home a week later. The crew stayed in touch and he was the last survivor of the crew.
My father was a Bombardier on 52 missions in B-17s over Europe and North Africa. He went to England in Match 1942 and came home after VE-day. I guess the Army Air Corps decided he done his part. My dad stayed in the Army till 1966 and retired a Brigadier General.
52 missions...Wow! As bombardier your dad was "the" man in total command and extreme focus on his mission....I bet you got treated to some great stories. I Bet, he had some harrowing close calls on those missions....and, I can only guess at some of the painful things he witnessed and was a part of. God bless his Soul! P.S. I was 12 yo, when WW2 ended and therefore was familiar with family and neighbor veterans. We, today, seem to have forgotten what we owe our veterans.... Other countries, not so much.
Your father may have known my Uncle, he followed the same path to England, first North Africa, then stationed in England, his name was Joseph Brunner, Navigator, KIA 9April 1944.
Thank you to all who fought in the war and all the others that followed. It's disgusting to know these men and women died so that the rest of us could live in this nation and now watching how divided it is and those trying to tear this nation down, Also trying to rewrite our history I will continue to let my children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren know our history good and bad because it's our duty to continue on. 🇺🇸
Great words,well said from the uk,my great aunt married a US airmen here in ww2 and im saddend to see how mighty america has changed,all the young men that gave their lives for our freedoms today must be turning in their graves now..😔
my grandfather was a B17 pilot he had 27 missions over Germany and France was shot down once and escaped back to England with the help of the French underground, he also landed a crippled, B17 with no hydraulics 2 engines out and filled with smoke, entire crew survived, we have an extensive photo collection of 3 years of his war time flying, he was an interesting guy never talked about his war time flying until he was old and then very rarely. he related very grim story to me 1 time when a rocket came through the bottom of the plane and exploded in a blinding white flash blew the co pilot into shreds and destroyed the entire front of the aircraft, killing the front nose gunner and bombardier, he received head wounds and was temporarily blinded, the ice cold blasting wind from where the glass used be brought him back to a semi conscience and a fast thinking radio man, who had an arm and shoulder ripped away and bleeding, pulled what was left of the co pilot out of his position and attempted to assist in flying the plane, he said it all was happening in a silent slow motion almost surreal dream like reality, he slammed on the whatever controls to slow the plane as a B-17 directly in front and above them fell through the formation fully engulfed in flames, exploding into hundreds of pieces and spewing bodies into their aircraft, he says if it wasn't for the radioman they would have slammed right into the other B17, lost what little control he had left of the aircraft, It surely would have fallen from the sky and would have killed him and the entire remaining crew! his exact words!
The grim story of the statistical chance of death (50% or more) every time the bomber crews flew a mission gave a whole new meaning to the word courage. And the crew members knew the chances and went up anyway. Never mind that the average age of a pilot/ and or / crew member was 22-24 yrs.of age or younger. It is hard to comprehend the bravery and sacrifice these great young men gave for this country. We owe them all timeless respect, admiration and honor.
Yes, "And the crew members knew the chances and went up anyway." I remind myself of that when I must face some hazard or crisis -- their bravery still inspires.
I had a chance to climb aboard a B-17G once and to my surprise, it was not a big plane. It was parked next to an F-14 Tomcat at an Air show and the B-17 was not much bigger. The inside of the pane was tight and if you were a waist gunner and taller than 5'5, you were in trouble. I can't even imagine the belly ball turret or tail gunner accomodations. Climbing from the bomb bay forward to the cockpit and nose of the aircraft was like trying to climb thru a residential home heating duct. If the crew had to get out in a hurry, it would have been quite a task
My father flew 52 missions on '17s in WW2. The first 25 in the 100 BG, 8th AF out of Thorpes Abbott, England. Those first 25 were as a waist gunner at the age of 18, most during the summer of '43. He was on the Regensberg mission in Aug that year, still the bloodiest day in US AF history. He was awarded the DFC in Oct '43 after he completed his 25 missions and got into the 'Lucky Bastard's Club'. Bravest man I ever knew but never talked about it until just before his death. He lost many of his friends and a few were POWs as their planes were shot down. All he ever said when we were kids was " War is hell".
Not to take anything away from their bravery and courage but I think 50% chance of death on each mission is overstated. If I’m wrong please share where you got that figure. I can’t find anything that supports that. Thank you.
I was waiting in line at an air show to fly in an old helicopter (Korean War vintage, like those in MASH). I struck up a conversation with the man behind me, he had been a B-17 bombardier. His aircraft was in the first bombing raid in Berlin. Shrapnel from flak came through the front of the plane and into his face, blinding him. He was lucky because he did recover his sight after months in the hospital. (The story was very moving and personal to hear it from him.) It was a real honor to meet him ant take that little helicopter flying get with a true American hero.
My uncle was a tail gunner on a Fort. He never talked to me about the War , even in his later years when I was a young man. I guess it was just too painful for him . I already knew what he went through on the Regensberg raid. Just one of the countless Men of the Greatest Generation 🇺🇸😢
My dad was a tail gunner too, on a B-24. Stationed in Italy, 15th Air Force. He and his crew were taken to a POW camp in Germany by Nazis in Hungary, after being shot down. Thankfully he survived. I only read about the horrors they went through after my Dad had passed on. He never talked about it much either. They were all amazing people, and heroes.
My Dad was an Ensign in the US Navy who fought in the Pacific. Before he passed at the age of 95, I thanked him for being part of the greatest generation. He's buried with his buddies at the national cemetery in Jacksonville, FL.
The 8th Air Force museum outside Savannah is worth seeing. When we were there, they had a full-immersion theater depicting combat in a B-17 that will take your breath away.
1Lt Harold Austin Johnston . Pilot , old Tobe. Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York. Missing in action. Age 24, Kiel. Raid 13 June 1943. RIP to you and your crew.
These guys were the bravest of the brave I salute every single one of you.... If I was one of those guys and I had to bail out and get captured and ultimately ended up in a POW camp I would be relieved to sit out the rest of the war.... Their stomachs must have been churning prior to every single unescorted daylight raid... Total respect to each and every one of them 🙏
My father was a POW captured by Nazis, after being shot down and bailing out over Hungary on a bombing mission in 1944. He was a rear gunner in the USAAF on a B-24. While he was in the POW camp in Germany with the rest of his surviving crew mates, (which ended with a horrible death march in the freezing cold, right before they were liberated), his brother was also in the USAAF, a co-pilot stationed in England with the Mighty Eighth. On their last mission, while taking off in their B-17, my uncle's plane crashed and exploded on the airfield, sadly the entire crew perished. So I have endless respect for all these brave men and women who served, and honour those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. Truly the greatest generation.
I'm 43 and my dad was a B17 pilot he was a stud in more ways than one. He would be 100 now and was probably the bravest man I ever met. Those guys were awesome I met some of them at the 398th bomb group reunion in Dayton Ohio back in 89 when i was a kid . Men of that generation seemed more like men.
Your Dad was probably 22 to 24 years old at the time . Maybe a Lt. Or Capt. most likely. Men like your Dad are heroes and had to grow up quickly over the Skies of Europe. Truly the Greatest Generation !!!! 🇺🇸😢
Today is the 77th anniversary of my father’s B-24 Liberator being shot down in combat. 5 KIA, 5 POW. His airbase is still there, home of the Norfolk Gliding Club. People tend to forget or dismiss the missions flown by the B-24s, and the tonnage of ordnance they delivered to the target . . .
