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A Fascinating Video of a WWII Photo Recon Pilot
WWII American Spitfire Pilot...
This is probably one of the best WWII film clips out there. Stored for 61 years in two suitcases of 16mm home movies that were inherited by filmmaker William Lorton from his great uncle who served as a Flight Surgeon during WWII. Those suitcases contained 3 hours of war footage that included a compelling crash landing of a Spitfire in 1944.
Filmed in a 2005 interview with the now 83 year old pilot of the Spitfire in the video and seeing the expression on his face when he realizes it is him in the cockpit, is something you won't soon forget.
At 18 years old, he was all alone, behind enemy lines, with no guns, no escort, and he gladly did it. They just don't make men like him anymore. He and his peers serving during that time were truly members of the greatest generation and we owe them so, so much.
This is a story of an 18 year-old just out of high school who was trained to take pictures of damage done to German targets by B-17’s. He flew in a British Spitfire fitted with extra fuel tanks where the guns originally were located and his assignment was to fly over Germany totally unarmed just to take videos (aka photo recon)...unbelievable that he survived!
WWII American Spitfire Pilot...
This is probably one of the best WWII film clips out there. Stored for 61 years in two suitcases of 16mm home movies that were inherited by filmmaker William Lorton from his great uncle who served as a Flight Surgeon during WWII. Those suitcases contained 3 hours of war footage that included a compelling crash landing of a Spitfire in 1944.
Filmed in a 2005 interview with the now 83 year old pilot of the Spitfire in the video and seeing the expression on his face when he realizes it is him in the cockpit, is something you won't soon forget.
At 18 years old, he was all alone, behind enemy lines, with no guns, no escort, and he gladly did it. They just don't make men like him anymore. He and his peers serving during that time were truly members of the greatest generation and we owe them so, so much.
This is a story of an 18 year-old just out of high school who was trained to take pictures of damage done to German targets by B-17’s. He flew in a British Spitfire fitted with extra fuel tanks where the guns originally were located and his assignment was to fly over Germany totally unarmed just to take videos (aka photo recon)...unbelievable that he survived!
WWII World War Two
Aviation
23250: Photographer
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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SGT (Join to see) What a Great Find, the Film and the Living Pilot before He Passed to Have the "Rest of the Story".
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SGT (Join to see)
It is PO1 William "Chip" Nagel. I wonder how many more stories are out there we may never know about? I think this one’s a rare find.
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