The War Lover 1962

Captain Buzz Rickson, Steve McQueen, commands a B-17 bomber over Britain in World War II. On a mission over Germany, Rickson’s commanding officer, Col. Emmet, aborts the attack because cloud cover makes the strike too risky. Refusing to obey, Rickson leads his squadron beneath the clouds and completes the mission, trusting his instincts as the group’s best pilot. The mission’s flight surgeon is uncertain whether Rickson is a hero or a psychopath, but Rickson’s crew, especially his co-pilot Lt. Ed Bolland, Robert Wagner, place their faith in his intuitive flying skills.

Between missions, Rickson and Daphne Caldwell, Shirley Anne Field, meet a young Englishwoman who becomes part of their world. She is attracted to both pilots but ultimately chooses Bolland. Meanwhile, the crew’s popular navigator, Lt. Marty Lynch, Gary Cockrell, is pressured to transfer after questioning Rickson’s behavior. Lynch bluntly tells Bolland,

Give Rickson a bomber and a machine gun, and he could be on either side.

Lynch is killed in action shortly after, leaving a heavy burden on the remaining men. On liberty next, Rickson makes a move on Daphne, visiting her in her London flat after Bolland has returned to base. Daphne rejects his forceful advances, telling him she loves Bolland.

The next morning, with Emmet’s plane gone, Rickson assumes command of the mission. His crew drops their bombs on target, but the flight is costly: the bomber is hit hard by Messerschmitts, and Junior Sailen, the ball turret gunner, is killed; worse, the bomb bay doors refuse to close, leaving one armed bomb still on its rack. As the plane nears the English coast, the air-sea rescue team is called in and the crew bails out—everyone except Rickson, who remains determined to bring the aircraft home. He presses toward land, but the battles take their toll, and the bomber crashes into the white cliffs on the Kent coast.

Back on the ground, Bolland informs Daphne of Rickson’s death in Cambridge. She speaks softly, “It’s what he always wanted.” The lovers walk away together, carrying the memory of a flight that defined them all.