This radio chatter clip is from a Lancaster Crew who were flying a mission over Germany during World War Two. The bomber got attacked by a German fighter later on in the clip. The crew seems to panic as the fighter engages them, and the captain at one point shouts “Okay, don’t shout all at once!” Eventually one of the gunners manages to bring down the German fighter.
Transcript:
- Hello, Skipper.
- Hello, Navigator.
- Half a minute to go.
- OK – er, hello Engineer, Skipper here.
- Yes?
- Will you put the revs up please?
- Yes.
- OK – keep weaving.
- A lot of search light and fighter flares, Skipper, over there.
- OK, boys, OK…
- Bomb doors open!
- Hello, Bombardier, OK when you are.
- Bomb doors open!
- Bomb doors open, Bombardier.
- Right…
- Steady… Steady…
- Bombs going in a minute…
- Hey, Jimmy, tracer behind us boy…
[SOUNDS OF GUN FIRE]
- Where is he, Rear Gunner, can you see him?
- Down! Down!
- Down?
- He’s come down.
- Did you shoot him down?
- He’s got him boys…!
- Keep weaving there’s some flack coming up…
- OK, don’t shout all at once.
- Hello, Mid Gunner, did you recognise that fighter you shot down?
- No I didn’t recognise it but it’s definitely going down now.
- Good, Jimmy, I can see him, boy. Good show!
This may be a recording made by Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, who established his name and reputation during World War II as one of the BBC’s most distinguished war correspondents of World War II. His most memorable report was from an RAF Lancaster bomber during a real bombing raid over Berlin.
Air Raid Avro Lancaster RAF Royal Air Force
