Bonner reckoned the bomb aimer, who lay prostrate in the Perspex nose blister, had it … Ball Turret Gunners on B-17 bombers were protected only by a glass bubble jutting out from the bowels of the plane. New recruits who became crew in Bomber Command were told their life expectancy was ‘ six weeks’. A Lancaster Bomber had a crew of seven: pilot, navigator, bomb aimer, flight engineer, wireless operator, mid gunner and rear gunner. "And the story I've had from one or two is that when they've tried to get a job, they're asked what they've been doing of late, as if all their time in the military doesn't count for much. ... tried to free the trapped rear gunner. This crew took off from Gransden Lodge at 01:32. all are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery. A merica joined Britain's strategic air campaign designed to destroy Nazi Germany's industrial capacity soon after her entrance into World War Two. The engineer and waist gunner on a B-24 of the 8th Air Force in England. The Air Gunner’s tasks were complicated and hazardous and his life expectancy appallingly short – it could be as little as two weeks before a rear gunner on bomber operations could expect to be shot down or … The MoD said all those leaving military service have access to the Regular Forces Employment Association and the Officers Association, charitable organisations that help service leavers with job finding. ... to prolong the life of the aircraft." And often did. A s I gazed out of the Lancaster bomber cockpit, listening to the roar of its engines firing up one by one, my view was hampered as much by tears as by the rain streaming down the perspex. I fondly remember him showing me some of his wartime memorabilia in his garden shed and I treasure my grandmother’s Wings that the wives were given. “The rear gunner had a life expectancy of 40 hours,” said Panton (40 hours was about five sorties). Looking at the same plane he flew during the war, a Lancaster bomber, Mr Irons said: "I did 30 bombing trips to Ruhr Valley in that, and you know what? A Bomber Command aircrew operated as a team. 158 Squadron was a Heavy Bomber Squadron equipped with the 4-Engined Handley Page Halifax.The Squadron … 0700 Hrs: With a quiet knock on my door, Jimmy our batman, entered with the ever welcome morning cuppa.It was his usual strong brew guaranteed to sustain body and soul against the penetrating chill of the North Lincolnshire weather. Every single man in Bomber Command was a proud volunteer. Imagine the susceptibility the gunners must have felt from their detached position as the plane dived to escape an enemy fighter; or was hit by enemy fire and spun out of control: smoke and flames pouring from its crippled engine. During the summer of 1943 Bomber Command suffered its heaviest losses and the life expectancy of both crew and planes was very short. Rear Gunner’s turret on a Lancaster, RAF Duxford. VideoHow this Mars landing will be different to before, 'Clothes should float in and out of our lives'. My grandad … Post was not sent - check your email addresses! B17 waist gunner in A-11 helmet, A-2 jacket, B-4 life vest (mae west) and B-8 parachute harness . A rear gunner on a Lancaster, Ron Needle, 19, had the loneliest and deadliest job of the war. "You also had nightmares, but after 12 months you got yourself hardened to it. Road cycling & mountain biking lifestyle. But you had to stick it out or else you were labelled a coward," he added. In the Daily Mail it was claimed that the life expectancy of a member the RAF's bomber crews was less than that of an infantry officer in the trenches during The Great War. This meant flying in this confined, see-through turret, enveloped by the pitch-black sky and constantly revolving the turret to scan the eerie darkness for a shadow that could be an attacking night fighter. Launching Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" and Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" from bases in England's eastern countryside, the Americans bombed their targets during the day while the British attacked at night. They most likely had complete trust in each other and probably felt rather helpless or vulnerable when the operation was out of their hands. But my dad says he rarely talked about his wartime experiences. "I talk to them and try and find out their story first, find out what's troubling them," he said. In October he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer and later