Thank you for watching and adding some family history. It does seem like B-24 crews get less time in popular media than the B-17s. All of them deserve our respect. We have done a number of B-24 videos and will have more in the future. Here's a link to one: ruclips.net/video/2sTKHFNtWo8/видео.html
My father was a co pilot on a B 17 with the 8th. He flew out of Lavenham Suffolk England. Was training for B29s to go to the pacific when the atomic bomb was dropped.
Thats some incredible footage of bomber crews on there way . The filming of this is so amazing it certainly has the adrenaline running if shown on a big screen. I can't even imagine the tensions and anxiety of what's about to happen. RIP to those crews who did not return.🙏🙏🙏
Had a supervisor a number of years ago who was a B-17 pilot during WWII. He never talked about any details, but I learned he was drafted after college, sent to flight school, earned his wings, flew his required number of missions over Germany (without an injury to himself or any of his crew), came back to the U.S. and completed his service time teaching ground school. His last mission over Germany was the last time he ever flew in a plane...military or civilian.
7:13 to 7:20 the ball is not evidently under the aircraft? Maybe this was a retractable ball turret like the B24s had. Or maybe it was just shot off over germany?
Amazing footage… but it’s worth remembering that in total, the 8th Air Force lost over 26,000 men. An additional 28,000 men became prisoners of war. Aircraft losses were also grim: 10, 561 planes of varying types were shot down, 4754 of those were B-17 heavy bombers.
In the last months of the air war, B-17 combat formations could be nearly 100 miles long--about the distance between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. The Germans said that, if weather conditions were right for contrails, they could see the approaching American formations 50 miles out.
Got to go to the Mighty Eighth Museum last year. I got to meet a pilot of a B 17 and to hear him talk was so awesome . How he had one more mission and his plane was shoot up he was wounded got the plane back to base . If you got the chance to go to the museum I would say go
Als jongen heb ik in Bodegraven W.O.2 beleefd. Leeftijd 9 -14 jaar. Het meest indrukwekkend was in 43 en 44 altijd het overvliegen van honderden B 17 s. Zij gingen op klaarlichte naar Duitsland en vlogen over Bodegraven. Grote formaties viermotorige bombers maakten een sonoor geluid,wat ik mijn hele leven in mijn herrinnering hoorde. De Engelsen vlogen met hun lancasters s nachts.. Een heel ander geluid. Ik kon pas slapen als de laatste formaties waren gepasseerd. Ook hoorde ik vaak mitraileurgeluid. De B 17 s waren in 43 nog gecamoufleerd . Later in 44 en 45 waren het zilveren vogels. Zij waren masters of the air. Verf was niet meer nodig. Ik ben deze mannen zeer dankbaar voor hun bijdrage aan onze vrijheid. The mighty eight heeft hierin een groot aandeel gehad ten koste van een groot verlies aan bemanningen en vliegtuigen. Als o.a. deze helden er niet waren geweest zou de wereld er nu heel anders uitzien. Dank en Eer voor deze helden.
Google Translation: As a boy I experienced W.O.2 in Bodegraven. Age 9 -14 years. Most impressive in 43 and 44 was always flying over hundreds of B 17s. They went to Germany in broad daylight and flew over Bodegraven. Large formations of four-engine bombers made a sonorous sound, which I heard in my memory all my life. The English flew with their lancasters at night .. A completely different sound. I could not sleep until the last formations had passed. I also often heard machine gun noise. The B 17s were still camouflaged in 43. Later in 44 and 45 they were silver birds. They were masters of the air. Paint was no longer needed. I am very grateful to these men for their contribution to our freedom. The mighty eight has played a large part in this at the expense of a large loss of crews and aircraft. If these heroes had not been there, the world would now look very different. Thanks and Honor for these heroes.
I had a film production professor in college who began to learn about movie- and film-making as a combat AAF film guy. He told a story about how he was going on a mission over Europe. On take-off, the pilot put him in the top turret (nobody was in the nose for takeoffs) so he could shoot the start of the mission. They were third in line for take off. The first B-17 off the ground crashed to the left, bursting into flame, killing everybody on board. The second ship crashed to the right with the same result. My professor said every one of the crew members he was flying with were convinced they were going to crash and die, too. But they took despite their terror. The went to the target and returned. Any guy could die at any time on any mission.
My mom's cousin was a belly gunner on a B-17. He got shot down but luckily was able to parachute out and was able to survive the German prison camp. A family friend was a waist gunner and got hit and lost a leg. What bravery out of these young men. Not a snowflake in the bunch.
My uncle was a waist gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress that was based in England. He won a Purple Heart when a piece of shrapnel came into the plane lodging in his trouser leg & injuring his leg. Had it not lodged in his trouser leg it would've taken off the back of the head of the man behind him. Another relative, his first cousin, member of another B-17 crew also based in England, was killed in action. On further research I think he may have been wounded on a bombing run & died when they returned to base from his injuries as his place of death is listed as a place in England. His father served in WW I. Both are buried in the National Cemetery on Arsenal Island, where the Rock Island Arsenal is located between Rock Island, IL & Davenport, IA.
My Uncle SSG GEORGE CALVIN CAPPS eras with the 8AAF OR ARMY AIR CORPS, B17 shot down Nazi occupied Europe after successful bombing raid, sent to STALAG LUFT4, survived DEATH MARCH. WONDERFUL MAN, loved and honored him for the rest of his life....AN AMERICAN HERO....ALL 8TH AAF AMERICAN HERO, AMERICA'S FINEST
In the movie Stalag 17 the Commandant would address the POW’s every morning with “good morning sergeants” since most were shot down bomber crews. Side note: The Army Aircorp lost more men than the Marine Corp in WW2.
This brought me to tears ....God Bless those boys , yes, young men , who gave thier lives to fight for this great country, now here we are in 2020 .....couldnt get the young if today to do this .... Thank you, ALL OF YOU for your Servive!!!!!! And for the Ultimate sacrifice....You Are Not Forgotten!!!!!!
How dare you degrade the people of todays' military, my great nephew has the rank of Seargent , USMC.ther are many just like him. That is why I posted a "thumbs down". That was rude!
@@sesiapasahaja7344 He started out in Bf 109s, then graduated to the FW 190. He said the 190 was a pilot's dream to fly, while the 109 was a bit temperamental.
Would've loved to fight for something. these boys where men. 17 18 19 years old. going over seas to fight not knowing if theyd come home whole missing parts or in a box. thanx to these brave men
One doesn't need to go to war to fight for something worth believing in, it may seem like it's a great thing and depending on the situation it may even be needed to be done. There are thing's now that we should be fighting to stop, bullying, racism etc. As a former soldier myself yes there is a sense of honor that comes with it but there are also the thing's training can't teach you to be ready for or live with.
They caught one at 16yrs old and made him peel potatoes till he was 18.He already had 16 missions and 2 kills as a waist gunner.He was not happy.The war ended 3months later.Cant remember his name though.
@@arohk1579 What? I know this comment is two years old but bullying can be dealt with easily. People need to be strong enough to stand up for themselves, or simply get help against the bullies. Racism? The only racism I see today in 2020 are against white people but society thinks its ok because of the leftist ideology. Bullying and racism are the least of our worries. What we should actually end is tyranny and corruption from those in power. Over throw our useless civilian leaders and democracy. Alot of our previous wars are declared by those in power. They don't even fight the wars they start and send young men to die. You have politicians absuing their power and see us as peasants. Then you have some normal civilians leeching off welfare contributing noting to society. Not everyone deserves the right to vote. You are a soldier, at least you were, but you served. Soldiers are one of the most important and underappreciated jobs. They protect their nations and keep them powerful and relevant in the world. U.S. Soldier's also keep American civilians of their hard-worked for, privileged, and/or entitled lives. Without soldiers. A nation would cease to exist. Thomas Jefferson said it best. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. it is it’s natural manure".
@@arohk1579 well said and well done. Things are worth fighting for in our own country including baby killing. Worse travesty ever. Including the Holocaust.
I definitely don’t think being in a Bomber flying over enemy territory no matter which theater would have been a hay ride. I would have been truly honored to have served my country back then. I can only imagine the ptsd that some of the crews had afterwards , this government should honor all of our veterans who have served in peacetime or in combat.
As an ex service man in UK , thank you to USA for the many lives that were given in the defence of this nation In WW2. It is humbling to thing of cost to parents who gave their children. Thank you.
I always look for the Triangle S on the tail section. This was the 401st bomb Group that my father served with in England at a base called Deenthorpe. He would tell me many stories about flying over Germany. The one that stands out was the raid on Schwinfut Germany
@@saxx001 I have a picture of my Dad that was taken in Gorby on Saturday March 3, 1945 with his sweetheart. It also has Nottingham written on the back of the photo
I use to work with a retired army man who was a gunner on a B-17. He told me one thing you seldom see in these show is just how cold it was on these bombing missions.
These guys rolled the dice every time they went up. Talk about courage! Fighting for your life in a aluminum tin can miles above the ground. PTSD doesn't come close to describing what bomber crews endured
I read a stat on another video that stated the survival rate of B-17 crews (and probably all other bomber crews) was around 50%. Unbelievable. YET these men STILL climbed in their birds and did their job. They rarely make men like that anymore.
My Dad was a right wing gunner on a B-17 … flew 8 missions over france on D Day!!!! Those men(Kids) were amazing!!!! That don’t make them like that anymore!!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
My father was a waist gunner with the 303rd he was wounded at Augsburg he flew one more mission to Berlin - he had two comments when asked about his experiences, “I would love to find the bastard that invented the 88” and “ my lucky number is 13, my services number began and ended with 13, and I made it out alive” it was a hell of a wound on his right thigh; RIP Dad, he many of the planes in the clip had the triangle C on the tail his bomb group.
I watched every face I could see, my uncle was one of them, 2nd Leutenent Joseph Brunner, navigator, KIA action during a Bombing mission over Nazi Germany, 9 April 1944. I had hoped to see his face.
El " cazador .."...y la " presa. " realmente impactantes estas imagenes tomadas desde dentro mismo del avion, ahi se puede apreciar la adrenalina de estos jovenes artilleros, antes y durante un ataque.....es imposible ( por mas que uno no lo vivio )...mirar para otro .....y no destacar...la valentia, el corage...de estos jovenes.....a mi me paso que viendo estas imagenes...parecia que estaba dentro de ese avion..participando de esas incursiones..viviendo con ellos ...esos momentos....felicitaciones por el video..👍👍
Nothing but deepest respect... I think it was even worse to fly in a tin can then to be in a first line and going for a strike against heavily armed entrenched enemy...The age of the young men was the most important factor as they were taking it as adventure..But I think they grew old after going through few daylight bombing raids..
I was at an old WW2 airfield just the other week in Alconbury. A couple of the lads there said it was constructed in 1942 and the Americans took control of it in 1943. Many of the buildings and hangars are still in place and still in use but obviously civilian nowadays!! It must have been impressive back in the day coz it’s massive. Runways and hard standing all seem to be in excellent condition.
You remind me of the movie, Twelve O'Clock High which begins and ends on the runway in England. Excellent movie. Seen it 4-5 times in my life. God Bless em all.
My dad was in the 8th in England. He stayed in and retired a CMSGT in the AF in 1963. Also his last tour we were in Fairford England from 60-63. I was just a little kid then. They had B-47’s SAC. The Beatles were coming along.
My Father was a Navigator on a B-17...A few yrs. ago I got to ride in one, they even let me sit at the Navigator's desk...The words "Dog-Nuts" would have not been used for my Dad, but with 1/4 in. of Aluminum between U & Death those words describe those Brave Men...
Death Of A Ball Turret Gunner From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. Randall Jarrell
Fun fact on the older movie "12 O'Clock High!" made back in the 1960's they had, IIRC, 3 B-17s. They flew them to England and used an old airbase as the set. To get the noise of the aircraft during the indoor scenes they flew the B17s around the airfield in 2s and 3s ...
I can't say enough about this video. It's brilliant. Footage, music, everything. I made a similar video called "Remembering the 8th". This is a much more professional presentation. Very artistic. What a great combination of footage. Inspirational, sad, and awe inspiring. Thanks very much. I'll subscribe
It does make one think about what it must have been like for those guy's, every time you take off wondering will you come back. When you look at conflict today versus then it's like night and day. No war is good but take even the infantry back then the enemy could pretty much walk right up to you and during a firefight if your wounded or out numbered you hope something gets there. When I was in we hard night vision, medivacs, close air support pretty much everything you could need was there when needed. Oh BTW Gregg I love your Sleep Bomber one I find there is nothing more relaxing then the drone of aircraft engine's it really will put one to sleep :).
Military pilots are only a Little older now. There are few if any military pilots today that don't have some college or a degree. So today's military pilots are a little older by the time they start flight school. Today's military planes are technical marvels requiring better educated pilots with a head for computers and numbers. During WW2 many of the pilots were high school grads. They were trained by the thousands using crop duster pilots as the trainers, many didn't qualify as pilots but were fit for other duties aboard the B-17. Fighter pilots of today often stay active into their early thirties as do bomber pilots. Squadron leaders on flight status might be in their mid fifties before retiring. It is a dangerous demanding job. The men and women who fly for the military are to be admired.
My dad was a gunner in the B-17G. He never wanted to talk about it until he was about 90. He said gunnery school was in Kingman, Arizona, there on his own he got his private pilots license. Later the captain let him fly for fun left seat on the B-17G. My dad was a sergeant in charge of all gun positions and the bomb racks, he said the ball turret was his least favorite. I asked a few questions and he said the radio operator was also the waist gunner, he was the chin turret gunner and over the bombing run he gave up his seat to the bombardier, (I think this is different than the books teach). He always talked of someone dying. I saw his pictures, he did not like talking about it. He became a captain for United Airlines and retiled on the Dc-8. If he were alive today he would tell you to become a Christian, repent of your sin and if you accept Jesus as King of your life and do God's will and accept the blood sacrifice of Jesus, Son of God, then God will have you go to heaven and the cross of Jesus stops you from going to hell. Jesus is the only way to heaven. Stop sin, read the Bible and go to a real church, not a fake church and get heaven. Recently they found were Jesus died and there was a crack in the rocks and below was the ARK. it is on the internet. The blood of Jesus -they put it is a solution at body temperature and after a time the lab people looked at it and said it is alive and found out there was a human mother but no human father just as the Bible said. Science proved Mary the mother of Jesus was a real virgin. 3 labs confirmed this. Look at youtube Ron Wyatt. I became a Christian when God himself directly spoke words to me. Jesus is about to return soon and rapture his church and then the great tribulation. You need to get saved or you will experience hell, hell is real, God wants you to accept Jesus and get heaven. If you refuse God it is your own fault you end up in hell for eternity forever and ever. I did the research and found the Bible to be real.
