Ditch at Sea and Live in a Boeing B-17 (1944- Restored)

Ditching in water was a fact of life for stricken aircraft in World War 2, from the frozen white tops of the North Sea to the Shark infested waters of the South Pacific. “Lt. Reynolds.” played by veteran actor Arthur Kennedy (Lawrence of Arabia), is copilot on a B-17 that ditches at sea. He's survives by pure luck, but the rest of the crew is lost due to a lack of preparation. When he gets his own ship, Reynolds vows his crew is thoroughly trained in B-17 ditching. He gives them the straight dope, step by step.
You'll see training on land and in the water on everything from crew preparation, responsibilities, crash positioning, exiting the plane, emergency supplies, launching & operating dinghies to using an emergency radio, navigating, rations, first aid & a lot more. And after sinking a Japanese cruiser, (as you might expect) Reynolds & the his crew are shot down and have to put everything they learned into practice in stormy seas. Excellent picture quality, a dramatic storyline & realistic acting, with lots of great interior shots of the Flying Fortress. A must have for every B-17 fan!
Get this film and four more on our “The US Army Air Force in World War 2: Behind the Scenes) DVD bit.ly/19F9WrI
Zeno
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[@mikemeagher8823]

My father was in a B-17 that ditched in the English channel returning from a bombing mission. They had taken hits Hal was a waist gunner. It was not something my father wanted to talk about, but I prodded as a 15 year old. He gave very little information. He said the pilot, The Old Man (26 - 27 year old) as he was called, told the crew to bail out. My father remained in the ship. The pilot discovered my Dad was still on board and ordered again for my Dad to jump. My father refused and asked the the pilot this pertinent question, "Sir are you going to jump? No, replied the pilot. Then I'm staying too." My father said he reasoned that the pilot knew what he was doing and would follow his example. I didn't press him for more information. He was truly reluctant to talk about it. Dad married a beautiful young woman from the London area. I am one of their five children.

[@Highland_Moo]

Your dad had balls of steel fella. I’m from the Scottish highlands and my grandparents all served in the RAF. My granddad was from a tiny village here on the Isle of Skye and he married a female RAF lady from just outside London too! I’m glad your dad survived and I’m sorry he, and many like him, had to serve.

[@rapman5363]

Yeah, well my father was on. B-52 over Moscow on a nuclear bo,b drop in World War 2.5. The plane took flak and everyone bailed out except dear old dad, he actually sprouted wings and flew all the way back home. Only to marry an African woman and had 45 kids. GTFAH

[@uunguung1899]

@@rapman5363 you have some issues you need to sort out, buddy

[@ronh5422]

My uncle Phillip was Gen. Twinnings pilot when he went down in pacific for 6 days. He survived. They ran out of fuel trying to find socked in landing field. And yes, the B17 did go down in about 30 seconds. They were not able to save most of the survival gear. Was a very rough 6 days without food, water and sun protection. My father flew B17 from Sicilly over Germany. 25 missions and he got to come home. Crasked landed two of those planes at air field returning from missions. Another uncle was a B50 pilot and was killed on take off in Alaska - 1949-50? Neither my uncle or my father wanted to talk about their experiences other than they were hell.. I loved all these men !!

[@mikekennedy5470]

I was friends with a man that was a B - 17 tail Gunner over Germany and what a love for life he had until he died at 89 years old .after the war experiences he had he definitely enjoyed life and I always enjoyed his stories and conversations..thx don..

[@peterhamlinhamlin8908]

My dad was a B-17 Navigator who ditched in the Pacific 3 times!

[@moler1964]

My Grandgather Lt. Robert M. Kilmark ditched in the Adriatic Coming back from a Mission in Germany. He was a B-17 Pilot 15th 772nd 463rd. All survived. German Patrol boat was coming out towards them and a Spitfire that was sent by Sea Rescue flew down and dispatched it!

[@tenpoll]

These old films are so amazing, showing us a world of our grandfathers, a world somehow so naive yet terrifying. An amazing time-capsule! Thankyou for preserving and showing this to us.

