Episode
12 O'Clock High: We're Not Coming Back
Overview
The start of the Shuttle raid Gallagher briefs his crew . They will be bombing Wessellhafen then flying into North Africa, refueling, bombing a target in France, & then returning. Over Wellhausen, Oberst Falkenstein leads a training group to attack the formation. Gallagher is forced to land in Yugoslavia. Captain Lowell is wounded. Partisans help them, Lowell dies. Mara falls for Gallagher. Yellich wants Gallagher to take Mara with him. She stays. As the Germans close in Gallagher takes off.
Details
- Series
- 12 O'Clock High
- Season
- Season 2
- Episode
- Episode 12
- Air date
- 1965-11-29
Episode context
We're Not Coming Back is Episode 12 in Season 2 of 12 O'Clock High. It aired on 1965-11-29.
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Episode 11: Storm at Twilight
Harv and Lieutenant Colonel Rogers, the 918ths acting commander, watch the latest mission come back very chewed up and missing at least 6 six planes. Harvey feels responsible. Sandy hands him a telegram, his son is an MIA. Harvey goes to see General Britt and requests to go back on flying status. He gets an age waiver. Gallagher comes back and is furious with Harvey. He passes his physical by memorizing the eye chart. Gallagher puts Harvey through the wringer but Harvey passes his flight test. On the mission to bomb the marshalling yards at Antwerp, they make the run then get attacked by ME-109's.
Episode 13: The Jones Boys
Off the base, JayDee Jones is working up the nerve to go on his next mission. He gets Jan Warner to sneak him back on base. He gets spotted by Chapman who is stealing 3 45 pistols to sell . JayDee's older brother Frank talks to him and tells him to straighten up. JayDee says he has had enough, he wants out. Jones & Chapman make briefing at 04:30. On takeoff JayDee over-revs engines, and they don't have enough speed to take off, his co-pilot tries to help but the plane flips over killing the bombardier and badly injuring the co-pilot who dies later. Frank covers for his brother and says it could be a maintenance problem. Colonel Hunter the Wing G-4 (Supply) comes to investigate. Chapman sells his pistols to an Englishman who gets caught. Captain Mason from CIC comes to investigate the stolen guns. Jones co-pilot dies. Chapman & JD talk, Chapman says him will back Jones up. Hunter & Gallagher interrogate JayDee Jones, Frank Jones & Chapman. Chapman backs Jones who still can not remember
More episodes from this season
Episode 10: Grant Me No Favor
On a bombing mission into Norway, Lieutenant Col. Christy aborts the mission after 10 out his 21 planes get shot down. When he returns, Gallagher sends an angry note to newly promoted Major General Britt asking why the target is secret, ""How can his men keep risking there lives for a secret target"". Summoned by Britt to what turns out to be Britt's promotion party, he is surprised to see his father Lieutenant General Max Gallagher. General Gallagher intercedes with General Pritchard to keep Pritchard from seeing and disciplining Colonel Gallagher.
Episode 14: Between the Lines
Flying back from Russian sector for the Invasion of Europe is coming and Stace & Krasker are returning with information about Russian troop strength. Plane is shot down, one general jumps, the other rides the plane down with Trask is afraid to jump Sandy is afraid of snakes. Trask is a clerk cryptographer for Stace.
Episode 9: I Am the Enemy
The 918 is on its 8th mission to bomb the sub pens at St Nazaire. This mission is led by Major Kurt Brown who has never aborted for any reason. Richards, Brown's bombardier is badly wounded and Brown tells his Navigator to hold him to the bomb sight. He completes his mission but is annoyed at the cost and argues with Colonel Gallagher. On 8 missions they have lost 34 aircraft. Later in the Star & Bottle Gallagher asks Brown to drive Liz home. On his next mission (43rd) he aborts as his Navigator has appendicitis. Liz tells Brown she is German. Brown is angry. He fly's his 44th mission and is in a daze. Brown finally admits that he loves Liz. Before the next mission, Brown passes out from exhaustion before flying.
Episode 15: Target 802
On the way back from a bombing run over the Ruhr valley, bombs are accidentally dropped on Ste Monique. 1st Lieutenant Parks the bombardier is interrogated. A single bomb falls in the village square killing resistance leaders Pierre Fecamp. Two pilots hiding in St Monique escape Major Coefield from the 918th and Captain Pollard from the 511th Fighter Squadron. Pollard has fallen in love with Claudine, the woman who rescued them. She has brought her son to England, he is badly wounded and may lose his leg. Claudine hates Gallagher and is going to kill him. She goes with him to the 918th officers club and sees the pilots get drunk. Meanwhile in Ste Monique, Hauptman Bergdorf says they will not bomb because of the last mission, so now they can put in a German Radar Station. On the way to Wing HQ in Archbury, Claudine tries to kill Gallagher. General Marteen orders the 918th to bomb Ste. Monique that night. In Ste Monique, Marcel Lenoir is killed as he radios information to London.
