The Disappearance of Glenn Miller -
history detectives special investigations

One of the most celebrated, beloved entertainers of the wartime era takes off from England in heavy fog, heading to France to entertain troops. His plane vanishes. Glenn Miller's disappearance is perhaps the biggest mystery and cold case of World War II. This HISTORY DETECTIVES investigation contains a great deal of new information: Miller's pilot was a rank novice who had never flown over the English Channel, never mind in appalling weather; documents from a Lancaster bomber pilot support another possible accounting of the plane's disappearance; and a 17-year old plane spotter's notebook - discovered in 2012 at a UK Antiques Roadshow - answers a question that has long baffled investigators: which route did Miller's aircraft take? In addition, the German-speaking Miller was working for the U.S. Army's Psychological Warfare Division, recording German language propaganda broadcasts and musical performances.

Episode Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 102

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About History Detectives Special Investigations:

The HISTORY DETECTIVES SPECIAL INVESTIGATION team brings cutting edge tools to some of our biggest historical mysteries.

Each episode asks probing questions behind a single iconic mystery from America's past.

Three investigators team up to solve each case: Wes Cowan, an independent appraiser and auctioneer; Kaiama Glover, professor at Barnard College, Columbia University; and Tukufu Zuberi, professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.

As the detectives unearth fresh evidence, sift through clues and crisscross the country in search of answers, they reveal new perspectives on stories we thought we knew.