[@shananagans5]

I figure it's unlikely I will ever be in a B-17 that ditches in the ocean but I do like to plan for the unexpected so I will give it a watch. Seriously though, I love these old training films and they can come in handy. I mean, just the other day my Sherman tank got stuck in the mud. :) Thx for the effort you put into sharing these old films.

[@ZenosWarbirds]

Thanks! Zeno

[@wooderdsaunders6801]

Mine too those shermens get stuck alot. I had to get a German and Japanese tank to pull us out. Lol

[@a351must2]

Had to watch this one. My grandfather was at Hickam air field during the Pearl Harbor attack and was a B-25 radioman. I never heard his stories because he didn't tell them until his last year or so alive (while I was overseas in the Navy), but I've been told he survived ditching in the Pacific 3 times and earned a Silver Star from one of them.

[@kitwalker2968]

The wise-guy has the Clark Gable look going.

[@w5cdt]

Kit Walker - and Marlin Brando?

[@maxredding5163]

Clark Gable WAS a tail gunner on a B-17.

[@somethingelse4878]

My Dad served in ww2 in the British army and looked very much like Clark Gable I'm told he had to fight off the women and so did his sons Sadly he passed away at 49 when I was 6 back then most food was cooked in beef lard and not oil. Even German soldiers had olive oil in the 40's To add When I was 19 and working doing up old houses I met a b17 pilot and he was such a nice man Told me he was 22 when he came to Britain I thanked him and he rubbed my crew cut hair as a thank you I wish I'd talked longer and asked more questions but I was painfully shy back then

[@RolloTonéBrownTown]

That stache. The guy was probably a legend

[@kimchipig]

If I were an airman in 194, I'd really want a skipper like this one.He teaches skills to remain alive.

[@radarbrew]

Perfect brace position: clustered around the radio guy. Thanks for the heads up, skipper.

[@hojoinhisarcher]

My Uncle Terry pranged an RCAF Lanc in the summer arctic at the end of the war.They survived but when they opened the survival gear someone had taken a lot of the rations and the survival rifle.They had enough fishing gear, tents etc. to get by for the month they were out, but it was touch and go.They ate a lot of fish and mice.Always have some sort of backup ration and plan for tough times no matter what.

[@highonimmi]

when i got back guess who I was gonna have a nice friendly talk to.....

[@Hellohallo]

These movies are better then anything in 2021 so far.

[@MrKirby2367]

Awesome. Never actually realised how much safety gear was carried, You just don't don't see that sort of thing on the movies. They never have the right gear or any gear and drama drama drama. Thanks for the up load.

[@pcj3405]

Absolutely enjoy these old video's and learn a lot from them. If i ever have to put my car in the drink i will keep my guns forward and get rid of my tie. Seriously though, thanks for keeping these video's alive who's procedures undoubtedly kept many of our aircrews alive.

[@noonedude101]

"Forget the women and prepare for ditching!" Is pretty much what I say every time I walk into a bar...

[@kenfox5442]

Funny 😁

[@epicguy228]

When I'm doing my girl but The Big Bang Theory comes on

[@rbeard7580]

I respect your honesty.

[@johnettastephens5537]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching and learning about the Flying Fortress & Crew and reading all the interesting comments. I love learning all I can about WW2 and especially how America was involved. Thank you so much for sharing these great videos!

[@theoldscout3478]

Thanks for the great up load. Helps me understand some of what my Dad went through as co-pilot on the B-17 Battle Queen "Peg-o-My-Heart". Belly landed in a potato field in Switzerland, Aug. 17, 1943 with two engines left. Only one man injured by flak, not in the crash.

[@wooderdsaunders6801]

Glad he made or you may not be here now. My uncle died in France after the battle of the buldge.

[@15kr]

Mine too - July 44 in Normandy

[@timothyjones3410]

How long did he stay in the raft before being rescued?

[@guymorris6596]

They weren't captured by enemy troops upon crash landing were they ?

