World War II documentary to screen March 29 at Missouri Southern

 (From Southern News Service)

The Social Sciences Department at Missouri Southern State University will present a screening of the documentary “Encounter with the Enemy” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, in Billingsly Student Center’s Phelps Theater.

Directed by Linda Eastburn, a documentary filmmaker from Springfield, Mo., it tells the story of Francis Siddoway, a WWII gunner on a B-26 bomber who was shot down over Germany in 1945. He was taken captive and put on a train to the concentration camp in Dachau before being rescued by allied forces and witnessing the liberation of the camp.

 

Forty years later, a painting of a German general’s last battle in WWII helps put into motion a series of events that bring Siddoway face to face with the man who shot down his plane.

“Even though Francis Siddoway is deceased, his nephew, sister and other relatives participated in the making of the documentary with releases and documentation on all of the facts of the story,” said Eastburn. “We also worked closely with a WWII historian who is also in the film.”

The filmmaker will offer a presentation and Q&A following the film.

The presentation of “Encounter with the Enemy” is free and open to the public.