Avro Lancaster - Wireless Operator’s Position

[@adamannear]

Incredible video! Thank you for documenting this much detail of an integral part of history. My grandfather was a Warrant Officer and Wireless Operator with the Pathfinders stationed out of Warboyz. They would have to fly in low over the target twice, once to drop magnesium so bombers should identify the target and 2nd time to photograph damaged. He made 29 successful missions, yet on his 30th he was shot down over Germany. He managed to get out of the aircraft, parachute down and used to tell of him still hearing bullets whizz up past him. He severely lacerated his head escaping trying to helping his mate out and for the rest of his life had a metal plate in his skull. While injured he spent 2 nights where he told us making his way back into France, killed a German soldier, took his uniform, would hide during the day and travel at night. A German lady helped him across the border to where he was eventually able to make it back to England. If he didn't make it, I and my family wouldn't be here today and so am eternally grateful. I'm trying to find out more about his life, service record and roll Lancaster's had on the war.. This has been hugely insightful for me!! Thank you so much.

[@duggiebader1798]

This is amazing. I'm researching my Great Uncle who was a W/op on Lancs with 44 Rhodesia squadron at Dunholme Lodge. He made 7 trips to Berlin. On his 18th Op his a/c was shot down. Only the F/E managed to get out. I've longed for someone to explain how the equipment he'd have used works. Thanks so much.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

You are very welcome, I'm pleased I could help

[@raycarpenter-2e0erl]

My great uncle alfred millard was in 44 squadron to

[@montauktimelord]

Thanks, found this fascinating as my Father was a navigator / wireless operator serving in 103 'Pathfinder' and 192 Electronic intelligence squadrons, luckily surviving 37 operations before being posted to Shawbury as a Navigation Instructor. He acquired a Lancaster aerial cable reel which we used for a mackerel spinning line on our sailing boats up until the mid 1970's!

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing!

[@lancewhite1477]

We used to have an R1155 at school back in the 70’s. It was used to pick up weather reports from Bracknell, and the lab tech had cobbled together a modem to convert the radio signals to dump out 5 character codes to a teleprinter, which we could then plot on a big chart of the UK.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing

[@deeremeyer1749]

A "teleprinter" that spoke "baud" in the "70s" along with broadcast voice radio on AM containing "coded signals" that could "jump" from the "airwaves" to telephone "land lines"? Methinks - or rather me knows - you are completely full of shit and don't know that a MODEM is ALWAYS a "wired device" and both SENDS and RECEÌVES "machine code" OVER "land lines" but is not capable of "dumping" anything to a "teleprinter" that can and does "talk directly" over/on phone lines while a MODEM is a "translator" that allows a 120VAC MICROPROCESSOR TRANSCEIVER TO "COMMUNICATE" OVER 6VDC CIRCUITS

[@faeembrugh]

I worked with a chap in the 1980s who was a Wop/AG in 1944/45. He was quite happy to talk about his experiences but said his job was rather boring. He claimed he spent a lot of time on missions reading novels!

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing

[@MrShotlighter]

Well researched & informative. The "wireless operator" in Morse was a nice touch. Did spot one incorrect bit though: the AE current meter is to measure the RF current delivered to the aerial by the transmitter, not measure static.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing and for watching

[@craigdavid7792]

A very good explanation of the radio equipment.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks Craig

[@janinesmithson9514]

This is fascinating. Ironic too because today where I work we have the Lincolnshire Amateur Radio Club broadcasting live in the grounds of the International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln for the Avro Lancaster 80 years 😊 Also free activities and crafts for families

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks

[@paulbrenton939]

1. My R1155 Radio HET Switch is used for SPOT ON Tuning by ear and UNMODULATED CW signals, 2, I have a 192 PLUG BOX here in my W/Ops room display!! . SETS for MARINE use were marked "STEEL" their chassis made of heavy steel metal!! PJB

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watching

[@nigelbewley1122]

Thanks for this gen. My Dad was a wireless operator/emergency air gunner in Lancasters and this excellent video has gone quite a long way to explain his job on sorties. He barely talked about it.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad it helped and thanks for watching

[@jamesdonaldson4416]

My father was a wireless operator during the last 2 years of the war. He never spoke about it, he died in 1980 when I was only 19. How I wish I had asked him all about his experiences.