[@LRS905]

These war era training films are awesome time capsules. Makes me laugh the fact that there were composers and arrangers for the music used on them: "Hey Mr. Composer, the Army needs a music score which will be used on a ditching training film...think about music for ditching!" lol

[@fartmerchant762]

and then the music sounds super distorted and comparable to a modern day earrape meme

[@pittmanfh]

Hollywood and its cozy relationship with Washington has existed for a long time. That relationship has soured of late. This is a good thing. Hollywood (producers, actors, etc.) has gotten away with a lot of stuff that would put you and me under the jail.

[@bobgreene2892]

That was a good one-- despite my doubts, when I saw the length of 42:39, I watched the whole thing. In all the accounts of ditchings, it was seldom (if ever) mentioned how much could, and did, go wrong, despite the drill. It is one thing to toss off a training film like this as playtime, but another to find yourself on a vast and lonely ocean, unsure anyone knows where to search. With wounded men, blood usually makes it into the water, attracting sharks, so I was glad to learn the raft bottoms were of steel. The ocean is full of surprises, and sudden storms literally can toss equipment overboard, making the situation dramatically worse. What is not mentioned in survival films is the fear of an unknown situation, when men are exhausted, in shock, wounded, dying, and with nothing but their training and a remaining shred of luck to make it. Often, survivors begin to feel guilty for having lived, while others did not, and that makes it harder to struggle in really tough environments as food and water runs low. The 1944 date of release for this film suggests it was based on actual experience of crews which had to learn some things the hard way.

[@THE-X-Force]

It's an excellent comment, but I'm certain that the raft bottoms contained no steel, as at 29:14 (the auto-generated captions have it wrong) he says "that rubber *isn't* steel flooring". Of course, if it _was_ steel, it would be pretty tough to roll it up when deflated.

[@telsport]

Thank you for posting. Teaches the need for discipline and need for procedural adherence...even if we'll never ditch a plane.

Well, that's also a story of "for anything in life, don't think it happens only to the others and be prepared !".

[@davidduffy9806]

Just amazing! Thank you so very much for uploading this extraordinary training film

[@unclejustin7267]

This film is more enjoyable than most of the crud coming out of hollyweird these days.

[@yilderim1924]

That raft and kit is badass.

[@chodeoriki4113]

Watched this about a month ago and lucky for me I watched it as i had to ditch my b-17 a week later. Thanks for the upload. We all got out. Bombardier was a bitch as usual but other than that it was fine. Thx

[@CaptMarkSVAlcina]

Todoroki Owo , I went flying on a B17 last year in the USA, I came with my father all the way from Melbourne Australia. So which B17 were you on ?

[@stickman3214]

Capt Chef Mark SV Alcina He was making a joke

[@oldschoolcfi3833]

When wearing a Tie to war was standard procedure. An elegant uniform, for a more civilized time...

For a time they didn't need G-Suits !

[@GoldPlatedGhost]

I often wish I was born 50 years earlier... and God am I concerned for my baby girl growing up in this world. Who knows what it will be like when she is an adult...

[@guyincognito4815]

Civilized really? Give "Helmet for my pillow" and "with the old bread" a read...

[@Venganza_]

a more civilized time? there was a literal fucking world war and genocide going on, not to mention colonialism in Africa and the lack of womans/minority rights

[@pozejstroniedrogi8702]

Civilized time, then? What kind of movies are You watching, mate?

[@randalbloomquist7812]

Participated in many ditching drills while flying P3s in the USN. Very similar and yes very important! I never had to ditch but some squadron mate's did and they all survived almost unscathed!

[@glendooer6211]

Kids today would want a USB charger.

[@rbeard7580]

Former B-52 pilot here. We would have ejected or bailed out with a reserve parachute, but all the other information is pretty close to accurate (as of the mid-80's that is!). Went on to be a corporate pilot flying internationally, and the ditching training & drills we did were very similar. We even had an Olympic-size pool with wind & rain, a helo-hoist rescue simulator, and a generic cabin mockup that would fill with smoke as it sank into the pool. At least one drill was done in partial darkness. The only thing they couldn't simulate was large ocean waves. Finally, if you're a passenger on an airliner that ditches, some of the information in this video is still relevant.

