大象传媒

We were No 2 Course Flight Engineers. The course was not as long as an air gunners course, in fact it was much shorter and there was no flying. We were instructed on the 303 Browning machine gun which included stripping and re-assembling, gun turrets, turret manipulation, sighting, aircraft recognition, types of ammunition pyrotechnics, fuses and dinghys. Part of the course was firing from a gun turret on a range for one day. The range was at Margam near Port Talbot, much of it in sand dunes. We were transported to the range along with a trailer. Mounted on the trailer was a Frazer Nash power operated four gun turret. A stationary engine on the trailer drove the hydraulic pump to operate the turret. On the range was an area with an electrified rail, the same as a greyhound track. Attached to the little trolley that circled the rail was a pole on top of which was mounted a model of a German aircraft. As the model circulated we each had a turn in the turret firing with day tracer bullets. We then had to wait for darkness to fire and experience night tracer. As far as I can recollect an Aldis lamp was used to illuminate the model aircraft in the dark.
Althrough late September and October there were blackberries around the firing range and while waiting for darkness we stuffed ourselves with blackberries.
We were only at Stormy Down for about a fortnight. One Saturday afternoon we went to Bridgend and the following Saturday afternoon to Porthcawl.
At the end of the course we had an examination after which we were posted to No 4 School of Technical Training, RAF St Athan, Glamorgan, S Wales. How we travelled to St Athan I do not remember.

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