12 O'Clock High (1964)
S01E11 Here's to Courageous Cowards
Episode Overview
Ross Lawrence, a clerk at the Group Office, secretly joins Joe Morse's crew and successfully takes down an FW. Afterward, Morse suggests transferring Lawrence to a flight crew, but he declines the offer. Growing suspicious, Morse has Sergeant Meadows check Lawrence's file and discovers that he was a conscientious objector who spent a year in an internment camp. Meanwhile, Morse, overwhelmed by the pressure of leading numerous missions, is urged by Savage to step down as lead pilot. On their next two missions, the crew suffers significant casualties. In need of replacements, Savage orders Lawrence to undergo gunnery training, where he becomes the left waist gunner on the "Terrible Tillie." During the following mission, Wilson takes charge when Morse loses focus. As they reach their target, Lawrence hesitates until witnessing the death of a friend, which motivates him to shoot down an enemy fighter. At the debriefing, Major Morse recommends Wilson as the new lead pilot.
