Traumatised

Pathfinder · 01-06-2008, 11:34 AM

Hey all,

I was watching a televised play called "Brylcreem Boys" about an RAF "erk" who gets sent to hospital with frostbite. He gets put into a ward with a Lanc crew, who are all traumatised by bombing operations. One night, they set up a Lanc bomber using chairs and such and fly an imaginary op to Nuremburg.

Now I know that they are just dramatizing it, but how badly traumatised could aircrew get? And did they get sent to hospital for recovery, or were they classed by the air force as LMF?

P.S.
I don't think they had any Aussie flight engineers, or did they?

Kyt · 01-06-2008, 11:48 AM

Trauma was a serious issue. Now called PTSD, it was then referred to battle stress etc. The Squadron and Station Medical Officers were constantly on the look out for aircrew who showed signs like fatigue, irritability, recklessness etc, as they were often indicators of stress/trauma. If they spotted someone, they would often try to get the airman rested for a period, either sent on leave or in more seriious cases, sent for recuperation under medical supervision.

Don't forget that the stress of flying mission after mission, hours on end, not knowing whether they would survive, and having little to fight back with, especially against AA, put a lot of strain on airmen. And if they were attacked and they lost a crew member, then that could have a devastating affect.

LMF was seen as a different issue - the signs maybe similar but the MOs would be diligent in ascertaining what the reason was. If an airman constantly claimed to be sick before a mission, or a regular returning at the start of a mission claiming to have aircraft problems that cannot be found to exist by the ground crew etc would raise concerns.

As for Australian flight engineers, Australians filled all the roles in Bomber Command - pilots, engineers, navigators, air gunners......one's nationality did not preclude you from a particular role.

Antipodean Andy · 02-06-2008, 03:43 AM

In the cases/stories I've read regarding PTSD, sometimes the crew member/s in question would be helped get through some trips by their mates or they would have an emotional discussion with their skipper who, more often than not was probably the same age or maybe a little older...sometimes younger! Through this, the crew might know there were problems and expect the inevitable but at other times, the crew member in question was simply not seen again.

I've come across circumstances, with regard to LMF, where a crew member has announced he is no longer flying anymore (without consultation of crew or MO) and that's that. Again, he is quietly taken off ops and usually not heard from again as he is posted out of harm's way (harm to himself and others).

On the nationality front, the only time you'll come across certain nationalities not being a something or other is when there weren't many from that country serving to begin with! The RAF, particularly Bomber Command, was a great melting pot as you know. I wonder if there was a bomber crew where each position was held by a different nationality? Easy to imagine a crew of Canadian, Kiwi, Aussie and Brit but...assuming you don't say English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish of course (ooh, I'm going to get in trouble for that one).

Pathfinder · 02-06-2008, 05:11 AM

Well, in my story, "S for Sugar", the pilot is a Kiwi, the engineer is Irish, the navigator's Canadian, the bomb aimer is American, the wireless operator is English and their gunners are Australian twins.

Antipodean Andy · 02-06-2008, 05:16 AM

This is before they're in PFF? Down the track, depending on what technology you give them and what they do, you can have another crew member working another box of tricks!

I'm a bit rusty on my box of tricks knowledge at present but Kyt'll be able to help as he's been reading in that area recently. I think if they're Master Bomber, they'd have an extra bod.

Pathfinder · 02-06-2008, 06:15 AM

Yeah, 685 is in Main Force with Halifax Mk. II's, then they get sent to PFF and I might say that they get an experienced Scottish bloke as "Nav 2".

Antipodean Andy · 02-06-2008, 06:22 AM

Nav 2, that's the terminology I was after!

Kyt · 02-06-2008, 06:27 AM

If you are going to develop the Nav character you will need to read up on H2S radar, as this was an intregal part of the Pathfinders arsenal.

Antipodean Andy · 02-06-2008, 06:37 AM

Thanks Kyt, I thought I smelt rotten eggs and saw a suspicious bulge...! Was getting all my "aids" confused so didn't go further to spread the confusion. All clear now.

I agree. In another thread I suggested getting to know the Lanc as well, if you haven't already. Also, the pilot, being a Kiwi, would have gone through EATS so you could add some excellent background info on his time in Canada and the trip across the Pond. Well, most of the colonial crew would have done EATS of course. The bomb aimer or nav could have started flying but not been too good or had an accident that prevented further "command" flying etc so re-mustered.

Kyt · 02-06-2008, 06:41 AM

The technological parts are where any piece of fiction on the Pathfinders could fail. So one needs to know the ins and outs quite well. One doesn't need to include all the technical details in the story, but one does need to be aware of its limitations etc.

As Andy has said, get to know one's subject, man and machine, and one should then be able to develop the story nicely