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Perhaps the most undesirable crew position on an aircraft was that of the ball turret gunner. The ball turret was located on the underside of the aircraft, not very far from the ground. Generally the ball gunner was one of the shortest or smallest men on the crew because of the cramped quarters of the turret. The gunner sat in a fetal-like position. Very few gunners had room for a parachute inside the ball turret, so the gunner wore a safety strap for protection against falling out of the aircraft, should something happen to the turret in flight. The turret was one of the most dangerous positions on the aircraft because it offered almost no protection against flak, it was an easy target for enemy aircraft, and it was the most difficult position to escape from in case of an emergency that required bailing out. Because the turret sat under the aircraft not far from the ground, a trapped gunner also had to worry about the landing. If a plane's landing gear couldn't be lowered, the results could be disastrous for the trapped gunner.
Aside from defending the aircraft, the ball turret gunner had several other responsibilities. He also assisted the crew by monitoring the underside of the aircraft for damage or problems (i.e. if the bomb bay doors closed properly after a bomb run, if the landing gear was functioning properly, etc.), and could visually assess the effectiveness of a bomb run.
Do you have WWII memorabilia that you are not sure what to do with it? The children don't want it? Then let us help you preserve this history by donating these items to the Army Air Corps Library and Museum. We are accepting donations in the form of uniforms, medals, ribbons, patches, photos, memorabilia, papers, gear and equipment. We also accept monetary donations to support our operations and long term plans. This website is part of the Army Air Corps Library and Museum, and as a 501(c)(3) Non-profit, your qualifying donations are tax deductible.
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Historical Artifacts: We are looking for photos, documents and other types of artifacts including uniforms, medals, insignia, gear, manuals, and training material. We accept electronic/scans or originals of pictures and paper records. A General Order could be an award document that contains information on many servicemen. Special Orders may contain transfers or other information. Flight records, accident reports, maintenance logs, after action reports, pilot encounter reports, diaries and biorgraphies; all of these types of documents help us support or mission: preserving your history! Contact us today for instructions on sending us this material. Contact Today
Are you an AAC, AAF or USAF Veteran, family member, historian or WW2 enthusiast? We Need YOU! Contact us today to see how you can help the Army Air Corps Library and Museum, a Texas Not-For-Profit Corporation. We need your help! We are looking for volunteers that can help us with the following tasks. Typing and Transcriptionists: One of our big projects is extracting data from the thousands of documents we have and putting this data into a database where we can display the information on a website such as this one. We also need assistance with retyping unit history documents.
