Inside a Halifax Heavy Bomber: Crew, Turrets and Guns [HP Halifax 2/2]

Step inside a Handley Page Halifax bomber of World War 2. LV907, aka. 'Friday the 13th' is on display at the Yorkshire Air Museum.

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[jewelhome]

My Dad flew the “Jane” as a Flight Lt. in the RCAF 427 Sq. One of the minority that survived his full tour. Flight instructed on Lancs afterwards. He described living in quonset huts in 7 man crews. Return from a mission, 7 empty beds. New crew would come in. Another mission, another 7 empty beds. He said it was like Russian roulette, when was it going to be our turn? A great guy, modest, said he just went to do his duty. A very tough generation. Hats off.

[piobmhor]

Had the pleasure of knowing a guy who was a navigator on the Halifax. When people asked him about how many missions he flew, he would reply with 6 1/2, but we got the important half done. After a few scotches, he would open up about how petrified he was, his bail out and becoming a “guest” of the Third Reich for two years. He was the sole survivor of his crew. RIP George, you’ve joined the rest of your crew now.

[yorkshireairmuseum]

We're really pleased to have helped Christoph with this film. Many people ask what the interior of the Halifax is like and he's done a cool job explaining everything. Great work.

[jameswebb]

The Halifax was considered far more escapable then a Lancaster . Years ago I worked with an ex Halifax pilot who was awarded the DFC for bringing his aircraft home on two engines . One thing that has always stuck in my mind was his comment that radials were far better then liquid cooled engines. A single bullet can disable a Merlin by hitting the cooling fluid tank.

[andrewniemyer]

Thank you for the tour; my mother lost her cousin, WO2 Peter Maurice Myers, RCAF while on ops with 138 (Special Duty) Squadron in a Halifax in March 1943. While I do not know what position he had (I believe he was the radio operator) This gives me an even greater appreciation for what they expeirenced on their missions.

[pegzounet]

In france the official version is "a good landing is when you can exit the aircraft withou help from the rescie crew. An excellent landing is when the aircraft can be reused". Lovely work, very informative :)

[andyd]

My late father, Ft Lt John C Davies RAFVR, served as navigator in 102 (Ceylon) Squadron at Pocklington. Dad passed away in 2010 but I'm very pleased to say that the YAM very kindly gave Dad a tour of Friday the 13th shortly before his death. My family will be eternally grateful for that honour.

[yetanother]

The arrangement of dials you mention at 4:48 is known as the "Basic Six", and was common to many British aircraft of the time. Having all your blind-flying instruments arranged in a standardized layout makes retraining on different aircraft easier.

[victorlyford-pike]

Wonderful video and extremely enlightening, one of my uncles was a Sergeant Gunner in WW2 and flew as a tail gunner in a Halifax, on his fourth operation the aircraft was hit by antiaircraft guns and he had to bail out at night, with the Halifax on fire I can now try to imagine what he went through that night, unbelievable. Thanks for a very good video.

[russtatt]

Thank you and The Yorkshire air museum for this film. My Wife's Great Uncle was a navigator with the pathfinders during WW2 and was shot down over Holland. He survived, and was a lookout on the Great escape. Many years later, his plane was recovered in Holland, and a documentary film was made about it, in which, he and surviving members of the crew met Prince Rupert.

[terrygrady]

Outstanding! Now. let's go through some more. My dad was a tail gunner in a B29, Korea. He had a small cart on rails that he would lie on and push his way back to the guns. He told me he mostly read newspapers during flight. We had a B36 on static display at Chanute AFB Illinois. The cockpit was as big as a bus and 25ft high, maybe. That would be a great investigation. Come to the USA. Don't forget the virtual tour of the Air Force museum, on U Tube.

[mossfoster]

Insane, I've always wanted a great interior view like this. Fantastic well done.

[clayp.e_v]

Good grief those boys in the rear really had a horrendously scary position. One couldn't imagine trying to get yourself out of there, parachute on, and bail out if the aircraft was in a dive or something whilst on fire. My god brave souls indeed

[adrianlarkins]

When you see how awkward it is to move around with the aircraft on the ground, imagine it on fire and spinning earthwards. To put on a parachute and eject must have been almost impossible. No wonder they died in their thousands. Brave young men RIP.

[Orangio]

Outstanding work by a thoroughly conversant narrator, on an unsung RAF Bomber Command aircraft.

[erikolsen]

My grandfather was an American b25 squadron captain definitely interested in other wwII bomber videos

[stokey]

spoke to a guy who was a tail gunner voluntered to get out of the coal pits at 18, did 34 pathfinder and special missions.
his pilot wrote a book i which he is meantioned as they were flying over the north sea at night the radio op let the wire aerial with porcelane type eggs which he saw dragging in the water he told the pilot who looked out the window to see the props starting to pick up the water, pulling up a tad was called for, he passed about four years ago. he said a flight of halifax bombers in formation could fend off fighters effectivley. brave men or should it be boys

[blzbob]

Really enjoyed the info! I'm very envious because I have visited this Halifax many times, but never been aboard. My interest comes from the fact my Uncle was a Wireless Operator aboard a Halifax III that flew from RAF Pocklington a few miles away from the museum (Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington). He and 5 of his crew were killed, returning from a raid on Stuttgart, 25/7/1944. Your film shows how difficult it was to get around inside the cramped plane, and how difficult it would have been to escape - in the dark, shot up, and spinning or upside down. In my Uncles crew, only the rear gunner got out, by rotating his turret and baling out backwards. The rear gunners report stated he shouted for instructions from the crew when they got shot up, and the only voice he heard was from the bomb aimer who said he was hit. If, as you state, the bomb aimer only had contact with the wireless operator during a mission, then my uncle must have been injured or killed before the RG made the decision to grab his 'chute, spin his turret, and bale out. I hope this was the case as the Halifax crashed in flames soon after. My Father always believed his brother had been burned alive. But I think it more likely he was killed in the air, or died on impact. None could be identified in the wreckage, so all remains were buried in a communal grave in Eure, France.
Thanks again for putting the time in to show the younger generation around the Halifax. Thousands were made, but only two are still around to view. An amazing memorial to the Many who flew her.
RIP the 55, 500 of Bomber Command who gave up their lives for Europe's freedom.
They were all intelligent guys too. The RAF only selected the cleverest out of all the volunteers, then put them through two years training. In my Uncles case it was 2 yrs training, and dead within two months on ops. Not many were out of there 20's. My Uncle Bob, who I never got to meet, was just short of his 21st birthday. Over and out. x

[davepond]

Thanks very much for this video. My father was  F/O Navigator (British) with 4 Canadian crew on a 158 squadron Halifax 3  MZ 374. The pilot was F/O  C.J.P.Ramsey. Never talked much about the war except for being shot down over Essen. Vey brave men all.

[bluechains]

This has to be one of the most underrated channels on YouTube