The Truth About the Memphis Belle (No Hollywood)

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My father flew as a Bombardier on a B-17 over Germany with his 1st mission on D-Day, June 6, 1944, with his 24th mission on December 24th, 1944 over Belgium. 3 of the men on his plane survived. He injured his left foot and ankle landing on a frozen field in Belgium. It took him 2 years before he could walk without crutches. He said that he was sent home on the Queen Mary. Dad lived to 93 years old and he was my hero. Mom and Dad are in Heaven and one day soon I will be reunited. He loved America and what we stood for: Freedom, Hard Work, Structure and always living and helping your fellow! Great documentary!

My great-uncle was a waist gunner and was lost during the war. Found his picture, folded flag, original letter announcing his death, and several other items in my great grandmother's rotting house. All are now in my parents house in a loving framed tribute. He was so close to being forgotten and I just couldn't allow it.

As a kid i played in the Memphis Belle when it was old and neglected outside the Memphis armory near the fairgrounds. I remember being disappointed they had removed the machine guns. Great fun for a 10 year old boy arounf 1967.

She used to be at mud Island in Memphis, Tennessee. She sat outside in a covered pavilion. I remember seeing her there when I was about 10 or 11.

I saw Captain Robert Morgan at a presentation at the Museum of Flight in Seattle WA during the summer of 1998 when I was 12. We got a signed photo of him and his crew in front of the Memphis Belle after he gave his talk. It's now one of my prized possessions. That was such a good summer!

My Pop was a Bombardier & nose gunner on the B17s out of England & did his 25 before coming home with a Purple Heart. Loved your story. Have visited the Belle on Mudd Island on the Mississippi River in Memphis. Pop died 55 years ago today. Thanks for this memory. God bless. ML&R, Joe

My father was in operations for the 91st and was stationed at Bassingbourn from beginning to end. He's the guy that drew the units insignia - the flying bomb. BTW, Bassingbourn was not supposed to be the base for the 91st, but upon arrival, they discovered that the runways at RAF Kimbolton (the original base) were not sufficient for a B17 at full battle rattle. Colonel Wray did a bit of surveillance, discovered Bassingbourn, and had the entire group moved, essentially under cover of darkness, without any official authorization. The 91st flew 340 combat missions and lost almost 200 aircraft in combat with 40 or more in addition to the combat losses written off as too damaged to be repaired. The first time I saw the Belle was in Memphis in 1965 at the 20th reunion of the 91st. As a 15 year old, I got to meet the Belle's flight crew and that memory will always be with me. The Belle was parked out in front of an Air National Guard Armory and she was in pretty rough shape. Some years later, and I don't know the time line, she was superficially restored and placed on display in a Pavilion down on the Mississippi River which is where I next saw her in the late 90's. Since then, she's been fully restored of course, and sits at Wright Patterson. Thanks for telling the story of the Memphis Belle. It's a remarkable machine flown by some remarkable men to whom we all owe a debt of thanks.

Thanks for giving the mechanics a nod at the end of the video.

Historical notes - being that I covered such a massive stretch of history in this one, there are some notes I'll mention. First - it is extremely difficult to track the missions of each individual crewmember. In addition, there is even some discrepancy about which a couple of missions in which the Belle did or did not receive credit for. But this is the most accurate list I can put together. Second - Heinz Knoke's name is pronounced "Ka-Nok-a" in German I believe, but that is very awkward for me to say. I'm working on my pronunciations. Also in his Liberty Belle mission, I am not positive if he flew an Me-109 or a Fw-190, as according to the records of his group, they were commonly switching aircraft during this time depending on the target of their intercept. And for those who may ask - these bombs had a fuse and were supposed to explode in the middle of the bomber formations, not contact armed. Third - The crew of the Liberty Belle has some discrepancy as well - Some sources list it as their first mission, others list it as their first mission "with the 91st Bomb Group" - with their crew having a couple missions in other bombers or units in the weeks before. But they were certainly a newer crew. Fourth - I want to make sure I mention - the 1990 movie "Memphis Belle" is a fictional movie, not based on the actual bomber. This is why there are so many inaccuracies there. However, it is still a fantastic film, and in the words of one veteran - "It may not have been the story of the real Memphis Belle, but it was likely the story of some crew out there". Thanks for watching. See you guys next time!

My Dad went into Normandy on D-Day+3 to service the planes at temporary fields as the infantry moved forward. He spoke about the B-17's, P-47's, & P-51's & the brave men who flew them. Years later I had the chance to 'walk thru' the interior of the Memphis Belle & several other famous warplanes at an airshow exhibit, Andrew's AFB. Everlasting memories.

A post script to your well made video: The Memphis Belle was in the boneyard at Altus AAFB in Oklahoma when a girls club in Altus High School discovered her. They initiated the contact with the city of Memphis that led to her rescue and eventual restoration.

It's amazing to look at the Belle up at the museum. All the hell that plane and her crews went through many years ago...... and she now looks like she just came off the assembly line. Impeccably well restored.

If you are ever in Asheville, North Carolina, visit downtown. On the way out of town after fundraising, Robert W. Morgan flew the Memphis Belle between the City Hall and County Courthouse buildings of his hometown.. This was no easy task to fly between these two buildings. Robert had to tilt the wings sixty degrees to clear both buildings. There is a commemorative plaque that marks the event in the gap between the two buildings. To stand there reading the memorial and see the tight space he cleared, brings a deal of respect to his ability as a pilot and the faith and trust that his crew had in him.

My mother was a rosie the riveter in ww2. She worked on bombers at westwillow the westwillow plant

I had a chance to fly on a B-17 up front with the pilots it was an amazing experience and I will never ever forget that as long as I live

My science teacher was Charles Leighton at Cantrick Middle School in Monroe Michigan in 1959. I had lost several months of school that late winter having contracted pneumonia. Mr Leighton called me into his office, knowing that I needed credit in his class to go on to my next grade level. He prepared a verbal test of questions on the science curriculum for that semester I had lost. I passed, knowing every answer correctly. I never knew his history but asked him how he became a scientist and his training. I was very shocked when he mentioned that he was a navigator on an airplane in WW2. I later looked up his name in aviation history of the war. Still to this day, i can remember that very day we talked in late April of 1959. I had the honor of also meeting a Tuskegee airman many years later, but my fondest memory of Mr. Leighton will always be my favorite educator. He was one of my science mentors who shaped my life in science and as an individual. His courage and kindness will always be a guiding light for my life.

The museum at Wright-Patterson AFB is amazing. And free!

I was 14 years old when I saw the 1990 movie in the theater. It brings a tear to my eye to know we still have the plane.

Not to dismiss what this crew did for the war effort but the Memphis Belle wasn't the first to complete 25 missions so it's nice to see this fact acknowledged in this video..