I forgot to add, God gave me a vision in the middle of a sunny day, it changes you when you see God's hand at work, God is real and heaven and hell are real, do not be stupid and die to find out you get hell for eternity..
@@airailimages My father was credited with shooting down two of Goering’s elite ME 109 yellow nose fighters. My dad suffered severe burns returning from a mission over the train yards at Foggia, Italy. The name of his fortress was “Sweet Chariot”
Let’s not forget the P 51 Mustang’s that escorted the bombers... all fearless heroes… God bless the greatest generation…🇺🇸 we have been poor stewards of all that they did for us.. my father was one 🙏
My dad was a ball turret gunner in WWII. Never talked about it cept to other vets. I used to sneak downstairs early Sat and Sunday mornings and hide under the kitchen table they would sit around-drinking coffee, smoking ciggs. They never let on if they knew I was listening. That's how I learned he was a gunner in WWII. After WWII and In Korea, he was in a Weather Detachment.
Restored to look like the B-17 "Ye Olde Pub", here's the B-17 of the Erickson Aircraft Collection on its debut tour: ruclips.net/video/LN6Z35TA3Zo/видео.html
I had the opportunity to fly in "Ye Olde Pub" from PDK to ATL Hartsfield over downtown Atlanta in November. It was a blast!
My mother has my grandfather's footlocker where he kept all of his bombing maps as he was the navigator. Incredible things to see growing up. Wish I had the chance or forethought to ask him about his time. Before he lost it to Parkinson's I got to take him to a visiting tour of a b17. He absolutely loved seeing the beast again
My dad flew B-17s as a navigator in WWII, 30 missions over France and Germany. He got a purple heart, air medal multiple times, distinguished flying cross multiple times. In Korea he flew B-29s. He hated the B-29s because of the tunnel he had to go through to get to another section of the plane.
Thanks for watching, and for adding your Dad's story. I've crawled through the tunnel in a B-29 in flight, and it's a bit confined.
Well, I will just give your father a gold star for doing his part...
Your Dad may have known my uncle. He was stationed in England but was KIA 9April 1944 over Nazi Germany. He was a navigator as well.
True hero’s 💜 we will not forget
@@dudermam Envious or what? 😂
I live in England, surrounded by 3 of the airfields for the B17's and one fighter airfield support, their are memorials flying the stars and stripes every day of the year, we never forget these young hero's, not a day goes by when we give a salute of gratitude and gratefulness for their sacrifice. Truly the greatest generation.
Thank you for your gracious words, and thank you for watching.
Unfortunately the US has...
They were and always will be "The Greatest Generation"
Absolutely
Yes for sure the greatest generation. America at it's best. Love for God&Country.
Yes. True. My father was a bombardier/ navigator in B-17's. 39 missions over Germany without a scratch; I have his Lucky white silk scarf, still.
We had our differences, but I'm very proud to be his daughter..my parents were part of that Great generation. +
🌹
Hard to agree, but id saw ww1 and ww2 were both great generations,
*The Greatest Generation to Have Ever Walked The Earth*
Indeed those brave and courageous young men did things that we can't imagine doing...
And they at the time destroyed the Evil of that time and era...
We can't ever say, "Thank You" enough....💗🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦
Had a friend who flew 33 missions in the ball turret of a 17 and made it home. He was in 3 different planes and in those missions only lost two crew members in those missions even though they lost two aircraft.
He once said it was surreal, bullets flying everywhere but none hitting his position. When they got back from the last mission one bullet hit just behind his head. They went home a week later. The crew stayed in touch and he was the last survivor of the crew.
Thanks for adding that story.
Hombres bravos que fueron a la guerra teniendo “espuelones en sus pies” para defender la civilización de los bárbaros teutónicos.
My father was a Bombardier on 52 missions in B-17s over Europe and North Africa. He went to England in Match 1942 and came home after
VE-day. I guess the Army Air Corps decided he done his part. My dad stayed in the Army till 1966 and retired a Brigadier General.
52 missions...Wow! As bombardier your dad was "the" man in total command and extreme focus on his mission....I bet you got treated to some great stories. I Bet, he had some harrowing close calls on those missions....and, I can only guess at some of the painful things he witnessed and was a part of.
God bless his Soul!
P.S. I was 12 yo, when WW2 ended and therefore was familiar with family and neighbor veterans. We, today, seem to have forgotten what we owe our veterans.... Other countries, not so much.
Good for him. Saluting him for his AAC service!!
God bless a hero!
Your father may have known my Uncle, he followed the same path to England, first North Africa, then stationed in England, his name was Joseph Brunner, Navigator, KIA 9April 1944.
Incredible achievement
Thank you to all who fought in the war and all the others that followed. It's disgusting to know these men and women died so that the rest of us could live in this nation and now watching how divided it is and those trying to tear this nation down,
Also trying to rewrite our history
I will continue to let my children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren know our history good and bad because it's our duty to continue on. 🇺🇸
Well said !!! they fought and many died , for this ???
So TRUE 👍
Very correct !
I will never ever forget what they did for us all!
God Bless Them All! 💗🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦
Great words,well said from the uk,my great aunt married a US airmen here in ww2 and im saddend to see how mighty america has changed,all the young men that gave their lives for our freedoms today must be turning in their graves now..😔
Thousands of young men died in aircraft for our freedoms and life styles we enjoy every second.
Don't Ever forget their sacrifice!!
My Uncle was on those planes ..came home ..safe..They gave us Freedom that we can never begin to repay...God bless these men... God bless America!!!
my grandfather was a B17 pilot he had 27 missions over Germany and France was shot down once and escaped back to England with the help of the French underground, he also landed a crippled, B17 with no hydraulics 2 engines out and filled with smoke, entire crew survived, we have an extensive photo collection of 3 years of his war time flying, he was an interesting guy never talked about his war time flying until he was old and then very rarely. he related very grim story to me 1 time when a rocket came through the bottom of the plane and exploded in a blinding white flash blew the co pilot into shreds and destroyed the entire front of the aircraft, killing the front nose gunner and bombardier, he received head wounds and was temporarily blinded, the ice cold blasting wind from where the glass used be brought him back to a semi conscience and a fast thinking radio man, who had an arm and shoulder ripped away and bleeding, pulled what was left of the co pilot out of his position and attempted to assist in flying the plane, he said it all was happening in a silent slow motion almost surreal dream like reality, he slammed on the whatever controls to slow the plane as a B-17 directly in front and above them fell through the formation fully engulfed in flames, exploding into hundreds of pieces and spewing bodies into their aircraft, he says if it wasn't for the radioman they would have slammed right into the other B17, lost what little control he had left of the aircraft, It surely would have fallen from the sky and would have killed him and the entire remaining crew! his exact words!
