[mustangdriver]

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

Now i have to get this one for sure......MD knows what i mean.
JP

Yeah I hear you. My uncle was a B-17 ball turret gunner as well.

[swoop]

What a concept!!!.... Bring it on.

[jim]

Originally Posted by mustangdriver

Yeah I hear you. My uncle was a B-17 ball turret gunner as well.

Lorraine was looking at the B17 at Duxford and upon seeing the ball turret she asked me the question, did some one actually sit in there to which I replied yes of course.

She said, well I dont know much about planes but anyone that gets inside one of those and flys to Germany must be the bravest of all those brave men, just looking at it terrifies me, I would die if I was put in there.

Sadly many did die in those turrets, bravest of the brave? who can say but is certainly took a very special kind of courage.

[flyXwire]

There is a full hour documentary program dedicated to the intrepid Ball Turret gunner crews of the B-17 that gets aired every now and then on the History Channel. It's worth
watching when you do get a chance.

[STARMAN 352ND]

I also was told that the Ball turret gunner had to be smaller then the other guys.
JP

[mustangdriver]

My relative that was in the ball was actually a waist gunner, but he traded a friend of his so that he would stay with the crew. On his 35th and last mission, his B-17 took a hit in the nose killing his bombardier, co-pilot, and navigator. The wounded pilot flew it home.

[SKUNKY]

Originally Posted by mustangdriver

My relative that was in the ball was actually a waist gunner, but he traded a friend of his so that he would stay with the crew..

Sounds fair to me...I once traded one of my friends for a self-propelled lawn mower...I found out later that the guy died, but the mower is still running strong, so I got the better end of the deal!!...

[flyXwire]

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

I also was told that the Ball turret gunner had to be smaller then the other guys.

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

JP

You had to be at least 5' 3" and really slim to be able to fit and squeeze yourself in that BT. There's a Sperry Ball Turret displayed at the San Diego Air & Space museum. You'll be surprised how small a size it really is!

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by SKUNKY

Sounds fair to me...I once traded one of my friends for a self-propelled lawn mower...I found out later that the guy died, but the mower is still running strong, so I got the better end of the deal!!...

HEY--I want my lawn mower back, you dirty scoundrel. How was I to know the guy had TB!

[SKUNKY]

Tough teedies, Cappy....a deal's a deal.....