Warbird Information Exchange

Hi all,

I'm curious to know if they've thought of putting together a mini-series similar to Band of Brothers, but a WWII fighter squadron of some sort.

I would love to see something like that produced and I think it would be a fantastic tool to remind ourselves of what life was like for the greatest generation during their trying times.

I think it would be really interesting, and shocking at the same time to watch a group of young men, starting at training, and following them into Europe, D-day, etc. and watch the pilots learn, adapt, be shot down, become POW's, die, survive, foster new pilots, etc.

I think it would be really sobering.

That being said, what squadron or group do you think had the most "exciting" events happen to them a la Easy Company style?

What would be the best candidate squadron for such a mini-series to follow?

Just a thought, and if there's a movie producer out there that wants to run with this idea, go right ahead!

Cheers,

David

Do Bluenosers, enough already painted for a squadron!
Or B-25s, got enough live ones to make a go of it!

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"Piece of Cake"? Sounds good... lol

Robbie

I think your best bet would be to follow a 9th AF Jug group flying ground support. Doing the same with a 2 TAF Typhoon unit would be fascinating but not many Typhoons to play with.

The other option that would seem to fit would be to follow one of the 5th AF B25 Strafer Squadrons or Groups. Jock Henebry's book on his time with the 3rd Attack Group might be a good one to follow.

I would love to make a film or mini-series about No. 14 Squadron RNZAF. It would begin in Singapore and Malaya where, before the squadron formed, most of its members, both pilots and groundcrew, cut their teeth against the Japanese in No. 488 Squadron RNZAF, and No's 67 and 243 Squadrons, RAF, in Brewster Buffaloes. I'd make Geoff Fisken the central character, as he became an ace with six kills in Malaya flying Buffaloes (the only ace on that less-than-desirable type in that theatre). The fall of Singapore, Malaya and Dutch East Indies, and the escape of the key pilots back to NZ would be covered, and then jump ahead a little till they were all gathered at Ohakea and No. 14 Squadron formed. they then moved to Masterton and began flying armed Harvards and then got their P-40E's.

With characters like John Mackenzie (a Battle of Britain veteran), Geoff Fisken, and Stan Quill, etc, and their exploits up in Guadalcanal, etc, this would be a great unit to follow. Especially as there was a lot of friction personally between some of the pilots.

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The Black Sheep! Oh, wait, that's been done. Maybe time for a more serious redux, tho. It would be cool to do something like BoB & do Air Corps, Navy & USMC. Wasn't there talk of a Flying Tigers movie a while back?

there was a similar thread several months back.., 'If you could make an aviation movie., what it would be?" or something like that., i will look for it and post a link.,. some great ideas were in it!!!!!

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S.

I think you're right. Much easier to drag female relationships into the story when you're winging you way across Europe.

"Hardened by war, the young men of "Wasp Squadron" discover love and death in the heart of war torn Europe!"

Just kidding about the story line, but the 9th AF would bring in a lot of possibilities and keep the story line's length down to about 1.5 years. You have to cover much more time following strafers in the Pacific.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

"The Abbeville Boys"

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Aussie expat lost in Indonesia

The story should be based on a Troop Carrier Squadron (C-47's) with side story's of some of there Friends in the Fighters and Bomber groups. Starting with D-day and going to the end of the war. (Tom cruise can fly his P-51) etc. etc.

Hey aseanaero,

I'd love to hear more about "The Abbeville Boys" in more detail. I just don't have the time to read all the books I'd like to, but maybe you could give a coles notes of who these guys were?

To everyone else, yeah, those are some great ideas. I never really considered the idea of doing a C-47 Squadron, that could be very interesting.

It think it would be fantastic doing a Typhoon series. There was a group of Tiffy pilots I got to meet last year and they were wonderful men and I wish I could have spend weeks with them hearing all their stories instead of the half day that I was given.

Dave Homewood, I love the sound of the 14 Sqn RNZAF series. I bet that would be a great series, but I just worry about how sellable it is. Besides us warbird nuts here in North America, I don't know how many people in the United States (being the 'big' target market) and Canada too, would be terribly interested in a non-US themed television program. Regardless of that, it is something that SHOULD be made.

Cheers,

David

Hi David,

That's a fair point. However, it would be able to show both New Zealand audiences and the worldwide market that kiwis did fly in the war, and that the Yanks and Poms were not the only ones.

I'm sure it would have an international appeal in that they flew with amd alongside the RAF in Singapore and Malaya, and later escorted the US bombers and protected US ships from Henderson Field, etc. A lot of American tie-ins could be made, they were under US command at Guadalcanal of course, and living on the same airfield as the Yanks, working alongside them.

Having the Empire's top ace of the Pacific war Geoff Fisken for example, and Battle of Britain pilots etc, would surely appeal to a wider audience than just NZ? I think it's time a decent film was made simply about the debacle that saw Singapore and Malaya capitulate, and this could easily encompass that story into it.

Put it this way, I'd like to hope that an American audience was open enough to watch an Allie's war efforts, but I guess it would remain to be seen.

Did you know that they arrived at Guadalcanal, settled in, and next day the squadron shot down six aircraft for no loss. Just amazing!

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Hi Dave,

I am with you 100% about having a movie or mini-series done about those guys and their incredible story. Maybe the NZ Film Board or whatever gov't body they have could fund such a film. Each little bit you add to the story of these guys makes me picture the movie exactly, and wow, it's mind blowing.

I do think that if there is a film done of it without the intent of mass marketing in the US and Europe, the ties with the US military should be kept as a minimum so that the concentration can be on the Kiwis.

As a side note, I would worry about a movie (as good as it would be) like this making it in North America. The way I see it, there's a BIG reason every single movie is set in New York City... it sells.

Perhaps what it'll take is an indie production company to take work on it and make it a "real" movie as opposed to a "Hollywood" movie with no love story unless there was one, and no cheesiness unless it actually happened.

Cheers,

David

Yeah, if it was done right and had the right balance of US content it would do well in the USA. Look at some of NZ's previous successes, such as The World's Fastest Indian, a quintessentially kiwi story but with US content enough to make it a big hit there (and everywhere else).

If I were to make this film, there'd be no cheesiness at all, only fact. So the likes of Affleck and Cruise should not bother to apply for the job.

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