Last of the Tail Gun Charlies - Biography of Warrant Officer Ronald Carter's (1620578 Royal Air Force)

Last of the Tail Gun Charlies - Biography of Warrant Officer Ronald Carter's (1620578 Royal Air Force)

Ronald volunteered to join the Royal Air Force in November 1942, aged 17. After basic training, Ronald was selected for gunnery and wireless operator training, becoming a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. He was posted to RAF Waddington to form an aircrew and join 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron. April 1943 saw the squadron move to RAF Dunholme Lodge for operations and Ronald's promotion to Sergeant. His role was rear gunner in the Lancaster aircraft of the squadron. On 18 July 1944, his aircraft (KM-U) was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Ronald’s escape by parachute, and subsequent capture, is described. After initial interrogation he was sent to Stalag-Luft VII at Bankau, Poland. His time at the camp is described, up to January 1945 when the whole camp was to evacuate and march to the West, ahead of the Russian advance. The second half of this biography describes the forced march through Poland and Germany to Stalag Luft IIIA at Luckenwalde. The Russian Army liberated the camp but Roland fled with three other prisoners to meet up with the American Army. He was returned to England in April 1945, where, after a period of leave, he served as a gunnery instructor at RAF Ringway until demobbed in October 1946. The biography includes reference to letters between Ronald and the Irvine Parachute Company regarding his successful escape from his Lancaster in 1944 and request to become a member of the Caterpillar Club. The biography concludes with a detailed description of his operations and a series of photographs of his crew, his aircraft, RAF Dunholme Lodge and his medal display, now at the Solway Aviation Museum.

2019

49 page booklet

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