You are fortunate to have the photos and the family stories. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Proof of American courage and the mighty Flying Fortress the B17.
The grim story of the statistical chance of death (50% or more) every time the bomber crews flew a mission gave a whole new meaning to the word courage. And the crew members knew the chances and went up anyway. Never mind that the average age of a pilot/ and or / crew member was 22-24 yrs.of age or younger. It is hard to comprehend the bravery and sacrifice these great young men gave for this country. We owe them all timeless respect, admiration and honor.
Yes, "And the crew members knew the chances and went up anyway." I remind myself of that when I must face some hazard or crisis -- their bravery still inspires.
I had a chance to climb aboard a B-17G once and to my surprise, it was not a big plane. It was parked next to an F-14 Tomcat at an Air show and the B-17 was not much bigger. The inside of the pane was tight and if you were a waist gunner and taller than 5'5, you were in trouble. I can't even imagine the belly ball turret or tail gunner accomodations. Climbing from the bomb bay forward to the cockpit and nose of the aircraft was like trying to climb thru a residential home heating duct. If the crew had to get out in a hurry, it would have been quite a task
My father flew 52 missions on '17s in WW2. The first 25 in the 100 BG, 8th AF out of Thorpes Abbott, England. Those first 25 were as a waist gunner at the age of 18, most during the summer of '43. He was on the Regensberg mission in Aug that year, still the bloodiest day in US AF history. He was awarded the DFC in Oct '43 after he completed his 25 missions and got into the 'Lucky Bastard's Club'. Bravest man I ever knew but never talked about it until just before his death. He lost many of his friends and a few were POWs as their planes were shot down. All he ever said when we were kids was " War is hell".
Not to take anything away from their bravery and courage but I think 50% chance of death on each mission is overstated. If I’m wrong please share where you got that figure. I can’t find anything that supports that. Thank you.
well said! !!!!!!!
I was waiting in line at an air show to fly in an old helicopter (Korean War vintage, like those in MASH). I struck up a conversation with the man behind me, he had been a B-17 bombardier. His aircraft was in the first bombing raid in Berlin. Shrapnel from flak came through the front of the plane and into his face, blinding him. He was lucky because he did recover his sight after months in the hospital. (The story was very moving and personal to hear it from him.) It was a real honor to meet him ant take that little helicopter flying get with a true American hero.
Good story. Thanks for adding it. We grew up with those people, and what great, quiet role models.
My uncle was a tail gunner on a Fort. He never talked to me about the War , even in his later years when I was a young man. I guess it was just too painful for him . I already knew what he went through on the Regensberg raid. Just one of the countless Men of the Greatest Generation 🇺🇸😢
Respect for your uncle.
My dad was a tail gunner too, on a B-24. Stationed in Italy, 15th Air Force. He and his crew were taken to a POW camp in Germany by Nazis in Hungary, after being shot down. Thankfully he survived. I only read about the horrors they went through after my Dad had passed on. He never talked about it much either. They were all amazing people, and heroes.
Thanks for sharing these Men air true heros 💜
My Dad was an Ensign in the US Navy who fought in the Pacific. Before he passed at the age of 95, I thanked him for being part of the greatest generation. He's buried with his buddies at the national cemetery in Jacksonville, FL.
Thanks for adding your family history. We had good role models growing up.
The 8th Air Force museum outside Savannah is worth seeing. When we were there, they had a full-immersion theater depicting combat in a B-17 that will take your breath away.
Read the mighty eighth air Force book..every day unbelievable things happened..
Greatest generation
No thanks, my uncle was KIA 9April 1944. That would be too close for me.
1Lt Harold Austin Johnston . Pilot , old Tobe. Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York. Missing in action. Age 24, Kiel. Raid 13 June 1943. RIP to you and your crew.
Thanks for adding that history.
These guys were the bravest of the brave I salute every single one of you.... If I was one of those guys and I had to bail out and get captured and ultimately ended up in a POW camp I would be relieved to sit out the rest of the war.... Their stomachs must have been churning prior to every single unescorted daylight raid... Total respect to each and every one of them 🙏
My father was a POW captured by Nazis, after being shot down and bailing out over Hungary on a bombing mission in 1944. He was a rear gunner in the USAAF on a B-24. While he was in the POW camp in Germany with the rest of his surviving crew mates, (which ended with a horrible death march in the freezing cold, right before they were liberated), his brother was also in the USAAF, a co-pilot stationed in England with the Mighty Eighth. On their last mission, while taking off in their B-17, my uncle's plane crashed and exploded on the airfield, sadly the entire crew perished. So I have endless respect for all these brave men and women who served, and honour those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. Truly the greatest generation.
I'm 43 and my dad was a B17 pilot he was a stud in more ways than one. He would be 100 now and was probably the bravest man I ever met. Those guys were awesome I met some of them at the 398th bomb group reunion in Dayton Ohio back in 89 when i was a kid . Men of that generation seemed more like men.
Thanku USA for what you did over Germany in those b17s
You'll always be remembered
Your Dad was probably 22 to 24 years old at the time . Maybe a Lt. Or Capt. most likely. Men like your Dad are heroes and had to grow up quickly over the Skies of Europe. Truly the Greatest Generation !!!! 🇺🇸😢
Sometimes I think that the formula to make this kind of courageous man was lost. May God bless these brave warriors.
Yes. Their quiet courage has always impressed me.
Same here.
Take heart -it's safely tucked away in the Drill Seargent's Handbook.
For next time. If there is a next time. Hopefully never a next time.
It's called go forward ...
The formula was and still is The Ten Commandments.
The amounts of aluminium sections blown from the b17s and they still keep flying is absolutely amazing
B17s had redundant systems for almost everything
A flying tank
The b17 could fly on 1 engine
Conscientiously built back in Seattle or wherever. Total war; everybody contributed, to the best of their abilities.
That is why they are the"Flying Fortress!
Today is the 77th anniversary of my father’s B-24 Liberator being shot down in combat. 5 KIA, 5 POW.
His airbase is still there, home of the Norfolk Gliding Club.
People tend to forget or dismiss the missions flown by the B-24s, and the tonnage of ordnance they delivered to the target . . .
Thank you for watching and adding some family history. It does seem like B-24 crews get less time in popular media than the B-17s. All of them deserve our respect. We have done a number of B-24 videos and will have more in the future. Here's a link to one: ruclips.net/video/2sTKHFNtWo8/видео.html
Second to none! " THE GREATEST GENERATION" Thank you.
My father was a co pilot on a B 17 with the 8th. He flew out of Lavenham Suffolk England. Was training for B29s to go to the pacific when the atomic bomb was dropped.
Thanks for watching, and adding your family story.
Thats some incredible footage of bomber crews on there way . The filming of this is so amazing it certainly has the adrenaline running if shown on a big screen. I can't even imagine the tensions and anxiety of what's about to happen. RIP to those crews who did not return.🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, it is good to remember the quiet courage of those crews.
We owe our freedom to these young warriors.......
Had a supervisor a number of years ago who was a B-17 pilot during WWII. He never talked about any details, but I learned he was drafted after college, sent to flight school, earned his wings, flew his required number of missions over Germany (without an injury to himself or any of his crew), came back to the U.S. and completed his service time teaching ground school. His last mission over Germany was the last time he ever flew in a plane...military or civilian.
I'm sure that last mission over Germany was a mission that he NEVER cared to share!
Ive seen that belly landing several times....and it by far is the most beautiful perfect landing belly landing ever
Mike K watching that belly landing, i thought right away what happened to the gunner in the dome underneath
Khoba Rogue the belly gunner can get out in the turret because that turret has a door inside
@@rhydelldean1997 unless its jammed and the gunner is trapped inside. It's happened countless times
7:13 to 7:20 the ball is not evidently under the aircraft? Maybe this was a retractable ball turret like the B24s had. Or maybe it was just shot off over germany?
@@imapaine-diaz4451 Eighth Air Force modified some B-17s to make it easy to jettison an empty ball turret when a belly landing was unavoidable.
Amazing footage… but it’s worth remembering that in total, the 8th Air Force lost over 26,000 men. An additional 28,000 men became prisoners of war. Aircraft losses were also grim: 10, 561 planes of varying types were shot down, 4754 of those were B-17 heavy bombers.
In the last months of the air war, B-17 combat formations could be nearly 100 miles long--about the distance between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. The Germans said that, if weather conditions were right for contrails, they could see the approaching American formations 50 miles out.
I found some of my Uncles war records. He told me on his deathbed about his time as a bombidier on a B-17 over Germany during the war!
Stop clout chasing
God bless all those heroes who defended freedom flying over Europe risking their lives for us!
Heroes all of them!!!
The greatest generation, and well earned many times over!
I thank them all, and god bless!
Yes -- they still inspire us.
Greatest belly landing of all time! Hats of to the unknown pilot and crew.
Medal of Honor should be awarded to every member of the 8th AF who flew over Europe in WW2!!!
Heroes, one and all with infinite bravery!!!!
I completely agree , uncommon valor was a common thing over the skies of Europe 🇺🇸😢
🙏My uncle was one of them. Sadly, he was also one of those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
@@Catssandra13 god bless him!
So selfless and courageous.
Got to go to the Mighty Eighth Museum last year. I got to meet a pilot of a B 17 and to hear him talk was so awesome . How he had one more mission and his plane was shoot up he was wounded got the plane back to base . If you got the chance to go to the museum I would say go
Als jongen heb ik in Bodegraven W.O.2 beleefd. Leeftijd 9 -14 jaar. Het meest indrukwekkend was in 43 en 44 altijd het overvliegen van honderden B 17 s. Zij gingen op klaarlichte naar Duitsland en vlogen over Bodegraven. Grote formaties viermotorige bombers maakten een sonoor geluid,wat ik mijn hele leven in mijn herrinnering hoorde. De Engelsen vlogen met hun lancasters s nachts.. Een heel ander geluid. Ik kon pas slapen als de laatste formaties waren gepasseerd. Ook hoorde ik vaak mitraileurgeluid. De B 17 s waren in 43 nog gecamoufleerd . Later in 44 en 45 waren het zilveren vogels. Zij waren masters of the air. Verf was niet meer nodig. Ik ben deze mannen zeer dankbaar voor hun bijdrage aan onze vrijheid. The mighty eight heeft hierin een groot aandeel gehad ten koste van een groot verlies aan bemanningen en vliegtuigen. Als o.a. deze helden er niet waren geweest zou de wereld er nu heel anders uitzien. Dank en Eer voor deze helden.
Google Translation:
As a boy I experienced W.O.2 in Bodegraven. Age 9 -14 years. Most impressive in 43 and 44 was always flying over hundreds of B 17s. They went to Germany in broad daylight and flew over Bodegraven. Large formations of four-engine bombers made a sonorous sound, which I heard in my memory all my life. The English flew with their lancasters at night .. A completely different sound. I could not sleep until the last formations had passed. I also often heard machine gun noise. The B 17s were still camouflaged in 43. Later in 44 and 45 they were silver birds. They were masters of the air. Paint was no longer needed. I am very grateful to these men for their contribution to our freedom. The mighty eight has played a large part in this at the expense of a large loss of crews and aircraft. If these heroes had not been there, the world would now look very different. Thanks and Honor for these heroes.
En bedankt voor het toevoegen van je zeer interessante verhaal. Het geeft ons een nieuwe kijk op hoe de oorlog was voor mensen op het continent.
I had a film production professor in college who began to learn about movie- and film-making as a combat AAF film guy. He told a story about how he was going on a mission over Europe. On take-off, the pilot put him in the top turret (nobody was in the nose for takeoffs) so he could shoot the start of the mission. They were third in line for take off. The first B-17 off the ground crashed to the left, bursting into flame, killing everybody on board. The second ship crashed to the right with the same result. My professor said every one of the crew members he was flying with were convinced they were going to crash and die, too. But they took despite their terror. The went to the target and returned. Any guy could die at any time on any mission.
Interesting story. Yes, the stoicism of the crews will always be inspiring.
Flew in one last weekend with my buddies. Humbling and epic experience. Respect for these great airmen.
Yes... so much respect.
One of my uncle (on my dad's side) flew as a tail gunner in the B-29 during the war in the Pacific Theater (against Japan).
My mom's cousin was a belly gunner on a B-17. He got shot down but luckily was able to parachute out and was able to survive the German prison camp.
A family friend was a waist gunner and got hit and lost a leg. What bravery out of these young men. Not a snowflake in the bunch.
Thanks for adding your family stories, and thanks for watching.
Thank you Gentlemen!!! My great Uncle was in the 388th Bomber Group, Heavy, 563rd Bomber Squadron.
My uncle was a waist gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress that was based in England. He won a Purple Heart when a piece of shrapnel came into the plane lodging in his trouser leg & injuring his leg. Had it not lodged in his trouser leg it would've taken off the back of the head of the man behind him. Another relative, his first cousin, member of another B-17 crew also based in England, was killed in action. On further research I think he may have been wounded on a bombing run & died when they returned to base from his injuries as his place of death is listed as a place in England. His father served in WW I. Both are buried in the National Cemetery on Arsenal Island, where the Rock Island Arsenal is located between Rock Island, IL & Davenport, IA.
Thanks for watching, and thanks for adding your family story to this.
My Uncle SSG GEORGE CALVIN CAPPS eras with the 8AAF OR ARMY AIR CORPS, B17 shot down Nazi occupied Europe after successful bombing raid, sent to STALAG LUFT4, survived DEATH MARCH. WONDERFUL MAN, loved and honored him for the rest of his life....AN AMERICAN HERO....ALL 8TH AAF AMERICAN HERO, AMERICA'S FINEST
A two hour movie compressed to eight minutes. Well done,!
This is some of the best footage I have ever seen and very well edited very tastefully done wright down to the sound track
In the movie Stalag 17 the Commandant would address the POW’s every morning with “good morning sergeants” since most were shot down bomber crews. Side note: The Army Aircorp lost more men than the Marine Corp in WW2.
I know my uncle was KIA 9April 1944, 8th Army Air Corp. He was listed MIA presumed whereabouts unknown presumed dead.
