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Bomber aircraft have played an important role in the legacy of military aviation and will continue to be critical to the force of the future. Last month, PBS aired a new documentary featuring the story of the Memphis Belle and its thirteen year restoration before being displayed in 2018 at the National Museum of the United Sates Air Force.

The B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator formed the backbone of the U.S. Army Air Force's strategic bombing force. Strategic bombing was essential to victory in crippling Germany's war industry. However, it was one of the most dangerous missions in the war. The Memphis Belle was a B-17F Flying Fortress that flew in the European Theater in WWII. The plane and its crew become iconic symbols of the heavy bomber crews and support personnel after being the first to successfully complete twenty-five combat missions over Nazi Germany.

After completing their twenty-fifth combat mission on May 17, 1943, the Memphis Belle and its crew were selected for a thirty-one city war bond tour during the summer of 1943 and were celebrated as national heroes. With the high casualty rates experienced by bomber crews, their story helped inspire and boost morale on the home front and continued to propel the war effort. Additionally, legendary director William Wyler released a documentary featuring the Memphis Belle in 1944.

Though a celebrated airplane, the Memphis Belle nearly succumbed to the scrap heap. Memphis Mayor Walter Chandler heard that the B-17F was slated to be chopped up with other bombers in Altus, Oklahoma via a reporter. He purchased the aircraft for $350 in honor of its namesake and the plane was relocated to the City of Memphis. The Memphis Belle was placed on display at the city's National Guard armory into the 1980s. In addition to the damages incurred in combat, which included a splintered tail, hundreds of holes from German flak, and the loss of five engines, the plane succumbed to weather corrosion and vandalism.

An effort was made to keep its location in Memphis by the Memphis Belle Memorial Association. However, they had difficulty raising the funds to restore it. In 2004, the Air Force decided to relocate the plane and begin restoration efforts so the Memphis Belle could be displayed at their national museum in Dayton, Ohio.

The documentary details the story of the crew and the incredible effort required to restore the aircraft to its original glory. Featuring testimony from the air crew recounting their journey toward the twenty-five mission milestone along with original footage from William Wyler, it uniquely captures the challenges and heroism of WWII bomber crews in their treacherous task. The context provided regarding the impact of heavy losses on morale emphasizes the critical nature of the Memphis Belle crew's public affairs mission as well.

The story of the thirteen-year restoration is just as inspiring. Nearly the entire interior of the plane had to be completely restored, in addition to a complete overhaul of the exterior of the aircraft. Only about 100 B-17s remain in the world today, making sourcing parts extremely difficult. Many had to be fabricated in order to complete the restoration. It was a labor of love for many on the restoration team, including a member who was inspired to become an Air Force crew chief after meeting one of the Memphis Belle crew at an airshow as a child, and one whose father was a B-17 tail gunner.

The aircraft was put on display on May 17, 2018, seventy-five years to the day that its aircrew flew their final combat mission. It remains an iconic and celebrated piece of military aviation history. We encourage you to view the documentary by clicking on the first photo above, which will link you to the page with the video.