Air Force·Technology obsolescence·In Memoriam
B-17 Radio Operator-Gunner
Served: 1941–1945
Enlisted crewmember in the radio compartment behind the bomb bay — sent position reports every 30 minutes, ran the liaison/command sets, manned a flexible .50 out the roof, and triggered the strike camera on the bomb run.
The Story
Many of the best WWII strike-photo images from the Southwest Pacific were taken by radio operators — they were trained in photography because they sat on top of the under-floor strike camera.
Epitaph
“Sent the position report. Shot the bandit. Took the picture. One sailor, four jobs.”
Sources
- 303rd Bomb Group — Crew Dutieswww.303rdbg.com
- AFEHRI — Aerial Gunner Holleywww.airuniversity.af.edu