The War Lover in the process antagonising everyone. In 1943, Captain Buzz Rickson (Steve McQueen) is an arrogant pilot in command of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber nicknamed "The Body". While stationed in Britain during the Second World War, one of the bombing missions is aborted because clouds obscure all potential targets, but Rickson ignores the order to turn around and dives under the clouds. He completes the mission, at the cost of one of the bombers in his squadron and its entire crew. Rickson revels in the fighting and destruction; when he is assigned to drop propaganda leaflets on a later
RAF Bomber Command aircrew of World War II recognized emergency landing place. Vigilance was always maintained as Luftwaffe night fighters flying as "night intruders" sometimes followed the bombers home and attacked as aircraft came into land. If the conditions were foggy, or particularly poor on their return it was not unusual for aircraft to be diverted to more distant bases which were clear. Arriving back at base crews were promptly ferried to de-briefing where mugs of tea were distributed while each crew was interviewed and a detailed operational report, compiled before a generous bacon and egg breakfast could be claimed. From the outbreak of war RAF Bomber Command