Aircrew: The Story of the Men Who Flew the Bombers by Bruce Lewis Page A
Authors: Bruce Lewis
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Furthermore, they inspired those of us who were to follow.
The Air Gunner
The professional air gunner emerged as a distinct aircrew category in World War Two. In the previous war a bombing plane’s defence was in the hands of the observer who operated under very difficult conditions. For example, in the British B.E.2 he sat in an open cockpit in front of the pilot, surrounded by a confusion of struts and wires, while the engine limited his field of fire immediately ahead. Flying suits were, of course, unheated and the intense cold not only affected the physical efficiency of the men, but also caused stoppages in their guns when the lubrication systems froze.
By the outbreak of the Second World War the RAF had developed the power-operated turret. It was then best utilized in the Vickers Wellington which mounted two.303 Browning machine guns in a nose turret, and four.303 Browning machine guns in the tail turret. Later, beam guns were added to frustrate side-on attacks. After the development of the four-engine ‘heavies’ the mid-upper turret became standard additional defensive equipment. Later we shall see how the Americans brought the ‘art’ of air gunnery to its ultimate peak, when, in daylight skies over occupied Europe, their aptly named Fortresses and Liberators fought their way through to the target in spite of the fiercest opposition from cannon and rocket-firing Luftwaffe fighters.
At first air gunners were usually of low rank, often no more than LAC. Soon, however, the minimum rank, as for all aircrew, was established as Sergeant. It was possible for a volunteer air gunner to reach operational squadron service more quickly than in any other flying category. The actual gunnery course took only six weeks. It was said, with some justification, that the rear gunner occupied the most dangerous position in the plane. It was certainly the loneliest, and the coldest. Yet occasionally it was an advantage to be situated aft; as Reg Scarth discovered – on two occasions.
Tough, restless and stocky, with a clipped northern accent, Reg Scarth finally hauled himself into the rear turret of a Vickers Wellington in 1943. He went an unusually roundabout way to get there. But for his determination to fly, he might well have remained as an administrator in the RAF.
Having volunteered for aircrew duties, he should have finished up as a pilot, which was what he was selected for. In fact he almost certainly would have become a pilot if it had not been for his stockiness. Then he could have trained as a navigator, but his restlessness got in the way of that. Instead, Reg became an air gunner, for which his toughness suited him well. Eventually he attained the rank of Squadron Leader.
Reg was born in Osset, Yorkshire, on 15 September, 1922, and joined the RAF as an apprentice in July, 1938, shortly before his 16th birthday. He was posted to Ruislip where he trained in the Records Office. He qualified in September, 1939, the month Britain and France declared war on Germany, and began work as an RAF clerk at Church Fenton.
It was not very long before restlessness set in. Volunteering for duties overseas, he expected to finish up in France like most other servicemen at that period of the war. Instead he was posted to Rhodesia. Life was pleasant enough – good climate, a full social life, and plenty of sport. By 1942 he had been promoted Sergeant.
In South-East Africa the war seemed a long way off. It was this that worried him more and more as time went by. Reading between the lines in newspaper and radio reports, he felt certain there must be a serious shortage of aircrew back in England. Yet there he was living in safety and comfort in a billet remote from the war. So he volunteered for flying duties. As a veteran of four years standing in the RAF, he sailed through his initial training, being excused much of what the raw recruits had to undergo.
At EFTS he thoroughly enjoyed himself learning the basics of flying in tiny De
The Air Gunner
The professional air gunner emerged as a distinct aircrew category in World War Two. In the previous war a bombing plane’s defence was in the hands of the observer who operated under very difficult conditions. For example, in the British B.E.2 he sat in an open cockpit in front of the pilot, surrounded by a confusion of struts and wires, while the engine limited his field of fire immediately ahead. Flying suits were, of course, unheated and the intense cold not only affected the physical efficiency of the men, but also caused stoppages in their guns when the lubrication systems froze.
By the outbreak of the Second World War the RAF had developed the power-operated turret. It was then best utilized in the Vickers Wellington which mounted two.303 Browning machine guns in a nose turret, and four.303 Browning machine guns in the tail turret. Later, beam guns were added to frustrate side-on attacks. After the development of the four-engine ‘heavies’ the mid-upper turret became standard additional defensive equipment. Later we shall see how the Americans brought the ‘art’ of air gunnery to its ultimate peak, when, in daylight skies over occupied Europe, their aptly named Fortresses and Liberators fought their way through to the target in spite of the fiercest opposition from cannon and rocket-firing Luftwaffe fighters.
At first air gunners were usually of low rank, often no more than LAC. Soon, however, the minimum rank, as for all aircrew, was established as Sergeant. It was possible for a volunteer air gunner to reach operational squadron service more quickly than in any other flying category. The actual gunnery course took only six weeks. It was said, with some justification, that the rear gunner occupied the most dangerous position in the plane. It was certainly the loneliest, and the coldest. Yet occasionally it was an advantage to be situated aft; as Reg Scarth discovered – on two occasions.
Tough, restless and stocky, with a clipped northern accent, Reg Scarth finally hauled himself into the rear turret of a Vickers Wellington in 1943. He went an unusually roundabout way to get there. But for his determination to fly, he might well have remained as an administrator in the RAF.
Having volunteered for aircrew duties, he should have finished up as a pilot, which was what he was selected for. In fact he almost certainly would have become a pilot if it had not been for his stockiness. Then he could have trained as a navigator, but his restlessness got in the way of that. Instead, Reg became an air gunner, for which his toughness suited him well. Eventually he attained the rank of Squadron Leader.
Reg was born in Osset, Yorkshire, on 15 September, 1922, and joined the RAF as an apprentice in July, 1938, shortly before his 16th birthday. He was posted to Ruislip where he trained in the Records Office. He qualified in September, 1939, the month Britain and France declared war on Germany, and began work as an RAF clerk at Church Fenton.
It was not very long before restlessness set in. Volunteering for duties overseas, he expected to finish up in France like most other servicemen at that period of the war. Instead he was posted to Rhodesia. Life was pleasant enough – good climate, a full social life, and plenty of sport. By 1942 he had been promoted Sergeant.
In South-East Africa the war seemed a long way off. It was this that worried him more and more as time went by. Reading between the lines in newspaper and radio reports, he felt certain there must be a serious shortage of aircrew back in England. Yet there he was living in safety and comfort in a billet remote from the war. So he volunteered for flying duties. As a veteran of four years standing in the RAF, he sailed through his initial training, being excused much of what the raw recruits had to undergo.
At EFTS he thoroughly enjoyed himself learning the basics of flying in tiny De
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