Ball Turret Gunner Documentary
A ball turret was a spherical shaped altazimuth mount gun turret fitted to some american built aircraft during world war ii the name arose from the turret s spherical housing.
Ball turret gunner documentary. I have been doing tons of research on ball turret gunners over the last few years and im interested in acquiring any items related to ball turret gunners during wwii especially photos and i d d medals. The turret held the gunner two heavy machine guns ammunition and sights. Permanently fixed and unable to be retracted there was no hiding from enemy attack. The death of the ball turret gunner title the poem begins with the death what would happen if the title was changed to just the ball turret gunner.
We d still have a sense of war and violence in the title. Great documentary on such brave young men. He was considered a perfect fit for the b 17 s ball turret. With gerald astor beau billingslea dick bowman john hurd.
He felt a need to enlist in the army and defend his country. Directed by rob lihani. The ball turret gunner was one of the most dangerous assignments in world war ii. It was an enclosure that at any time could become an airman s.
But something significant would change. Jarrell wants us to feel that death is everywhere and he also wants us to feel the. Ball turret gunners on b 17 bombers were protected only by a glass bubble jutting out from the bowels of the plane. It was a manned turret as distinct from remote controlled turrets also in use.
An examination of the most hazardous position in the world war ii b 17 and b 24 bomber planes. Just wanted to share some cool pics of ball turret gunners from the 388th bomb group. I know one of the ball turret gunners and he was only twenty years old when he was a gunner. Whitney the crew chief on the b 24.
All of us should really consider where we were what we were doing and what was are main concerns when we were twenty and think about what these men did for our country with no concern other than defeating the enemy. Alan magee decided to join the us army after japanese attacked the american fleet at pearl harbor.