was awarded the DSO … Excerpt from the RAF Bomber Command wiki / Falconer, Jonathan Bomber Command Handbook 1939–1945 p.51 Statistically there was little prospect of surviving a tour of 30 operations and by 1943, one in six expected to survive their first tour and one in forty would survive their second tour. He added: "John's wisdom and experience bring a great deal to the sessions and whilst he views the younger soldiers of today as heroes, they in turn idolise him and are astounded by the fact he was involved in so many bombing raids and was shot down on two occasions. We saw it as a job, somebody had to do it and that somebody was me. My grandad flew and survived 30 operations, which was classed as a whole tour. The only details provided to support this view were as follows: a. The rear gunner’s -often known as tail-end Charlie’s – primary role was to be a lookout: to defend his aircraft from enemy fighter attack from the rear of the plane and to warn the pilot when to undertake evasive manoeuvres. Tony Wright, of About Turn, said Mr Hall sets the standard at the group sessions he attends by always being punctual and well dressed, and is "idolised" by those he meets there. Wing Commander Gibson later became famous for leading the legendary Dam Busters raid in 1943. Permanently fixed and unable to be retracted, there was no hiding from enemy attack. "He spoke to me afterwards and stammered a bit. For the last three months of service they should train you as a plumber or electrician, something they can use in civilian life.". And through the entire operation, the rear gunner knew that the Luftwaffe fighter pilots preferred to attack from the rear and under the belly of the bomber, so he was often first in line for elimination. How humbling that such a – surely terrifying – moment can be summed up in so few words. About Turn says Mr Hall's "wisdom and enthusiasm" helps to encourage those recently out of the military to get their lives back on track, by using examples from his own heroic wartime past. Due to factors such as the small size of the escape hatches and, in the case of the rear gunners, the complicated procedure of extricating themselves from the tail turret, only 15% of the crew of any downed Lancaster survived. A Lancaster tail-gunner’s tour with 103 Squadron RAF 1944/5. And my father wasn't traipsing around Europe on foot in the Infantry, anyway -- he was a ball turret gunner in The 8th Army Air Corp, operating in a confined space. The tread depth on the d402f (front) is 5/32 where as the d402 (rear) is 9/32. The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber.It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era. During … A Day In My Life When I Was 19 Years Old. As a young tail ­gunner crammed in the back of a Lancaster bomber, Jimmy Graham must have known that, by the law of averages, his days were numbered. During World War II 20,000 air gunners were killed while serving with Bomber … They are lacking in advice and help. 19th May 1943 Posted to 158 Squadron at RAF Lissett from 1663 HCU RAF Rufforth Lissett opened in February 1943 and No.158 Squadron arrived from RAF Rufforth to be the Resident Squadron on 28th February. When the war broke out, in 1914, only a few Ilya Muromets aircraft … Wellington bomber. When he was still alive I sometimes asked him if he could get me a flight in the Mynarski Lancaster that flies out of Mt. The average age of a bomber crew member was just 22 years of age. Malnutrition is rising across India - why? I chose the RAF because I didn’t want to go and get muddy with the Army! The efforts of the approximately 50,000 Canadians who served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF) in Bomber Command operations over occupied Europe was one of our country’s most significant contributions during the Second World War. The Lancaster bomber played a key role in turning the tide of the Second World War, and only two are still flying. © 2021 BBC. The 1st Commissioned Rear Gunner in the RAF was a Charles Cooper from Harrow. 