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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 1433.PDF
JUNE 3RD, 1943 FLIGHT 577 Firing at a drogue target^from a Bristol-turreted Avro-Anson. " Flight " photograph. Air Gunner. Training Clever Simulation of Operational Conditions : Plenty of Firing in Air and on Range THE moment an enemy aircraft is on the tail of abomber the rear gunner is, in effect, captain of thatbomber. It is he who tells the pilot what evasive action to take, and it is on his straight shooting that the aircraft and crew depend. There was a time when ground and air defences at night were so poor that the air gunner who did no other job was in the nature of a passenger. This is now all changed, and the air gunner ranks in impor- tance with the pilot, navigator and bomb-aimer. Good rear gunners are snapped up by aircrews and kept in the team. In view of the increased importance of the gunner, training has become very thorough. We recently visited a school where air gunner cadets are taught before being posted to Operational Training Units. The school is one which was in use before the war, and much operational experience has been added to its textbook and practical knowledge. The cadets under training are in two categories—full- time air gunners, and others (such as flight engineers or wireless operators) who take a short course to enable them to handle a power-operated turret in case of emergency. A proportion of the pupils are recently from-civil life, while a number are men with R.A.F. ground occupations who have remustered for aircrew duty. Before he starts his specialised training, the embryo gunner goes to an Initial Training Wing where he under- " Flight " photograph. (Left) Sqn. Ldr. Custerson, the chief instructor, with Group Capt. W. E. G. Bryant, tbe commanding officer of the school. " Flight " photograph. Recognition training. The silhouette of a Dornier projected in relation to a reflector gun sight ring.
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