Training for a crash landing

Heroes Remember

Training for a crash landing

Transcript

Each person in the plane had a routine to follow and the navigator was in the nose and in a Fortress and no he didn't get out first because the two pilots had to get out to let him up. And, and so he would sort of be third or fourth in line getting out, but that was mainly because of the plane. Now the first guy out in a Fortress was generally the guy in the upper guns cause he had to get out and so did the guy down below. (Interviewer: Billet gunner.) But order, specifically, make sure that you're all close together and that you were working together to get out and get out onto the wings and inflate your, your boats and away you went. And the plane, the plane would go down pretty damn fast and, but generally speaking in a Flying Fortress everybody was, the tail gunner was in the worst position. He had a long way to come up to get out. He was right at the back of the plane. Well it was the worst job in the world. In fact he was the guy who got shot up the most so, it wasn't the best place to be. One of the crews that I trained on getting out of the aircraft, in ditching, went down in the English Channel and they all got out and they came back to the squadron to tell me, or came back to the LTU to tell me. It was quite a, quite a, quite a pleasant feeling.

Description

Mr. Wonnacott talks about how to escape from a plane in water. He also speaks of the rewards of training others.

Eri (Bill) Wonnacott

Eri Wonnacott was born in Edmonton, Alberta on September 16, 1919. He was the oldest of 3 siblings; one sister and two brothers. His family lived through some very rough times during the Depression. He joined the RCAF air crew and became a navigator. He also spent some time as a training officer. After leaving the service, Mr. Wonnacott worked for Lever Brothers and later become a CEO of one of their companies.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 02:31
Person Interviewed:: Eri (Bill) Wonnacott
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Europe
Branch:: Air Force
Units/Ship:: Bomber Command
Occupation:: Navigator

Language selection

Training for a crash landing

Heroes Remember