405 Squadron, RCAF Lancaster III, PB-451, "LQ-G" F/O G. Peaker RCAF, Pilot; Sgt A. Kirkcaldy RAF, Flt/engineer; F/O E. Hayes RCAF, Navigator; F/O R. Butterworth RCAF, bomb aimer; Sgt R. Smith RAF, Visual bomb aimer; W/O2 R. Baker RCAF, Wireless operator; F/Sgt E. Perrault RCAF, Mid upper gunner; F/Sgt J. Adam RCAF, Rear gunner. Oil painting of a Rear gunner freezing cold and obviously very dangerous position as the enemy were desperate to shoot where the tracer fire was emanating ,so life expectancy was measured in two or three missions only as without fighter cover they were immensely vulnerable as so slow compared to enemy fighters so having air support was critical for survival /snag is / our … He then saw that the rear gunner was still in his turret and apparently unable to leave it. During the course of the war, they were to suffer 55,573 casualties from a total of 125,000 aircrew (a 44.4% death rate). Mr Hall had every reason to suffer nightmares. Many veterans will have suffered from PTSD, and when asked if he experienced this himself, Mr Hall says how his wartime missions left him "a bit flak happy" - he raises his hands and shakes them. "When a bloke's time is coming up he should be put on certain courses for retraining back into Civvy Street. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The rear gunner was … News from the Music Department, King's Ely. Australia vs tech firms: What’s this row about? He flew his 1st Operation on 11th June 1943 to Düsseldorf. Ride your damn bike! Post navigation ← It was an enclosure that at any time could become an airman's coffin. Whereas other crew-members enjoyed some comfort from the proximity of others in the forward section of the aircraft, the mid-upper gunner spent the trip suspended on a canvas sling seat, his lower body in the draughty fuselage and his head and shoulders in the … Rear Gunner Robert Henry James Gill ~ DFM. This is a day in my life when I was 19 years old the date is the 15th of August 1944 Sgt Gorham 1893961 RAF Mid-Upper Gunner of FO Hiddleston’s crew of Avro Lancaster “J” for Jig of 207 squadron stationed at Spilsby in Lincolnshire. I havent got information to go on but he lived in Eardisley Hereford , can anyone provide me with more information or a link if they have one, many thanks Ron died in August 2019. Ron died in August 2019 The leaden skies spread from horizon to horizon. This tiny turret, right at the tail end of a Wellington Bomber, is where my grandad spent much of the war. But John Hall, 89, of Sunderland, is doing exactly the opposite - drawing on his time as a "tail-end Charlie" in missions over wartime Europe to mentor former members of the UK's armed forces who have recently left the military and are struggling to cope with civilian life. I have no firsthand knowledge of flying in a Lancaster but my father was a Lancaster pilot in WWII, and he told me about it. 55, 573 of these were KIA, a death rate of 44%. Lancaster of 622 Squadron commanded by Flight Lieutenant J. Watson. Whenever I have felt a bit low during my husband’s deployments, their words ring true in my mind; after all, what is a few months, compared to a year or longer? The bomber war was fought largely by young, civilian volunteers from Britain and the Commonwealth, commanded by men who joined up before the Second World War.The vast majority of aircrew were in their late teens or early twenties. Nose gunner in the cramped conditions of the Frazier-Nash front turret of the Vickers Wellington bomber, with it’s two .303 machine guns . Video, Priyanka Chopra Jonas locked down in London, How this Mars landing will be different to before. The life expectancy of the servicemen depended on the job position the service person had. James E. Berryhill sits with a field modification of two .50-caliber M2 machine guns on his B-24 Liberator bomber. The fighters were given a life expectancy of just six weeks. The rear of the fuselage was unheated, temperatures at 20,000ft could be around -40 degrees Celsius. During the course of the war, they were to suffer 55,573 casualties from a total of 125,000 aircrew (a 44.4% death rate). Based in the north-east of England, the charity aims to help ex-service personnel and their families. Are frozen wind turbines to blame for Texas power cuts? The end of this particular story reveals plenty about how stress was combated in the 1940s. As a result of his own wartime heroics, Mr Hall's DFC medal was pinned on his chest by King George VI, who showed signs of his famous stammer. I was wondering if anyone knows of a good site that has 8th Bomber Command's casualties rates for the war broken down by the month or at least the year? Whether it was the pilots hearing gunfire from one of the gunners and not knowing exactly what was happening; or the front gunner handing over to the rear gunner, or vice versa, as the enemy plane veered by; or one of the gunners telling the pilot to take evasive action, their lives depended upon each other. There were, therefore, a pilot, a flight engineer, a navigator, a bomb aimer, a wireless operator, a mid-upper gunner and a rear gunner…”tail-end Charlie”. 