Memphis Belle film B-17 crash

The video footage on the You Tube site is the Look North news item the day after, when the said fireman who filmed it passed it on to them.

Tim

hi John,
didn’t the crash landing scene in Tora Tora Tora happen on a paved runway and with port and rear wheels down?, the landing in the War Lover 1962 and Thousand Bomber Raid 1969 came from the 1949 12 O’clock High film. BTW the 3 a/c used for the War Lover were acquired in the US by Capt. John Crewdson and flown to the UK, has covered by Martin Caiden in Everything But The Flak, there was 2x PB-1W’s N5229V and N5232V which were then scrapped I think at Manson after filming had finished, the 3rd B.17G N9563Z/44-83563 is still flying in the US, also the low flying buzz of the field was done solo by Crewdson…

regards,
jack…

sorry John I think I misunderstood your post? its been a long day…

The belly landing scene in “The War Lover” is from the same belly landing done for the making of “Twelve O’Clock High”. They had at least two different cameras rolling to capture Paul Mantz performing the belly landing, and the footage used in “The War Lover” comes from the second camera/angle that wasn’t used in “Twelve O’Clock High”. Again, footage from this same belly landing was used in “The Thousand Plane Raid”. As you mention, Steve, the scene/situation described by Jack is what played-out in “Tora! Tora! Tora!”, when B-17G N620L had a landing gear issue. After that landing as seen in the movie, the aircraft was repaired and flew again as a fire-fighting aircraft until it was destroyed in a crash in 1973.

Duplicate post

Jack Windsor, I believe that was during the filming of “Tora! Tora! Tora!” I’ve never seen “The War Lover, ” was there a crash-landing in that one too? Of course, the B-17 belly-landing in “12 O’clock High” was intentional and carefully planned ahead of time. The shot was re-used in “The Thousand Plane Raid,” could it have been used in “War Lover” as well?

The Boscombe Down Airshow Battle of Britain Tribute (gosh, that’s a long time ago) mentioned in this thread. Was that the one that had a large pen of Spitfires?
Seem to recall not much flew on the Saturday due to high winds. Was blooming cold that day. reds gave a cracking show though as did the French.

hi,
wasn’t there a crash landing for real in the War Lover,? one of the three used couldn’t get its wheels down so the director had it circle while the camera’s set up for the landing…a great film for the Fortresses and the airfield beat up was low…

regards,
jack…

If anyone wants to own a piece of the film then see the Link.

They have various parts of the models for sale as well as a full model and a leather jacket.

https://propstore.com/movie/memphis-belle/

Apologies for resurrecting a very old thread but I’d never seen this film clip before of the B-17 crash that happened during filming;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7G7gqlR9GPc

Rob

Ollie,”SUSY” G-CDHI was not owned by RAC, it was owned by Taff Smith and the name changed to “Darling Ann”;) It has now since been sold i belive to Germany!!

Doh, how did i miss that. I will correct it as soon as i can.

Ollie,”SUSY” G-CDHI was not owned by RAC, it was owned by Taff Smith and the name changed to “Darling Ann”;) It has now since been sold i belive to Germany!!

re: the remains of the IGN fortress. I believe that a good chunk of them went to the National Warplane Museum, in Geneseo, NY. I was talking with some of the guys there in 1989, and that’s what they told me. They pointed to some B-17 control surfaces in their hangar and said that they had come from this particular fortress. Not 100% sure this is correct, but it made sense at the time.

Cheers,
Richard

They, or whoever does have the remains, don’t have the rudder!!!

Initially, and IIRC, there was some discussion between the film company and the insurers about buying the salvage and sort of offering it to Sally B, but then the scrappy Roger Windley bought the salvage.
That said there was an agreement that a few items could be removed for Sally B.

Bomberboy

I understood that the B-17 remains went to a salvage yard, and I know that “parts” were later offered for sale as “movie memorabilia” in Flight International. ( Including the prop blades ? )

Around 5 years ago I was told of a Channel 4 TV documentary on the restoration of a former factory mill ( near the former Irvin WW2 factory ? ) It was stated that the rear section of a B-17 that crashed during the making of the movie had been housed there.

All very sketchy.

But I’ve always wondered what happened to the last worldly remains of this particular Flying Fortress ……

re: the remains of the IGN fortress. I believe that a good chunk of them went to the National Warplane Museum, in Geneseo, NY. I was talking with some of the guys there in 1989, and that’s what they told me. They pointed to some B-17 control surfaces in their hangar and said that they had come from this particular fortress. Not 100% sure this is correct, but it made sense at the time.

By the way, the website says that the former David Tallichet aircraft used in the film as Memphis Belle is now at the American Airpower Museum. This is definitely not the case (you can check their site if you need proof). I believe that it has staged out of this museum during the airshow season in years past, but am pretty sure it was still owned by David Tallichet up until his death last week. Being that he was a former 100th BG pilot on B-17’s during the war, I imagine that it would be the last aircraft he would ever personally relinquish.

Cheers,
Richard

I understood that the B-17 remains went to a salvage yard, and I know that “parts” were later offered for sale as “movie memorabilia” in Flight International. ( Including the prop blades ? )

Around 5 years ago I was told of a Channel 4 TV documentary on the restoration of a former factory mill ( near the former Irvin WW2 factory ? ) It was stated that the rear section of a B-17 that crashed during the making of the movie had been housed there.

All very sketchy.

But I’ve always wondered what happened to the last worldly remains of this particular Flying Fortress ……

Indeed.

Ollie, somewhere in your website it states that no-one was hurt in the crash, I am afraid that is not correct.
Just about everybody recived some kind of injury and there were two people who received quite nasty injuries which meant a spell in Grimsby hospital.
Some ‘interesting’ accounts and some nice photos on the site.

Bomberboy

Thank you for the infomation. I will correct that as soon as i can. My sincere apologies to anyone involved.

Re the forum guy who was in the B-17 that crashed. Was that Bomberboy?????

Steve

Indeed.

Ollie, somewhere in your website it states that no-one was hurt in the crash, I am afraid that is not correct.
Just about everybody recived some kind of injury and there were two people who received quite nasty injuries which meant a spell in Grimsby hospital.
Some ‘interesting’ accounts and some nice photos on the site.

Bomberboy

Excellent website on the making of the film, love the stories page………..Martin

And here is a really rare shot, D-FEHD and G-HUNN at Roundwood, June 1990 – we were operating both aircraft for the IAT Battle of Britain Salute airshow at nearby Boscombe Down.

Here is a shot of G-SUSY (as she was then) at her Roundwood base, summer 1990.

Website is back online:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ollieswebspace/the%20making%20of%20mempis%20Belle.htm
It is due for a rework soon. I am still looking for more material to include.

3 photos of the French B-17 that crashed, photos from before the filming:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ollieswebspace/b17%20F-BEEA.htm

Im now looking for a nice photo of Rob Lamploughs Miss Helen as she is now (preferably without damage) and the ex Real Aeroplane company Mustang to include in the section on the aeroplanes now. A long shot this, i am looking for any photos of Spencer Flacks Mustang before it crashed in America but after filming finished. Im also looking for recant photos of the US B17s and D-EFHD these days. If anyone can help me with the photos please contact me either by pm or email me off this website.