This brought me to tears ....God Bless those boys , yes, young men , who gave thier lives to fight for this great country, now here we are in 2020 .....couldnt get the young if today to do this .... Thank you, ALL OF YOU for your Servive!!!!!! And for the Ultimate sacrifice....You Are Not Forgotten!!!!!!
How dare you degrade the people of todays' military, my great nephew has the rank of Seargent , USMC.ther are many just like him. That is why I posted a "thumbs down". That was rude!
One of my great uncles, a Luftwaffe fighter pilot, described attacking a B-17 as "Like trying to bite a Porcupine on the ass!"
A Luftwaffe fighter pilot? Very cool!
Which model he flew?anyway that is cool...so difficult nowadays for me to find luftwaffe pilots history..
@@sesiapasahaja7344 He started out in Bf 109s, then graduated to the FW 190. He said the 190 was a pilot's dream to fly, while the 109 was a bit temperamental.
Your uncle survived the war? Amazing
7:15 Perfect landing,great pilot !!!
Would've loved to fight for something. these boys where men. 17 18 19 years old. going over seas to fight not knowing if theyd come home whole missing parts or in a box. thanx to these brave men
One doesn't need to go to war to fight for something worth believing in, it may seem like it's a great thing and depending on the situation it may even be needed to be done.
There are thing's now that we should be fighting to stop, bullying, racism etc. As a former soldier myself yes there is a sense of honor that comes with it but there are also the thing's training can't teach you to be ready for or live with.
honor a estos jovenes heroes !!!!!!
They caught one at 16yrs old and made him peel potatoes till he was 18.He already had 16 missions and 2 kills as a waist gunner.He was not happy.The war ended 3months later.Cant remember his name though.
@@arohk1579
What? I know this comment is two years old but bullying can be dealt with easily. People need to be strong enough to stand up for themselves, or simply get help against the bullies. Racism? The only racism I see today in 2020 are against white people but society thinks its ok because of the leftist ideology.
Bullying and racism are the least of our worries. What we should actually end is tyranny and corruption from those in power. Over throw our useless civilian leaders and democracy. Alot of our previous wars are declared by those in power. They don't even fight the wars they start and send young men to die. You have politicians absuing their power and see us as peasants. Then you have some normal civilians leeching off welfare contributing noting to society. Not everyone deserves the right to vote.
You are a soldier, at least you were, but you served. Soldiers are one of the most important and underappreciated jobs. They protect their nations and keep them powerful and relevant in the world. U.S. Soldier's also keep American civilians of their hard-worked for, privileged, and/or entitled lives. Without soldiers. A nation would cease to exist.
Thomas Jefferson said it best. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. it is it’s natural manure".
@@arohk1579 well said and well done. Things are worth fighting for in our own country including baby killing. Worse travesty ever. Including the Holocaust.
I definitely don’t think being in a Bomber flying over enemy territory no matter which theater would have been a hay ride. I would have been truly honored to have served my country back then. I can only imagine the ptsd that some of the crews had afterwards , this government should honor all of our veterans who have served in peacetime or in combat.
As an ex service man in UK , thank you to USA for the many lives that were given in the defence of this nation In WW2. It is humbling to thing of cost to parents who gave their children. Thank you.
And thank you for your thoughtful comment.
I always look for the Triangle S on the tail section. This was the 401st bomb Group that my father served with in England at a base called Deenthorpe. He would tell me many stories about flying over Germany. The one that stands out was the raid on Schwinfut Germany
Deenthorpe, is one of 4 that surrounds my village, bless his memory, we never forget .
@@saxx001 I have a picture of my Dad that was taken in Gorby on Saturday March 3, 1945 with his sweetheart. It also has Nottingham written on the back of the photo
My grandfather was a bombardier for the 96th BG, POW, Staglag Luft I, North 3. God Bless All Veterans!
I use to work with a retired army man who was a gunner on a B-17. He told me one thing you seldom see in these show is just how cold it was on these bombing missions.
These guys rolled the dice every time they went up. Talk about courage! Fighting for your life in a aluminum tin can miles above the ground. PTSD doesn't come close to describing what bomber crews endured
to the special ,. brave men who gave their lives, bless you, salute you and rest in peace.
Unlike 99% of RUclips videos, this is well-edited and even the orchestration is good. Well done!
Thank you very much.
My dad was a radio Gunner operator 22nd bombardment group (B-24-j liberator) fighting V RedRaiders Pacific theater !!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 1925-2008✝️ 🇺🇸
What a brave generation. All allied nations that fought in the 2nd World War had very brave fighting men and Americans were among the best.
Whoever landed that plane on its belly was a true master
What you didn't know was his belly gunner was trapped in his turret and died when they belly landed.
David Rouse this doesnt look like that B-17 as it appears the ball turret is up instead of down
I read a stat on another video that stated the survival rate of B-17 crews (and probably all other bomber crews) was around 50%. Unbelievable. YET these men STILL climbed in their birds and did their job. They rarely make men like that anymore.
B17 losses were 37 per cent according to WWII US Bombers.
In his book Aircrew, Bruce Lewis says a one in three chance of survival. Raw courage.
My Dad was a right wing gunner on a B-17 … flew 8 missions over france on D Day!!!! Those men(Kids) were amazing!!!! That don’t make them like that anymore!!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
My father was a waist gunner with the 303rd he was wounded at Augsburg he flew one more mission to Berlin - he had two comments when asked about his experiences, “I would love to find the bastard that invented the 88” and “ my lucky number is 13, my services number began and ended with 13, and I made it out alive” it was a hell of a wound on his right thigh; RIP Dad, he many of the planes in the clip had the triangle C on the tail his bomb group.
Thanks for adding your family story.
What’s often forgotten is how young those guys were. Can’t imagine many of today’s 18-24 year olds doing this.
I watched every face I could see, my uncle was one of them, 2nd Leutenent Joseph Brunner, navigator, KIA action during a Bombing mission over Nazi Germany, 9 April 1944. I had hoped to see his face.
Because of them we all have the life and freedoms we enjoy today.
And the demonacraps want to take it from us and give it to the Muslims and illegals!
Yes you are right! Greetings from Italy
@@DannyAllen10271966 Idiot
@coolinjapan You live in a naive existence of false equivalence to think the US will ever succumb to a totalitarian regime like China or any others.
El " cazador .."...y la " presa. " realmente impactantes estas imagenes tomadas desde dentro mismo del avion, ahi se puede apreciar la adrenalina de estos jovenes artilleros, antes y durante un ataque.....es imposible ( por mas que uno no lo vivio )...mirar para otro .....y no destacar...la valentia, el corage...de estos jovenes.....a mi me paso que viendo estas imagenes...parecia que estaba dentro de ese avion..participando de esas incursiones..viviendo con ellos ...esos momentos....felicitaciones por el video..👍👍
That was how to land with no undercarriage. Beautiful landing. Bless them all. The thoughts of them and the music gives me a lump in the throat.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
My exact thoughts, that was a brilliant belly landing...
@@airailimages please what is the music used in this epic film.respects from uk..
Nothing but deepest respect... I think it was even worse to fly in a tin can then to be in a first line and going for a strike against heavily armed entrenched enemy...The age of the young men was the most important factor as they were taking it as adventure..But I think they grew old after going through few daylight bombing raids..
There will never be another generation like them again, that is for sure. And may God bless them!