460 Squadron RAAF at RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England as a Lancaster Rear Gunner. Protruding right at the back of a huge and heavy plane, the turret’s position must have made the rear gunners feel so isolated, so far from the rest of the crew and so lonely. And I remember my grandmother and her sister saying how us young people don’t know how lucky we are: how they didn’t see their husbands for up to a year, or more, during the war. Many rear gunners removed a section of the plexiglass to improve their view, so with temperatures at 20,000′ reaching -40 degrees, frostbite was a regular occurrence. Mar 3, 2015 - Rear gunners. In the South Pacific in World War II, tail gunner Sgt. Nicholas Stephen Alkemade (10 December 1922 – 22 June 1987) was an English tail gunner in the Royal Air Force during World War II who survived a freefall of 18,000 feet (5,490 m) without a parachute when abandoning his out-of-control, burning Avro Lancaster heavy bomber … I'm researching my G-G uncle (Roy N Ball) who was a waist gunner on a B-17 and flew 13 mission before being killed. And those who have served less than four years are interviewed and signposted to the various welfare entitlements and other support offered by the government, ex-services charities and the voluntary sector. As Mark, a friend and author of  Caribbean Volunteers at War, poignantly said: ‘Within those few words, lies an entire film.’. When he got stuck on a word, I'd say 'Oh yes sir, I know exactly what you mean' to save him embarrassment and he looked quite grateful for that.". The Bomber Command Museum of Canada proudly demonstrates it's beautifully restored Frazer-Nash FN-121 Mk.1 tail gun turret. This included: a pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer, wireless operator, mid-upper and rear gunners. ... grateful for every day of his long life. The ball turret gunner was one of the most dangerous assignments in World War II. Remarkably, Mr Hall does not know what he was given his medal for, only that it was "For Valour", because he never saw his citation. In 2008 the National Association of Probation Officers suggested that up to 8,500 veterans are currently in prison and another 3,000 are on parole - although the Ministry of Defence disputes this, saying its latest figures show there are 2,820 veterans in prison. "John is an inspirational character and his input is a crucial element of our work. The Lancaster bomber played a key role in turning the tide of the Second World War, and only two are still flying. Squeezed into this transparent dome, Ronald, a rear gunner in 115 Squadron,  spent many hours a night flying backwards in cramped, freezing and solitary conditions. Ramblings of a wife of a Royal Naval Sailor. Back at their base, East Wretham, Norfolk, two members of the crew of Avro Lancaster B Mark II, DS669 ‘KO-L’, of No. Bookmark the permalink. A rear gunner on a Lancaster, Ron Needle, 19, had the loneliest and deadliest job of the war May 16, 2020 by Read Sector John Nichol with Ron Needle who was the the rear gun turret at the back end of a Lancaster Bomber at 19-years-of-age. c. He also volunteered with the Air Training Corps, training future pilots, until his retirement in 1982. The Lancaster bomber played a key role in turning the tide of the Second World War, and only two are still flying. A man who survived 60 missions as a Lancaster rear gunner during World War II might be forgiven for trying to forget his wartime experiences. I'm stuck, my Grandfather (now deceased ) was a rear Gunner on a lancaster bomber during the war, I beilieve he was shot down and spent the duration of the end of the war in a german pow camp. What made this tour even more remarkable for … The rear gunner was several metres away from the next crew member, the rear upper gunner, and, behind two closed doors (the sliding door and the draft door), he would have no visual contact to any other crew member, from take-off to landing. The US 8th Air Force, which flew daylight missions over Europe, had a 19% death rate, if you survived being shot down, you had a 17% chance of become a POW. A blog about anything, as long as it fits in the pot.
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