RAF Bomber Crewman (Shire Library)

Discover what it was like to fly with an Royal Air Force heavy bomber crew on a typical night raid over Germany. Learn about the different kinds of specialist flying kit available; read about the varied arsenal of bombs, defensive armament and electronic aids that were carried, and how they were used. How did a squadron's choice of aircraft - Stirling, Halifax, Lancaster or Mosquito - affect one's chances of survival? What were the odds when a lone bomber crew battled it out with a marauding German night fighter aircraft, or with deadly flak and searchlights? And what would happen to an airman if his nerve cracked under the pressure?