[@gunvideorichmond7550]

Thanks for being a BUFF pilot. You have my gratitude for all the times you scrambled and didn't know if it was for real or a drill.

[@rbeard7580]

@@gunvideorichmond7550 I found it easier to just assume they were all a drill. However, as with practice for anything involving risk, it should be taken seriously. There were a few who could not get past the notion that it might be real. They were usually removed from flying status, which could be career-ending move. One guy ran full speed into a glass door - twice (though not the same door). They decided he wasn’t mentally fit. Which doesn’t mean he might not make an excellent intelligence officer, a civil engineer, or some other non-combat specialist.

[@RolloTonéBrownTown]

Really good storyline in this one. I almost felt like I was watching some golden age era movie!

[@americanpatriot3638]

I just love these old films.

[@richardchapman2353]

Terrific training film with Arthur Kennedy it's on my wants list

[@TralfazConstruction]

Good catch. I'll have to watch Air Force (1943) again soon.

[@dzyanist]

THANK YOU, Zeno, fir making these extraordinary films available.. Thx VERRY MUCH..!!!

[@ZenosWarbirds]

dzyanist 👍

[@Paughco]

That was really great! I'll post the link on the A2A Forum so the B-17 guys can check it out.

[@ZenosWarbirds]

Thanks!

[@29jug11]

I see that the usual gang of..... Mickey-Takers ....and....Scoffers are on board..... just be bloody grateful, that thousands of young aircrew and other services died for your freedom to scoff today.... RIP all WWII conscripts and regulars.... we all owe you...big time...

[@enscroggs]

Since the information presented in this film was so specific to the B-17 it leads me to speculate that similar films were produced for most other aircraft used by the United States in WWII, each one with information and procedures distinct to the aircraft type.

[@biggerhammer]

The B-17 would ditch pretty well due to low wing location and very strong construction. The B-24 was very dangerous to ditch, as high wing position put water pressure on the weak thin bomb bay doors which would often collapse, causing rapid stop & quick flooding. The B-29 would often float for days due to its pressurized fuselage design (airtight to pressurize = waterproof to float)

[@bobgreene2892]

Thanks for that perspective. Despite the superior load and distance claims for the B24, the high-aspect wing made it more critical for damage, and glide distance. For some reason, as I recall, the AAF never installed "self-sealing" gas tanks, whereas the B17 had them. Which makes little sense for a B24, especially with flak. Can anyone confirm that?

[@jamesjanssen2378]

@@bobgreene2892 The B-24 had self sealing tanks , at least from 1941 on. I believe there were 12 or more fuel cells .

[@viktormichael821]

Pasta.

[@carmium]

Re: Bad ditch at the start: I think they shouldn't have been flying in a model airplane in the first place.

[@robertbrawley5048]

What can you do ? You got to work with what you got, i guess

They shouldn't have given Ltd. Harisson a plane. Didn't they learn their lesson after he crashed a B25 in "Land and Live in the Jungle" ?

[@steadmanuhlich6734]

Very good training film. Interesting to see.

[@Bryan-cs9to]

Thank you so very much for all the wonderful uploads you share with us on your awesome channel

[@Plumduff3303]

Reminds me of my summer holidays

[@MIck-M]

Great film - loved the ending.

[@richjakowski1056]

Great to see Arthur Kennedy using actor skills to help the AAF make training films during WW II.

[@jimjonrs3932]

Captain nonchalant....... that's who I want flying my plane!

[@kenfox5442]

I'm glad he passed the knowledge on

[@duartesimoes508]

Outstanding movie. It help us understand very well why the United States won WW II. They always took every minor single detail so seriously. Their training and doctrine were superb, they did not let anything disregarded, had a reason, a technique and a solution for everything. Every possible sitution was antecipated and studied thouroughly. They were so pragmatic, and so amazingly perfect. We see here the same kind of people who launched the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs and ended up reaching the moon. (with German help, yes) Americans from those times were indeed a great stuff.

