The Association was formed in March 1949 as a result of an Advertisement in the RAFA Magazine ‘Air Mail‘ by Jack O’Hara, an ex-Air Gunner residing in London. 100 ex-Air Gunners & Wireless Operator/Air Gunners (WAG’s) responded and a Meeting was arranged at which G W (Howie) Wing (214 Squadron) was elected Chairman, Freddie Sutton Hon Gen Secretary, G Peake Treasurer with Jack O’Hara and E D Brooks as supporting Committee, later joined by Bill Dart.
Meetings were arranged for the London No.1 Branch at the ‘Pillar of Hercules‘ Public House at No.7 Greek Street, Soho on the last Friday of each month.
In May 1949 the 1st news-sheet entitled ‘The Turret‘ was produced. In this 1st Issue the Objects of the Association were set out:-
Vigilantia et Virtute – Vigilence & Valor
The 1st Edition of the “Turret” may be a poor thing, but it is indeed our Own, and the Organising Committee of the Air Gunners Association cannot regard its production but with a sense of relief – we can feel that we are now really Airborne. It might not be out of place to start at the very birth of the Association. It was conceived in the mind of one Jack O’Hara who hails from Wigan, but is now a Londoner. He was lonely and thought the people of the South unsociable by Northern standards. He went to the RAFR Branch and found nice folk there, but not really speaking his language. He sought in vain for a fellow Air Gunner. Thus he started thinking in terms of some sort of Club where ex-AG’s might foregather and went so far as to place an Advertisement in ‘Air Mail‘ asking those of us interested in such an idea to communicate with him. About 100 of us were interested and did write. At the moment we are concentrating on the Social side – we want to bring AGs together again. In the War years, we were thought by others to be rather different from other Aircrew, a quaint breed unto ourselves. But that as it may, we certainly clung together. We had much in common, we enjoyed each other’s Company, and generally speaking, we’re a happy band of Brothers. Your Committee has already brought together a bunch of the Types – a dummy run, as it were. The experiment was a success. We are still a happy Band of Brothers. We remembered others – we reminisced – we became nostalgic – we sang those songs – we even shot the odd very small line…
The 1st Decision reached was concerning the potentialities of Membership. Eligibility was granted for all those entitled to the AG, or WAG Brevet – or the old Flying Bullet! Obviously, the Association would have to exist on an Empire-wide basis or not exist at all …
Sex Rears its Ugly Head
Shall Wives and/or Popsies be admitted to the monthly jags? At the moment it is the view of your Committee that these affairs should be strictly Stag. However, it is realised that it is only by courtesy of our better halves that we are allowed to get together at all. Also, many of these Wives are ex-WAAFS, which is an excellent thing, and therefore very interested in our Association. So we really cannot leave them out in the cold entirely. It might be an idea for Branches to put on the odd Dance fairly soon in their programme, and thus bring the Ladies into the Picture…
The Odd Bomb – Drop the Dead Donkey
An amazing number of Gunners liked to throw something on their own account when over the Target area. Beer Bottles, Bricks and so on. You may have heard of the type who somehow or other always managed to tip the Elsan Contents down the Flare Shute? Always in hope that some Nazi would be looking up at the right time. We heard a quaint story the other day of a Crew who brought a live Donkey back from somewhere or other in a Wimpy. Over France, at a very great height (in a Wimpy?), the Donkey lacked Oxygen and died the death. A dead Donkey being a bit too much in the Aircraft, they lugged the asinine carcass with much effort to the Bomb Bay – Donkey’s Gone! One cannot help trying to assess the effect on the French populace when a Dead Donkey came hurtling from the skies! – Drop the Dead Donkey
Can you think of odd things which you, or Types known to you, threw Overboard? We don’t mean the Skipper’s pants! We shall be glad to print all printable tales of Odd Bombs.
Membership increased to 500 by the end of 1949 and by June 1950, some 9-Branches had been formed in other parts of the Country from Bristol in the South to Leeds in the North. In 1949 Sir Basil E Embry accepted an Invitation to become the Association’s 1st President. The York Branch was formed in 1976 as a result of an Advertisement in the Yorkshire Evening Press. At the time of the 40th Anniversary in 1989, the Association had grown to a Membership of 1714, 140 of whom resided Overseas, with 24 active Branches. 1989 also saw the opening of the original small Air Gunners’ Memorial Room at the Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial at Elvington near York. On Thursday 10th July 1997 the new Air Gunners Memorial Room was opened by the Association President Mr Norman T Storey. In 1999 the 50th Anniversary Year the Membership stood at c.1800 despite the ravages of ‘Old Father Time’. The numbers have been helped in the past year or so due to the influx of Members resulting from the ‘Air Gunners Database’ Project.
The Association was an exclusive one, with Membership restricted to Airmen who Trained & Qualified as Air Gunners in any of the 3 Armed Forces of the Crown, though the vast majority served in the RAF & Air Forces of the Commonwealth. Since Training of Air Gunners ceased in 1955, it is obvious that the majority of the Members are beyond the age of ‘Three Score Years & Ten’, it is therefore evident that the Association itself also has a Finite Life. Any donations were welcome, cheques to be made payable to the ‘Yorkshire Air Memorial AG Fund‘. The Majority of the Branches of the Association continued as Social Organisations. The ‘Turret‘ the Official Organ of the Association was Published on a Subscription basis, in an effort to provide a continuing Link between Members of the former Association.
The Association was wound up at the end of March 2003, with all surplus monies being transferred to the Air Gunners’ Memorial Room Fund. Since then the Fund has been transferred into the safekeeping of the Yorkshire Air Museum, a Registered Charity. The Fund is ‘Ring-fenced‘ and may only be used for the Maintenance and Development of the Air Gunner’s Memorial Room.
As Membership was open to “The Empire” many Canadians in the RCAF subscribed to the Turret, especially those who flew on RAF Squadrons. In March 2007 the Final Issue of The Turret was mailed out to the Membership. This 8″ X 11.5″, 48-page Publication, with many colour Photos, Branch Reports, and interesting Articles, is truly a work of Art. Ron Bramley is to be congratulated for this effort and his many years as Editor. Ron must have emptied his filing cabinet on this Edition.
Air Gunner Bob Gill DFM 