The WWII Ball Turret | Fascinating Horror Shorts

During World War II, ball turret gunners had to squeeze into a terrifyingly tiny workspace...

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Years ago I saw a documentary and a former ball turret gunner was interviewed. He was in a British pub and there were a few British soldiers there and started talking about how easy the "Yanks" had it. They said they'd change jobs with him, then asked what he did. When he said ball turret gunner, they said hell no and bought him drinks.

[lookronjon]

My stepfather was a B-17 pilot. His ball turret gunner took a cannon round through his knee. We went home. A few missions later the plane was down for maintenance. It was #910. They had to take #911. They were shot down over Austria. He was the only one to make it. Years later they met at a reunion. The guy was told that the crew had all died. He fainted when he saw my stepfather. They became good friends 40 years after the war. They are both gone now but I will remember.
My stepfathers name was
Major. John Thomas Farrington. He’s laid to rest at Arlington National cemetery. All of these men were brave and were hero’s.
BTW. He was 23 on his 23rd mission.

[pachma]

Designed by people who didn't have to use it.

[bennyboogenheimer]

I knew Elton Conda from Burlington Co, NJ.
He was given a 4F rating because he was 5'1' tall.
The Army told him to sit out the War!
He was in line at the Marine recruiter, and someone from the Army Air Corp saw him, and said Have we got a job for you!!!
Turret gunner in a B-17
First it was fly 30 missions, and go home, then it was 50.
He said by then I figured I might as well finish it out. One of the calmest men I've known.
He said he could sleep the first 5 hours of every flight. He said you could hear the FW 190's showing up.
He had the most amazing pictures of B-17's that were damaged, and still made in back to base.
RIP Elton. (1920-2006)

[TheGelasiaBlythe]

My ex-husband's grandfather fell out of his turret when it was shot open and basically exploded around him. He hit the ground but survived. A man at the hospital where he recovered drew a picture of him with charcoal on a piece of brown paper. He looked haunted in that picture. I can only imagine the terror of falling from a great height like that.

[jopo]

My grandfather worked as a radio repair man for the RCAF during WWII and often told a story about flying in a rear turret when a plane was being transported from one airfield to the next. He wasn’t used to it, and was using the hydraulics to look left and right in the unlikely event of encountering any Axis fighters. The pilot got annoyed and yelled back, “rear gunner, if you want to look around, use your head to look left and right - you’re shifting the plane around every time your use the hydraulics”. He used to always tell that story with a chuckle.

Thought I’d share.

[christianokamura]

When I died they washed me out with a hose - a part of the poem called “Death of a ball turret gunner” by Randall Jarrell

[johnarmenta]

I was privileged to ride in a restored B-17. The ball turret is VERY small! You don't realize it until you see it in person. Then when get right up to it, you begin to understand just exactly what we asked our men to do back in the 40s. Bravery only begins to describe their actions.

[TrailRat]

Knew a guy who operated one of those things. Said the view was amazing until the Nazis showed up and spoiled it. He was a short fella who was turned away from the army because of his height, so he signed up with the air force to be a mechanic.

[razorback]

My grandpa was a ball turret gunner on B-24s and B-17s because he was always the shortest member of his crew. His planes were shot down twice in combat by flak guns but he managed to bail out both times and survived the war relatively unscathed.

[Retrograde_cat]

Bravery is doing something despite being afraid. Having no fear in the first place, in a situation like this, might be indicative of a psychological issue.

[alexloveshistory]

My great grandfather was the bottom ball turret gunner on a B-17 during WW2 and his plane was shot down behind enemy lines. He was able to get out of the turret, grab a shoot, and bail out in time. He landed and was smuggled back to Britain by the underground. He passed away of old age long after the war ended.

[theladyinblack]

My Dad was in a tank in WW2 in a similar type of position - not fetal position, but only the smallest guys could fit in the spot where he had to crawl into. He was 17 when he joined - he lied about his age to go to war. He was in an anti-tank unit, fighting mostly in Italy.

[spanishpeaches]

That claustrophobia would have killed me long before the Luftwaffe tried.

[jackzimmer]

B-24 ball turret gunners had it a little bit easier… The entire unit was able to be retracted into the fuselage to get the gunner out.

[jonathanstein]

I knew a former ball turret Gunner, who flew in B-17's. Wilbur Richardson volunteered for many years at Planes Of Fame, Chino CA. RIP Wilbur. You've earned it.

[Ryadalyl]

Yes, if you watch the film Memphis Belle, you can see Sean Astin play a ball turret gunner. Quite a thing to see.

[manoflego]

Not only cramped, but cold in there at altitude. In Ken Burns' The War they interviewed a ball turret gunner, and he recalls getting hit in mid flight, and watching his blood freeze as it dripped out. He had to roll all the frozen droplets of blood out of the hole in the ball so they wouldn't thaw and stain the turret when they descended.

[yukeenakamura]

Kinda screwed if you gotta do an emergency belly landing

[DunnDidit]

I was a silver sneaker trainer and the coolest guy I’ve ever trained was one of these guys. He had so many crazy stories, I loved him so much. RIP