[@BobDeCaprio]

That one pilot was Rocky's trainer

[@paulmorris5166]

Really enjoyed watching this and should I ever get thrown back in time as a crewman on a B-17 I am good to go. Thanks for posting.

[@alwayscrabby7871]

Great video. Thanks.

[@wealldieatthehandsoflovedones]

These are better then most movies today.

[@tertommy]

Orr from Catch-22 had the right idea.

[@stevelewis7263]

My late Father flew RAF Vultee Vengeances in Burma in WW2 and was shot down twice behind enemy lines, the survival kit was S # I T

[@wiav8r]

Excellent restore Zeno's!

[@ZenosWarbirds]

Allan Bunt Thanks! Zeno

[@Jigaboo123456]

Great clip,Zenos. As you seem to have in-depth knowledge of these training films, can you answer me this-- I'm pretty certain that I saw that actor (Arthur Kennedy) narrate a training film of camoflage that I saw in the British Airborne sometime between 1966 and 1975 (my memory is vague about the date, but I think it was nearer to the 60s than the 70s) The film made an immediate impact upon us because:- one, it was in COLOUR not black and white as British ones were; We recognised a HOLLYWOOD actor-- British training films were all done on a shoestring, and usually suffered accordingly; I hadn't heard the term "production values" then, but you sure can tell the difference-- we all preferred the US films. The film was about the need for basic infantry training, and it starts with a cook expressing how HE didn't need to know or do military training. If I remember correctly, AK snaps his fingers and he is transported instantly, still in his whites, into the field, and he swiftly gets the message until he is moving tacticly and well camouflaged. I checked Ak's wiki entry, and it seems unlikely, but you may know differently?

[@hansjurgenochsenfahrt6176]

yes..

[@sr633]

Interesting stuff ! My barber was a waist gunner in a B i7. His adventures after 5 missions were mostly in London. lol

[@jrcrawford4]

Man they were crazy protective of the Norden bomb sight. They are ditching at sea, which in many cases meant the Pacific and tens of thousands of feet of depth to the sea floor, and yet he says, "destroy the bomb sight." Wild.

[@tomservo5347]

Sheesh Captain...rub it in even worse to the LT about his 9 dead crewmembers...

[@dukctape]

"Hey congrats on not killing everybody this time! You know, unlike last time, where you killed everybody. Heh, maybe the water finally washed that blood off your hands, eh Lieutenant?" Captain has no chill

[@frankbaltra5901]

The LT was not the Captain in the first segment, pay attention.

[@zardozqq]

at 4.30 he's the co-pilot Lt. Reynolds for the first ditching the captain in the first ditching was the dumbass...then at Lt. Reynolds is the captain who traines the guys to ditch

[@simonpotter7534]

Burn!

[@francissullivan6400]

I got mad at his remark at first but he's right and its BRUTALLY HONEST

[@tomthx5804]

Crew: Sir, we are leaking gas! Pilot: Oh, that's alright. We don't really need gas. Crew: Sir, the engines have stopped Pilot: Oh, that's all right. We have a good tail wind Crew: Sir, we are losing altitude. Pilot: Oh, go ahead. Scare the guys back at base and send them our position Crew: Sir, we are going to crash! Pilot: Bombardier, can you stay in the nose and tell me if the ocean is still down there. Crew: Should we prepare to ditch? Pilot: No, maybe that tail wind will pick up again CRASH.

[@biggerhammer]

He had watched the 'Spitfire Glide' from "Dunkirk". The Pilot thought should have been able to glide across 1/2 the Pacific ...

[@tombombadil3185]

Those boys were following mules before they got drafted. Tailwinds had a different meaning then.

