One of Gibson's crew was Flight Lt Trevor Roper who obviously was an officer and who's voice can be heard on the film telling Gibson where the flack was coming from on the Mohne dam raid.
However his job was the Rear Gunner which I thought was a more lowly job usually performed by NCO s.Wasn't it unusual for officers to act as Gunners?
You must remember that the crews that made up 617 Squadron where highly skilled,decorated,and veterans of at least one or two tours of Op's. And over time would have been commissioned in the field on their merits or appeared before an officer selection board.
Some of the non pilot air crew members had actualy been former instructors or leaders of their trade when on rest postings (as instructors between tours)or on Bomber Squadrons. These men would usually be of officer or warrant officer rank, as on squadrons they would fulfil the role of , for example Bombing Leader, Nav Leader, and Aerial gunnery Leader.
These men would have been keenly sought for the new Squadron and would have been poached to man it, much to the chargin of the Squadron CO's.
To say the role of the aerial gunner was lowly just isnt true, their job was just as important as the other aircrew trades ,if not more important. The survival of the bomber largly depended on the mid upper and tail gunners working in coperation with the pilot to ward of fighter attacks, and inform him of the direction of the enemy fighter(s) so the 'skipper' could use the corkscrew method to hopefully escape the pursurer.
Sadly the loss rate of the air gunner was higher then the other aircrew trades due to enemy fighter attacks (until nightfighter tactics changed and they would attack from below to set fire to the aircrafts fuel tanks).
Some Gunners were even awarded the VC for their courage and devotion to their crew.
That's all very interesting info ...many thanks for that!
shareThe role of officers acting rear gunners was not restricted to the RAF either. There were many officers in the Royal Australian Air Force who were gunners and that was their only job (although they may have a secondary duty such as OIC Officers Mess, Welfare Officer).
share"A good friend of mine was a "WAG" on 460 Squadron RAAF,starting on Wellingtons and then onto Lancasters when they came into service".
"He told me of an experience he once witnessed, that when one of his friends on jumping from a burning aircraft deployed his parachute to soon after jumping and that the shrouds got caught on the tail wheel!".
With tugging and the slip stream working in his favour he managed to free himself, and land safely".
"At the time he didnt know it was his mate until after the war".
Funny you should ask that because I had every intention of asking a question about the self-same Trevor-Roper. Was he any relation to the historian Hugh Trevor-Roper?
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