19 Jan Fighter Squadron
Fighter Squadron, WWII Movie starring Edmund O’Brien and Robert Stack
(1948) This is a favorite for me because of the (certainly exaggerated but) excellent view of what it was like on a Fighter Command airbase.
I can’t help but wonder about the contrasts between the fighter pilots and the bomber crews. In the bomber, the ten man crew worked together to protect the plane and the crew. I would have thought that the fighter pilots were up there all by themselves, but this movie demonstrated the team work and camaraderie that existed every step of the way. They kept track of each other. Of course the big difference was that if the pilot was injured there was no co-pilot to take over.
The comedic subplot was absurd. But the combat footage gave an excellent visualization of what was going on. And I assume that the characters who were the Generals … some making good decisions, some not … were based on actual 8th Air Force leadership.
I’ll definitely watch this one again.
Fighter Squadron at amazon.com
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