[@yehudacern5311]

A small correction: The antenna ammeter was not related to static electricity but rather the level of rf antenna current generated by the transmiiter. It would reach a maximum when the transmitter output stage and any antenna tuner device were tuned to resonance. 4X1TQ

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watching

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

Appreciated the video, very interesting.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad it was helpful!

[@patfontaine5917]

Yet again you give us a wonderful view into history. I love these detailed yet easy to understand peeks inside what typically is ‘just’ a picture. You have a knack for bringing it to life. Well done, sir!

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks Pat, I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@davegoldsmith4020]

Thanks Bryan, sat in front of the kit many times, as it was where I as ground crew would sit for take off and landings, but of course it was not used. seeing the little draw at the rear of the table brought back memories, again as it was not used kept my gloves in there. Often wondered why that window was there as you could not see much from it, even less at night i would guess. But again you have put a lot more information out there on what looks like a simple part of the aircraft, thanks again.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing

[@greybeardmodels]

Thanks Bryan, that was excellent as usual. I shall be re-watching this a few times I'm sure. Cheers Bob 👍

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@greybeardmodels]

@@ukaircraftexplored6556 I’ll give you a shout out on my next video as I’m doing the radio operator station build now. 👍

[@radiosnail]

Extremely interesting. Many many thanks.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@nzs316]

I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the Astro compass. Any chance that it may become a topic in the future? A while back I caught a video of a Catalina PBY. It was so detailed until his camera panned right past the Astro compass and went straight to the radio operator table.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Will look into that Neil. Thanks

[@nzs316]

@@ukaircraftexplored6556 I have one and I tried in earnest to explain its operation to my son then, he raised his phone and made a gesture that “I have a smart phone!”. I replied, “in an hour and a half your battery will die and you have no way to charge it!”. The information you share from your past experience and your knowledge base is really invaluable. It will serve as a reference for generations to come it is so appreciated thank you so much. It’s difficult to get somebody to appreciate that this is what you had to navigate by and usually while you’re being shot at. So you had your stars and dead reckoning to get you home.

[@scroggins100]

Really interesting many thanks for your obvious hard work.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

You are very welcome!

[@raycarpenter-2e0erl]

Brilliant vid thank you

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@pontymike56]

Excellent Video , really suprised how sophisticated H2S/fishpond was, did the navigator have a radar set also

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

The Navigator didn't have Fishpond, but he did have the main H2S set that provided the ground mapping. I hall include that when I cover the Navigator's position soon. Thanks for watching

[@pontymike56]

@@ukaircraftexplored6556 thanks

[@libraryofchoid]

Hi Bryan, will you be covering the navigators station for the lancaster?

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Yes, it will be posted on Friday!

[@libraryofchoid]

@@ukaircraftexplored6556 Nice one, Bryan!

[@kurtmcalister-gq7il]

Hi, I really enjoy your videos. I am currently building a 1/48 scale model of the BI/III - Tamiya. I am finding it difficult to find any reference as to exactly where the aerial from the tail enters the forward area of the aircraft. I have looked for photos but can’t find where in the astro dome the aerial enters. I will be using braid fishing line coloured with flat aluminium paint. Hope you are able to help.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for watching

[@petersteel9331]

On top of the radio is my father surename he few in the Lancasters

[@richardschaffer5588]

@19:24 5 shillings for the poor bastard who had just risked his life serving his country!!! No wonder Labour won in 1946!

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

I know what you mean, but it was done a an incentive to ensure the aerial was wound properly.

[@grahamedwards9654]

brilliant video my dad was a wireless op and emergency gunner did 32 ops in the N for NaN then he got posted to india so missed the Dresden operation just got possession of his flying log book makes very interesting reading

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing Graham

[@572Btriode]

From 4:49 you are somewhat in error, the "MAG" meter is used to read the anode current in the PA valves to allow transmitter resonance tuning by looking for the dip in anode current. The other meter has absolutely nothing to do with static but it measures transmitter aerial current to allow for correct tuning and aerial matching on the LF (yellow) band. All this can be found in the operating instructions: www.vmarsmanuals.co.uk/archive/1257_AP2548_T1154.pdf See para. 139 for LF tuning.

[@ukaircraftexplored6556]

Thanks for sharing