Wellington Rear Gunners

[colinpateman]

Can anyone confirm that the early rear gunners on Wellingtons were not fitted with rear doors, and if so when did they become fitted. Any help warmly received-

[Graham Boak]

I'm certain all those with Frazer-Nash turrets will have had rear doors, so the question must apply to the early Vickers gun positions. In these the guns moved, but the gunner sat under a fixed transparent fairing. There seems to be no need to there to have been any door for this installation.

This is only deduction: I don't know the answer for sure.

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Colin,

recently working on Welington profiles, Vickers Wellington by 4+ publication lying on my table. There are plenty of shorts of FN turrets but no of the early one.
But I fully agree with Graham - I think there were no doors in the early version of gun turret.

Pavel

[andy wis]

I concur with Pavel; there is a cutaway diagram of the Wellington in the "Aeroplane" magazine of the 5th July, 1939 which plainly shows no door to the rear gunner's turret....
Andy Wis (Brooklands Volunteer)

[colinpateman]

I would like to note a message of thanks to Andy who forwarded a drawing showing no doors on the early type of Wellington. It is my assumption that later models were fitted with rear gunners doors to reduce draft within the aircraft.

[ianh]

Hi Colin

Just wondering, for those of us who haven't seen what Andy's sent you, is that a drawing of the Wellington 1? (and does it therefore show that Graham's post at No.2 is correct?)

Like Graham, I can understand that 'proper' rotating turrets like in the Mks 1a and 1c with 2 and 4 guns respectively would have to have doors for when they turned, but a simple perspex-covered position with guns poking out (as in the Mk 1's) - not being a 'turret' as such - wouldn't need them? Are we correct in this?

Regards

Ian

[colinpateman]

Ian.

Yes quite correct-it was almost a fixed arrangement with what appears to have been a fixed chair for the gunner to sit upon.

[Graham Boak]

There is another point that may be being made - the turret has doors but are there doors in the fuselage to prevent draughts from around the turret? I would assume not.