Episode 8: Runway in the Dark
On a practice for night mission, they are being tracked by Vendry's unit They change course and evade successfully but ""Chub"" has to correct as he was off target. Chub is distracted because of his girl Kitty. On the actual night mission into Norway to pick up legendary resistance leader Arn Borg, they are told to look for the King Frederick light. It seems to be a trap as the Germans are waiting. The plane gets shot at lands and picks up Borg who brings his son Christian back with him. Gallagher is angry. Backs at base, Borg's map is impossible to read. Gallagher is ordered to fly another recon mission. Borg runs away so they decide to take Christian to show them the target. Borg comes back and flies the mission. They bomb what seems to be a heavy water storage facility and the mission is successful. Borg goes back to Norway.
Episode 16: Falling Star
On the way back from a mission, a mentor of Joe Gallagher's, Colonel Gus ""Pappy"" Wexler is flying as an observer. Gallagher asks Fowler to let Wexler fly in the co-pilot seat. They are attacked by ME-109's and Joe is wounded, Pappy takes over calling Gallagher ""Bernie"". At HQ General Pritchard ask Harvey Stovall's opinion of Wexler. General Britt is away in Washington and if he is not back, Pritchard will be looking for a new Wing Commander. He is thinking of Wexler or Gallagher. Gallagher is on the sick list so Wexler becomes acting Group Commander, and Gallagher the acting Wing Commander. Wexler wants things run by the book. On the next mission, he takes 3 planes and turns too early & aborts. He calls his Bob Fowler, his co-pilot ""Bernie"", and when Sandy questions him, Wexler orders him to stand down and report to the Flight Surgeon when he is back. Later in the Star & Bottle, the pilots celebrate with Wexler and he makes a good show of it. He arm wrestles Captain Banazek and wins. H
Episode 7: Show Me a Hero, I'll Show You a Bum
On a mission 9 out of the 10 crew of the Piccadilly Lily are wounded save one - Komansky. Komansky fly's and lands the plane, becoming a press celebrity. A wounded Gallagher puts him in for the Silver Star. Kirby Wyatt, the 918th press liaison calls Susan Nesbitt, an American correspondent working for the BBC. She takes advantage of Komansky realizing this story could make her (he rescued General Gallagher's son). Kirby Wyatt goes along with Susan. Sandy is very uncomfortable with the celebrity. He is kidded about being a jinx by Technical Sergeant Chapman, Major Benson's Flight Engineer. Sandy replaces him on a mission, and has to kick a bomb loose. Sandy is awarded the Silver Star.
Episode 17: The Slaughter Pen
While trying to bomb Hamburg, the 818th is turned back by flak & fighters over area called the ""Slaughter Pen"". A new German Underground Radar Station is spotting them. Back at Archbury, General Pritchard says that all 3 of his Wings have been turned back. Gallagher says that it is not a target that can be taken from the air, it needs to a ground assault. Pritchard asks Gallagher to get cleaned up and come with him to Brincott Hall. There General Pritchard explains that Brincott Hall has been turned into a Combined Operations Commando School. It is run by British General St John Keighley. General Pritchard explains that SHAEF has approved a commando raid. Gallagher will command the mission and the Air Group, Colonel Percy Vivyan (Lord Brincott) will command the British Commando's and the overall Ground Forces, Colonel Peter Thom will command the American Paratroopers & Rangers, Captain Eddington of the Royal Navy will command the Naval Forces. A Radar Expert is also assigned to the Mis
Episode 6: The Hotshot
The 511th Fighter Group arrives at Archbury to escort the 918 on the home leg of the shuttle mission. On the way Troper attacks a train making him 10 minutes late for the rendezvous. The 511th does not give the proper recognition codes and one pilot is shot down. On the ground an angry Lieutenant Col. Troper slugs Gallagher. Gallagher tells Troper to forget about it. They are ordered to train together. In London Troper gets drunk, insults Gallagher, and takes off with Gallagher's date Fay. Gallagher orders a brief at 0400, only 12 of the 511th pilots show up. Gallagher has Troper put under house arrest. Merritt leads the fighters and not one bomber is lost.
Episode 18: Underground
While on a bombing raid, Gallagher realizes that he has bombed a decoy target they need to bomb 2500 yards NE of target 385. Gallagher tries to radio London but the Radio Operator is killed, the radio is destroyed and the bomber gets shot down. Gallagher parachutes into Switzerland. At the American Legation in Zurich, he is told by Wilson Sechrist that he will be interred for the duration. He can not escape nor will he be allowed to transmit information that he has. An American officer, Captain Wright asks Gallagher to meet him at the Alpenstock Restaurant. He instead meets an American business man George Richardson. Richardson tells him he will help him escape. Richardson tells him to go to the Edelweiss Garage. There he sees a German deserter escaping from German Agents. He tells Gallagher he is Sergeant Karl Weigand. He goes to find Jean Golet, and instead finds his daughter Liane. Her father has been killed by the Germans. She helps him escape. Gallagher, Liane & Weigand make their