[@dennissvitak148]

In the Air Force, I was a meteorologist in a base weather station near St. Louis, in 1983. There was a Navy E2-C Hawkeye, on a routine training mission from Beeville Texas at the base, and he wanted to fly back to Texas. At 22,000 feet, with no weather radar. There was a solid line of severe thunderstorms from Oklahoma to the east coast, along a semi-stationary front. I told the pilot it just wasn't safe, but he insisted on flying, and filed a flight plan. In the remarks section of his DD Form 175-1 (pilot weather briefing), I wrote: "I strongly advise this pilot to not attempt this flight." And signed it. Normally, it was just initialed by the duty meteorologist. Well...two hours later, we get an IFE (in flight emergency), from a Navy E2C-Hawkeye. Yep...same idiot. He had flown into a supercell, and badly damaged his craft, and his copilot was badly injured. He got lucky, and turned back north, towards our base in southern Illinois. He landed, ambulance was on the runway to take his copilot to the base hospital. My colonel came out to see me, as this was a weather related aircraft mishap. I gave him our copy of the 175-1, and he asked...and I'll never forget this..."Does his copy of the dash one look like ours?" I nodded yes, and it was all good.

[@dennissvitak148]

@@feetgoaroundfullflapsC - I can tell you dozens of stories about arrogant pilots. The Air Force requirement to be an officer was a four year degree, and good vision. Intelligence or common sense wasn't a requirement, and it showed. Worse still, many Air Force pilots went to the Air Force Academy, because daddy wrote a check to a congressman or a senator. I know this for a FACT, as my daughter was interested in an Air Force Academy appointment, and my US Senator from my state told me that the appointment would cost me a 20 thousand dollar campaign contribution to him. Well..it was his admin assistant, but the same thing.

[@andyburk4825]

@@feetgoaroundfullflapsC - Interesting. Seems to me GA accidents are far more frequent than should be tolerated, and often occur because of inexcusable pic decisions ... frequently involving naive passengers or people on the ground. And the AOPA has had a hand in dumbing down the training ? GA ain't what it used to be.

[@tacronicusofstorium2070]

amazing to think that the crew didn't all have seats to strap into in those days

[@RWBHere]

It was the same for an RAF Lancaster crew of 7 men. From memory: The pilot had a seat. The co-pilot had two flip around and down boards to sit on., his feet usually on the control pedals. He sat over the 'tunnel' to the nose, and it was quite a drop if he slipped off what sufficed for a seat. Rear gunner had a flat, thinly-padded seat, with his feet on the gun controls. Nose gunner sat on a webbing strap, with his feet on the gun controls. Bomb aimer laid flat on his face. Mid upper gunner had a. basic seat. Navigator stood up for much of the time, but could sit on a small seat. Radio operator had a small seat and a narrow shelf for notebook and key. Nobody had a seatbelt or head restraint, apart from the pilot and co-pilot. No heating and no soundproofing. The skin of the aircraft was a single sheet of riveted Aluminium, which leaked like a sieve in rain. (I only spent about half a day in a Lancaster, and it was on the ground. That was plenty! What it must have been like at night, in Winter, at above 10,000 feet, whilst being shot at, is unimaginable. Search for 'Just Jane' for the very aircraft; it's being restored to flying condition.) The USAF had luxury by comparison, in a B17 or B25.

[@andypanda4927]

@13:30 I saw a Gibson girl emergency radio. We still did training briefs on those in 1998, 6 yrs after the USCG stopped doing radio guard on 8364 kHz and 500 kHz. I think, with some time to think about it, I could give the training on it to this day. It was that simple to use.

[@Bill23799]

John Wayne and his crew cranked their Gibson Girl radio like they were grinding StarBuck's Coffee Beans in the film " Island In The Sky ".

[@lancelot1953]

Outstanding presentation - a lot of great information that was similar to the one I received as a Navy flyer. This applies to civilian pilots that would have to ditch (general aviation), thank you for much for the memories, Ciao, L

[@otomodachifan]

does the general aviation procedure vary at all?

[@najroe]

@@otomodachifan there are FAA instruction films not unlike these on KZbin, search FAA survival

[@viktormichael821]

@@najroe lame.

[@sonofeloah]

Very well done! Thanks for sharing this training film. The advice comes in handy for more than ditching and shows what is good to have on hand for any emergency. A lot of these prepper groups should check these out.

[@thothheartmaat2833]

if the winds are too rough and you don't want to be carried away, you can use one of these handy sea anchors... drops it on the floor...