Especially worth remembering as we approach memorial Day. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I was at an old WW2 airfield just the other week in Alconbury. A couple of the lads there said it was constructed in 1942 and the Americans took control of it in 1943. Many of the buildings and hangars are still in place and still in use but obviously civilian nowadays!! It must have been impressive back in the day coz it’s massive. Runways and hard standing all seem to be in excellent condition.
You remind me of the movie, Twelve O'Clock High which begins and ends on the runway in England. Excellent movie. Seen it 4-5 times in my life. God Bless em all.
I recall passing by RAF Alconbury in summer 1960. The road was low and the tails of USAF jets were lined up above us; impressive.
My dad was in the 8th in England. He stayed in and retired a CMSGT in the AF in 1963. Also his last tour we were in Fairford England from 60-63. I was just a little kid then. They had B-47’s SAC. The Beatles were coming along.
Appreciate your stories. Thanks for watching.
Please tell your Dad Thank You for his service to our country! And God Bless him and all of his friends. 💗🇺🇸
Thank you every brave service personal who fought in that era (any era, but specified to this video🌟🙏)
Thank you for helping save the 🌎.
My Father was a Navigator on a B-17...A few yrs. ago I got to ride in one, they even let me sit at the Navigator's desk...The words "Dog-Nuts" would have not been used for my Dad, but with 1/4 in. of Aluminum between U & Death those words describe those Brave Men...
I’m glad your father made it through. The aluminum was about .032 inches thick. Brave men indeed.
Brave Men! Dad was with 401st bomb group in Deenthorpe England. I’m always looking for the Triangle S on the tail sections of the B-17’s
Death Of A Ball Turret Gunner
From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
Randall Jarrell
We owe them a big thanku
Yes.
Fun fact on the older movie "12 O'Clock High!" made back in the 1960's they had, IIRC, 3 B-17s. They flew them to England and used an old airbase as the set. To get the noise of the aircraft during the indoor scenes they flew the B17s around the airfield in 2s and 3s ...
GOD BLESS THESE BRAVE MEN
Brave would describe someone who volunteered to go into the danger.
These men were conscripted and ordered to go there.
My father served in the Navy WW11, uncle co-pilot on B-17 shot down over occupied France survived the war as a POW
Good to hear from the families of veterans; tip of the hat to your father and uncle.
I can't say enough about this video. It's brilliant. Footage, music, everything. I made a similar video called "Remembering the 8th". This is a much more professional presentation. Very artistic. What a great combination of footage. Inspirational, sad, and awe inspiring. Thanks very much. I'll subscribe
Thank you very much.
It does make one think about what it must have been like for those guy's, every time you take off wondering will you come back. When you look at conflict today versus then it's like night and day.
No war is good but take even the infantry back then the enemy could pretty much walk right up to you and during a firefight if your wounded or out numbered you hope something gets there. When I was in we hard night vision, medivacs, close air support pretty much everything you could need was there when needed.
Oh BTW Gregg I love your Sleep Bomber one I find there is nothing more relaxing then the drone of aircraft engine's it really will put one to sleep :).
FANTASTIC vidéo the B-17💖
Greatest plane ever built.
The music from the old 12 O'clock high series would be perfect for this film
I just got done watching the Memphies Bellie. Never saw that movie.
I have watched that movie many times. Seems pretty realistic.
Military pilots are only a Little older now. There are few if any military pilots today that don't have some college or a degree. So today's military pilots are a little older by the time they start flight school. Today's military planes are technical marvels requiring better educated pilots with a head for computers and numbers. During WW2 many of the pilots were high school grads. They were trained by the thousands using crop duster pilots as the trainers, many didn't qualify as pilots but were fit for other duties aboard the B-17.
Fighter pilots of today often stay active into their early thirties as do bomber pilots. Squadron leaders on flight status might be in their mid fifties before retiring. It is a dangerous demanding job. The men and women who fly for the military are to be admired.
Respect to all who fought.
My dad was a gunner in the B-17G. He never wanted to talk about it until he was about 90. He said gunnery school was in Kingman, Arizona, there on his own he got his private pilots license. Later the captain let him fly for fun left seat on the B-17G. My dad was a sergeant in charge of all gun positions and the bomb racks, he said the ball turret was his least favorite. I asked a few questions and he said the radio operator was also the waist gunner, he was the chin turret gunner and over the bombing run he gave up his seat to the bombardier, (I think this is different than the books teach). He always talked of someone dying. I saw his pictures, he did not like talking about it. He became a captain for United Airlines and retiled on the Dc-8. If he were alive today he would tell you to become a Christian, repent of your sin and if you accept Jesus as King of your life and do God's will and accept the blood sacrifice of Jesus, Son of God, then God will have you go to heaven and the cross of Jesus stops you from going to hell. Jesus is the only way to heaven. Stop sin, read the Bible and go to a real church, not a fake church and get heaven. Recently they found were Jesus died and there was a crack in the rocks and below was the ARK. it is on the internet. The blood of Jesus -they put it is a solution at body temperature and after a time the lab people looked at it and said it is alive and found out there was a human mother but no human father just as the Bible said. Science proved Mary the mother of Jesus was a real virgin. 3 labs confirmed this. Look at youtube Ron Wyatt. I became a Christian when God himself directly spoke words to me. Jesus is about to return soon and rapture his church and then the great tribulation. You need to get saved or you will experience hell, hell is real, God wants you to accept Jesus and get heaven. If you refuse God it is your own fault you end up in hell for eternity forever and ever. I did the research and found the Bible to be real.
American hero
The greatest generation
I forgot to add, God gave me a vision in the middle of a sunny day, it changes you when you see God's hand at work, God is real and heaven and hell are real, do not be stupid and die to find out you get hell for eternity..
Some of the Bravest Boys the World has produced!
You damn right ! , heroes each and everyone of those Aircrews 🇺🇸😢
I Love B17❤
What amazes me is these planes were designed by men and women who had no computers, just a slide rule and a drafting table.
Truely men of courage.
Especially the ballturret gunners
That belly landing looked textbook.
My father was waist gunner with the 92nd Bomb Group. They flew out of Tunisia on bomb runs over Sicily and Foggia, Italy.
Always good to hear from the families of veterans. Thanks for watching and adding a bit of history.
@@airailimages My father was credited with shooting down two of Goering’s elite ME 109 yellow nose fighters. My dad suffered severe burns returning from a mission over the train yards at Foggia, Italy. The name of his fortress was “Sweet Chariot”
You know these guys felt it in their guts when the fighter escorts said your on your own from here.
This took some serious balls
Let’s not forget the P 51 Mustang’s that escorted the bombers... all fearless heroes… God bless the greatest generation…🇺🇸 we have been poor stewards of all that they did for us.. my father was one 🙏
Would love to have seen faces when jimmy Stewart came on base !!!!
My dad was a ball turret gunner in WWII. Never talked about it cept to other vets. I used to sneak downstairs early Sat and Sunday mornings and hide under the kitchen table they would sit around-drinking coffee, smoking ciggs. They never let on if they knew I was listening. That's how I learned he was a gunner in WWII. After WWII and In Korea, he was in a Weather Detachment.
Que buen aterrizaje el que aterrizo sin su tren abajo. Buen piloto. Un homenaje a todas las tripulaciones de B 17