well???

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"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett

It was the Memphis Belle wasn't it.

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'England confides that every man will do his duty' Nelson
'I'm a Norfolk man, and glory in being so' Nelson

Proud to be a GRUNT

No-it was planned to be when a film was made of its last mission but another plane flew in front of it and beat it to the punch.
The directors still continued filming the Belle though...

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"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett

It was the 303rd's 'Hell's Angels' flying out of Molesworth.

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

THANK YOU KINDLY MARTIN...

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"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett

I stand corrected.

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'England confides that every man will do his duty' Nelson
'I'm a Norfolk man, and glory in being so' Nelson

Proud to be a GRUNT

Don't worry, Bish - that's you and just about every book ever written about the 'Mighty Eighth', B17s, ETO airwair, etc.
This particular 'punch-up' has even got its own website ( 'Memphis Belle v. Hells Angels' ).

That's wartime propaganda for you - I suppose you can sympathise with William Wyler. Having set everything up with weeks of filming at Bassingbourn, he couldn't really be expected to load everything into a truck and belt across to Molesworth at a moment's notice !

(PS : Noted 8th historian Roger Freeman covers himself in his book 'The B-17 Flying Fortress Story' by writing against 'Memphis Belle' :

'... one of first to 25 missions ' . Nicely put !

[ 10 July 2002, 08:35 AM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Thanks Martin. Owell, guess i'll have to start telling people i trained as the base where the second bomber to complete 25 was based not the first. Not quite he same.

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'England confides that every man will do his duty' Nelson
'I'm a Norfolk man, and glory in being so' Nelson

Proud to be a GRUNT

Speaking of Memphis Belle...did it really make 2 runs at the target in its last mission or was that added to the movie for dramatics?

__________________
"May God have mercy upon my enemies because I won't."
~ General Patton

"O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.."

"Born to fight, Trained to kill
Ready to die but never will..."

I don't know about that part, but several of the incidents were added. I don't think they were made up, but they came from other missions. For example, the bit where they put put the fire out in the engine was from, i think, the 19th trip. If you get a chance, watch the actual film of the mssion. The name excapses me at the mo, but the Belle came back virtually unscathed, i think.

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'England confides that every man will do his duty' Nelson
'I'm a Norfolk man, and glory in being so' Nelson

Proud to be a GRUNT

Spitfire :

After the movie made it's debut there was a huge discussion on www.heavybombers.com forum list which I was a part, and the overall feeling from the US bomber vets was that the movie was pure hollywood crap. Especially the acting and the cusing of the men. It does appear that the non-coms and lower ranks plus upper eschelon never spoke to one another in that tone and if done would of been sevely reprimanded. I think as Bish that several of the scens were add ins from other bomber group missions. I found the movie very corny.....

E

No-the big heroic coming around on the IP over Wilhelmshaven is fake. Firstly, the Belle's pilot had more sense than to sit over a barrage of flak, and secondly, the Belle's last mission was over Lorient...

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"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett

[ 12 July 2002, 08:15 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

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www.basher82.nl

I knew it took place over Lorient. Didn't the daughter of the guy who took the original film of the Belle help make this movie? HIs name begins with a W...or something...it's on the tip of my tongue. If she did, why is it so flawed?

__________________
"May God have mercy upon my enemies because I won't."
~ General Patton

"O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.."

"Born to fight, Trained to kill
Ready to die but never will..."

Well, Hollywood needs to make these movies exiting for its audience. If the movie was made exactly as the mission went, it would not have been exciting enough. Not, i am sure, that the cews on that mission would have be bored while they were on it.

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'England confides that every man will do his duty' Nelson
'I'm a Norfolk man, and glory in being so' Nelson

Proud to be a GRUNT

Wyler-yep Catherine Wyler...

__________________
"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett