LANCASTER
the Lancaster turret
LANCASTER REAR TURRET
Quad .303″ Browning armed tail turret on an Avro Lancaster. This was determined to be the most important defensive armament location for the bomber.
As such each gun was supplied with 2,500 rounds, for a total combat load of 10,000 rounds! This was such a large amount that it wouldn’t fit inside the turret so, the storage and feeding arrangement was inside the fuselage, as far forward as the top turret.
Warrant Officer (Ret’d) Ronald “Shorty” Moyes
At just 18 years old, Moyes, the son of an immigrant farmer from Coquitlam, British Columbia, took on the perilous role of tail gunner in Halifax and Lancaster bombers. Positioned in the most exposed and coldest part of the aircraft, he was responsible for defending the bomber against enemy fighters during missions over Europe. His duties involved scanning the skies for enemy aircraft and alerting the pilot with commands like “fighter, corkscrew starboard” or “fighter, corkscrew port” to execute evasive maneuvers.
Warrant Officer (Ret’d) Ronald “Shorty” Moyes, a distinguished Canadian tail gunner who served in Halifax and Lancaster bombers during World War II. One notable image captures him in his later years, proudly adorned with his service medals, reflecting his significant contributions and experiences during the war.
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