3-20-17 Garand Picture of the Day

[Paul S.]

Effective but my God out of all the hellish ways to die there are in war it may be the worst.

I can't imagine being trapped in a turret of an on-fire Lancaster, Halifax, B17, or a B24 as it nose dives down from 20,000 feet is even remotely better. Sure, it's quick, but you know it's coming.

[CINDERS]

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..................

[Paul S.]

Mate, my granddad was a sergeant in a highlander battalion in the trenches when the German's included the first major use of gas during pre-assault barrage at the beginning of 2nd Ypres. Being Mustard gassed with no protection, slowly dying as its burn your eyes, skin and lungs - drowning as fluid fills your lungs is a b*st*rd of a way to go too.

[CINDERS]

Sadly they did not know enough about the effects of Mustard gas and left the troops in the clothes they were gassed in just compounding the effects as the stuff had permeated the fabric continuing to fume them and burn skin.