Bit O' Lace - 709th Bomb Squadron B-17 Film

[daniel246]

amazing i live in rattlesden

[1gortklaatu]

I am forwarding this film to my Dad who just celebrated his 90th birthday. Dad was a B17 pilot at Rattlesden of the Virginia Lee II. Very nice film.

[patsybaby]

This is amazing ! I've never seen this footage before especially colour film. The 447th BG which was based at Rattlesden just on the Essex/ Suffolk border. Not very far from where I live now. Great footage and great music thankyou. Pat.

[res6kgcr]

Friends,

FYI between minutes 12:28 to 15:33 of this video were taken at the crew replacement training unit at Avon Park Army Air Field, Avon Park, FL which had the letter ‘A’ assigned to it by the Third Air Force. The tail letter and number are the ship and squadron designators. The flight crew is also shown with ‘William Two’ in light clothing confirming that it is a hot and humid Florida day!

Best regards,

Tom Michel

[WizardOfChicamunga]

This is just some incredible film. Thank you!

[seminolejessica]

My grandma f

[Unit63]

The B-17 is my all-time favorite from WW2 but pardon my ignorance...what's with the extended lower turret at 4:01 and 7:25. They appear to be without guns also. Thanks for any info.

[DyeTyme]

@Unit63 I think it is just the lighting that is making the turret seem like it doesn't have guns.

[bobtonja]

@Unit63 That was the radar unit that the 8th started using in 44-45. Usually on the lead ship.

[SeanBreen]

Best video I have seen on youtube  , thank you ,,,,,,, real real

[GutpileCharlie]

Thanks for this posting. This is absolutely incredible.

Where did the "Romeo and Juliette" music come from. Did you are YouTube add it?

[Ospreynut]

Wow! One of your best yet! First time I've seen the 'mickey' radar on a Fortress in home movies,cool bit f history!

[guyora]

absolutely incredible! one of your all time best posts. these guys are my heroes! just beautiful this footage. thank you airboyd! my father thanks you too!

[express49]

Amazing uncommon document , thank you so much for taking me back there , with these heroes !

[memonk11]

This was amazing! Where do you get this stuff?

[fishinbrook]

@memonk11

Hi, this footage was "secretly" shot by my father, Lt. John Bauman (now deceased) the co-pilot, with an 8 mm camera given to him by his uncle. The original had no sound. My father is the one clowning around in the German uniform with the pistols & in other scenes. The footage was donated to the National Archives in D.C. and has somehow made its way around the internet. There is a lot of original historical documentation & content that I wish could be explained & included. -Brook

[memonk11]

@fishinbrook Thank you so much for the reply and posting this great video. Sometimes it's easy to forget those heros who fought what is now becoming a long ago war, and it's a great reminder how ordinary Americans were willing to sacrifice everything to do so. Thanks again.

[fishinbrook]

@memonk11,

I can't take credit for posting this video; I'm not sure who posted it here and elsewhere. However, my father donated his original film to the National Archives and a copy to the pilot's family before he died. I intend to try and reconstruct his narrative of the film so it can be better understood and appreciated, to eventually be posted on the Bit O Lace web site. Thank you for your interest!

[SuperAncientmariner]

@fishinbrook I think your father was a college friend of Milton Caniff .

[ArsenalGuy94]

First!