From Air Gunner - The Men Who Manned the Turrets (Alan Cooper, 2009, Pen & Sword Publishing)
IF I MUST BE A GUNNER
If I must be a gunner,
Then please Lord grant me grace,
That I may leave this station
With a smile upon my face.
I wished to be a pilot,
And you along with me,
But if we all were pilots
Where would the Air Force be?
It takes guts to be a gunner,
To sit out on the tail
When the Messerschmitts are coming
And the slugs begin to wail.
The pilot’s just a chauffeur,
Its his job to fly the plane;
But its we who do the fighting,
Though we may not get the fame.
If we must all be gunners,
Then let us make this bet.
We’ll be the best damn gunners
That left this station yet.
Cpl. George Harding (RCAF)
... and ...
THE AIR GUNNER’S ROLE
The Air Gunner sits alone in his turret
Anxiously scanning the unfriendly skies
Looking for approaching enemy fighters
As on an operation his bomber flies.
Confined in the dismal, cramped quarters
In a circle his turret continually rotates.
Tensions mount as they near their target
Alert and on guard for any peril he waits.
For hours he must maintain constant vigil
On a Mitchell bomber, he’s the only defence
The crew’s survival depends on his alertness.
During an Op there’s no break in suspense
An air gunner’s life is barren of glamour
Recognition or medals are not in store
Overlooked when they hand out the glory
No fame for performing his dangerous chore.
To a bomber’s crew the air gunner is vital
A thankless and dangerous task is his role
To protect his bomber from enemy fighters
Ensuring its safe return to base is his goal.
When a bomber is on an operational sortie
And comes under an enemy fighter attack
The crew will reply on their trusted air gunner
To provide the protection needed to get back.
From his crewmates he will gain recognition
Acknowledgement that on him they depend
They know that when their bomber is in peril
A capable air gunner will their aircraft defend.
George Olson 20 October, 1944.