Read the book "Looking Into Hell" By Mel Rolfe about Lancaster raids in WWII there was another in my books I have but its stored called "Battle For The Rhur" another classic both are modern books so will not be expensive.
Or to be a rear gunner on a night bomber of which a book has been written "Three seconds to live" just imagine sitting there and your whole world disintegrates in a hail of 20mm fire or your going down and cannot get to your chute because it is inside the fuselage not with you in the turret some gunners used a chest pack to at least give them a chance.
The flame thrower was quite an effective piece of kit for sure but there were far worse ways of dying like having a Panther or Tiger do circle work on your fox hole with you in it..................