Robert K. Morgan
Self · pilot
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Synopsis
A bomber crew approaches the end of its combat tour over Europe. Preparations, airborne danger and the return to base place the men inside a wider military effort. The documentary follows their work through footage assembled to communicate the experience to audiences at home.
Cast
DirectorsWilliam Wyler
Historical context
William Wyler made the documentary while serving in the US Army Air Forces. Its wartime purpose was to bring the bomber crews’ experience to the home front; the surviving footage also records the real danger faced by the camera teams.
Behind the scenes
Images from several missions were assembled into the film, and sound was added later. Cinematographer Harold J. Tannenbaum was killed in action during filming. The construction of the narrative should be distinguished from an uninterrupted recording of one flight.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Robert K. Morgan — U.S. Air Force / Air Force Historical Support Division; photographer unidentified · Public domain
- Robert J. Hanson — U.S. Air Force / Air Force Historical Support Division; photographer unidentified · Public domain
