Post by Dave Homewood on May 28, 2011 23:32:59 GMT 12
Recently a veteran who was a tail gunner on No. 75 (NZ) Squadron told me he got a fright on one op when he hadn't latched his turret doors properly and when turning the turret inflight the doors opened and were ripped off, causing him to not only get a huge fright but also endure a cold flight for the rest of it.
Just now reading in a diary of another No. 75 (NZ) Squadron air gunner he mentions that on their first flight in a Wellington he and a small batch of new air gunners were doing live firing at Bernards Heath when one of the gunners he calls Butch did the same think, losing the doors in flight because he hadn't shut them properly.
I am wondering, did many gunners fall out because of this type of accident?
Was is something only with Wellington rear turrets, or was it common on other types for doors to blow off in flight?
Was it an easy repair or did the force of ripping the doors off stuff the turret structure?
Just now reading in a diary of another No. 75 (NZ) Squadron air gunner he mentions that on their first flight in a Wellington he and a small batch of new air gunners were doing live firing at Bernards Heath when one of the gunners he calls Butch did the same think, losing the doors in flight because he hadn't shut them properly.
I am wondering, did many gunners fall out because of this type of accident?
Was is something only with Wellington rear turrets, or was it common on other types for doors to blow off in flight?
Was it an easy repair or did the force of ripping the doors off stuff the turret structure?
