of 1663 HCU, 158 & 35 Squadrons
Awarded the DFM for his role in the Allied Bombing Campaign against Berlin’s War Machine and having flown on 48-Operations as Tail-End-Charlie in Halifax’s & Lancaster Bombers. The odds of survival after training were in notoriously low single figures for the Rear Gunners. He was just 17 when he signed up to join the RAF in 1941 and he reached the Rank of Warrant Officer during his active Service. By the time he was 21, Bob had flown 48 Missions over occupied Europe (Bob full relished this Wartime Adventure & had volunteered for a further 15 Missions after he had completed his extended 45-Operations obligation for the Pathfinder Aircrews). He was Shot-down on his 3rd Operation of this extended Period of voluntary Service with 35 Squadron. Having survived the Attack by Bailing Out of his stricken Lancaster (code TL-H), he was captured and became a PoW at Stalag Luft 7 and had endured the deadly ‘Long March‘ forced on him by his captors trying to evade the advancing Red Army in the Winter of 1945.
Bob Gill was one of the Many in Bomber Command Personnel who endured a 50% attrition rate only to be forgotten post-War by Winston Churchill who had vowed to return the damage of the Blitz 10-fold to the Germans during the early part of the War. This meant sending poorly defended men into the long hours of Darkness over the Enemy Territory every night in slow-flying vulnerable Bombers in an attempt to break the Enemy Moral and its formidable War Machine. They succeeded but paid a terrible price and had to suffer the ignominy of Public Opinion and were largely forgotten while the Few in Fighter Command received both the Nation and the Governments attention.
By 1943, all Operational Aircrew in Bomber Command had at least Non-Commissioned Officer Rank (NCO). RAF ranks for Operational Aircrew or Squadron Commanders were:
NCO’s
Sergeant
Flight Sergeant
Warrant Officer
Officer’s
Pilot Officer
Flying Officer
Flight Lieutenant
Squadron Leader
Wing Commander
Group Captain
Air Gunner Bob Gill DFM 