[@scootergeorge9576]

When attending the Navy ADR-A school at NAS Memphis, one of the instructors found this film and loaded it onto the projector. the film broke just before the b-17 (model) hit the water.

[@marks6663]

Hey remember your slogan: "Forget the women and prepare for swimmin!"

[@agoodchristianpilot159]

Best end to a move i’ve seen

[@danielculver2209]

@@agoodchristianpilot159 Yep, Hollywood take note

[@richmcintyre1178]

I knew a couple of officers just like that pilot. By 1974 they were no longer with us but by God, they had all the answers.

[@serchmex07]

Awesome video

[@timmowers435]

"loosen collar and remove tie- I hear the after party's right on that little atoll".

[@francisphillips53]

Love the insubordination of the crew.. (Would have straightened that out.)

[@Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu]

Great film. 👍

[@geoffreykeane4072]

Great vid. All those guys in the radio compartment at the same time reminds me of that Marx brothers movie

[@ronchabale]

Nice one I have one of them folding machetes, my dad picked it up at a surplus sale 50 years ago

[@roflmows]

"The time: World War Two. The place: inside a B-17 plane, somewhere in the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean. You're looking at a scene from another time--a time not so long ago, when war raged in every corner of the earth and men from all walks of life risked their very lives to preserve freedom. In the air, on land, and by sea, men like the crew of this B-17 fought, and fought hard--sometimes achieving victory, other times meeting with defeat and death. You're looking at a scene that was once ordinary, despite existing in extraordinary circumstances. The crew of this B-17, on this particular and very ordinary day, will face a new kind of enemy--one without artillery or rifles, without mines or tanks, yet every bit as deadly as any human combatant. Their enemies will be the ravages of nature, the agonizing passage of time, and finally--themselves. Their intended destination: a safe, comfortable home base. Their final destination: stranded atop a floating wreck, drifting carelessly through an endless ocean located in a very un-ordinary place called...The Twilight Zone."

[@isidroruiz4755]

One of your best intro narrations Mr Rod Serling 😁

[@Bill23799]

You know Rod Serling did make a Twilight Zone episode about a WW II bomber crew. It was called " King 9 Will Not Return ". The story is loosely based on an actual B-24 called " Lady-B-Good " that went down in the Libyan Desert during WW II but was not found for several decades.

[@JohnJohnson-fr5cx]

The main guy Reynolds looks a lot like the guy from the other ww2 training movie about being interrogated at Dulag Luft. If anyone has seen that one too it’s a good one. He looks like the sgt that tries to lie to the nazi interrogator

[@jimbobwalton8562]

Those dingy's were pretty well supplied with survival gear or the air crews. For infantry grunts they're like....." here's a helmut. Now fuck off'.

[@israelvazquezplascencia883]

R.I.P to these best action men.

[@midnightchannel111]

* Not * ditching was really stressed in the actual training camps. My Dad was a WWII Army Air Corp bomber pilot who used to talk alot about his training, which opened his eyes about a lot of inequities in the world (he was just a kid, like all of them)... His instructors all pressured the students to do anything they could to keep the plane in the air, ie, the pilot should stay with the plane even if everyone 3lse bailed and try to even crash land and so save the (extremely expensive) plane for reuse. He said one guy in his class got in big trouble with the head instructor because he, the student, inadvertently shamed the instructor by doing what he'd been trained to do, ie, stay with the plane. He was in a final flight review with the instructor in the co-pilots seat and the engines caught fire. The instructor bailed but the student stayed with the plane and managed to land it. The teacher (who my Dad said was a real jerk) made life miserable for this student afterward because he's been humiliated...

[@MrShobar]

First MoPic. Also known as "Fort Roach". Reagan and a few others worked there. Maybe Ron's in the back. At 13:00, the famous BC-778 "Gibson Girl" survival radio is shown. I doubt Arthur Kennedy had even a clue how to operate this.

