Intrigue

A World War I British fighter pilot lands at an American air base in 1959 France.

Trying to find his way home after a dogfight in World War I, Royal Flying Corps Flt. Lt. William Terrance Decker lands at a U.S. Air Force base 42 years in the future. No one believes him when he claims to be from 1917, thinking someone is trying to put one over on them. Decker himself admits that before suddenly leaping into the future he was actually flying away from an serial encounter and leaving his friend in a lurch. He also realizes that he may have an opportunity to rectify that situation.—garykmcd

In 1917 during WWI, 2 fighter pilots with the British Royal Air Corps encounter several German planes. In a fit of cowardice, one of the British pilots, Lt. Terrance Decker (Kenneth Haigh) flees, abandoning his comrade, Capt. Alexander Mackaye, (Robert Warwick) alone to a certain death at the hands of the enemy planes, with no possibility of help from their squadron. Decker flies through a strange white cloud, then he descends and lands at an American air force base with highly advanced planes and equipment. He is taken into custody and discovers that, somehow, he has travelled into the future, to 1959. Of course, the base commander believes this to be a prank or hoax, thinking that Decker is either deranged or on some secret mission. While under interrogation, Decker learns, incredibly, that his comrade not only survived 42 years before, but went on to save many lives during WWII. In fact, now Air Vice Marshall Mackaye is on his way to the base for inspection. Decker reveals that he had, long ago, secretly nicknamed Mackaye "Old Leadbottom" for embarrassing injuries sustained earlier. The base commander hopes that, once Mackaye sees Decker, that this mystery will be resolved. Decker, at first, doesn't want to see Mackaye for fear he'll be discredited as a coward. But then he realizes that perhaps the only way "Mack" could have survived is if he somehow got help while fighting those German planes. Decker suddenly realizes that maybe he was brought into the future for a purpose, to learn that Mackaye did, in fact, survive. The base commander scoffs at this idea but Decker seizes upon the opportunity to redeem himself and save Mackaye so all those other lives could be saved as well. He escapes in his plane and flies away seeking that same white cloud. In the meantime, Mackaye arrives at the base and is asked if he knows Lt. Decker. Mackaye recalls fondly how he and Terry Decker encountered enemy planes while flying together but then Decker appeared to fly away, leaving him alone. But then, suddenly out of nowhere, Decker reappeared with his guns blazing and destroyed several German planes before being killed while saving Mackaye's life. When shown Decker's personal effects kept at the base, Mackaye demands to know what the hell is going on. The base commander says "You better sit down, Old Leadbottom!"