[@bosun3c]

The radio operator was a pilot in training on a B 17 training video. The LT (kennedy) was the instructor! Radio operator busted from pilot to Sgt Radioman

Poor Lieutenant Harisson. Barely survived in "Land and Live in the Jungle" because of his incompetence, died in the first crash of "Ditch and Live in the Sea". Those filmakers must have had a Harisson guy they hated 😂 !

[@jeffreymonceaux5926]

Thanks for down load

[@kerickwalters2749]

@39:30 cute how they patched in a shot of some chemtrail sky to make us believe the skies have always been this way... real cute

[@ivkolya89]

Reminds me how one of characters of the book "Catch-22" trained to get in the boat after his crash landings at sea

[@stevelewis7263]

You never see these measures implemented in ANY movie, Hollywood always implies there's nothing to help aircrew, except a gun happy, semi suicidal, gung-ho HERO, who can kill 100 enemy with a gun than NEVER runs out of ammunition.

[@rbeard7580]

We used to fly over northern Canada quite a bit. They gave us a 6-shot .38 snub nose. They said if we were charged by a polar bear, shoot it 5 times. When we asked why not 6, the instructor said: "Oh, that last one is for you. You're about to be eaten by a very angry polar bear."

[@stevelewis7263]

@@rbeard7580 LOL

[@jrcrawford4]

So much gear... makes you wonder how often anyone was able to effectively release and use all of it. Seems like most accounts of ditching/bailout survivors leave out a lot of it.

[@Buelligan88]

16:37 ... could have just left the tie at home it seems like.

[@RWBHere]

Uniform. If you bailed out over enemy territory and were not wearing full uniform (in Europe and Africa, at least), you would likely be shot as a spy. Full uniform gave you a somewhat better chance of receiving fairer treatment. Things might have been different over Japanese-held territory...

[@ronaldrobertson2332]

Officers loose the rank insignia, at least.

[@reddevilparatrooper]

The US Army Air Corps back in WWII in a all theaters of combat had about the same casualties as the US Marines fighting in the Pacific.That came from the early part of 1942-43 when they had to bomb Europe when the average mission of surviving was 25.The crews from the Pacific was quite unbalanced but the reality of ditching was just as horrible if you were the unlucky crew.Outside Nellis AFB here in Las Vegas NV there is a place the Air Force guys call the Deuce Five Club Bar and Grill.Las Vegas Army Air Corps Field before it became Nellis AFB was a training center for Gunners and Instructor Gunners who have survived 25 missions or more...

[@b111372]

Damn! THIS shit was better than any star trek episode

[@cambo1200]

Should call him Ditching Dan instead of Dingy Dan.

[@billcramer9047]

I watch this ole,stuff, because it is better then tv now

[@sipmeister3611]

True genuine Americans

[@wooderdsaunders6801]

Wonder if the trans ocean airlines have that kind of gear? Those life rafts seem very small for 5 men. Great film.

[@jeremybear573]

Love it!

[@banggai1]

Elk jaar worden er vliegtuigwrakken in het Ijsselmeer gevonden. Meestal met resten van de bemanning er nog in. Zo simpel als in dit filmpje was het dus niet.

[@MendTheWorld]

I have to admit that "pre-Sully", I used to laugh at those pictures on the Emergency Information card, showing an airplane floating intact on the surface of the water after an emergency water landing. I didn't even think it could be done. Of course the waves are a bit calmer on the Hudson River than in the open ocean. I still wouldn't-a believed it if I hadn't a-seen it. (And the re-enactment at 36:15 wouldn't have done much to convince me, either.)

[@tomservo5347]

The best story I've ever read about this (and it prompted all aviation to carry better survival equipment) was Eddie Rickenbacker's '24 Days On A Raft'.

[@tomthx5804]

Clark Gable was good in this film. Eager to go out on a date.

[@timothyspearman9347]

Actually, that was pretty good. I did not know what prep those designers put in for sea survival.

[@spadjockey]

Isn't that David Wayne as the Captain at the start?

[@lmoore3rd]

5:08 Didn't you ever have dingy drill? I'm sorry sir that's between me and my doctor.

[@badfinger6707]

Geeze those rafts sure are small... about the size of a small white tip 🦈