Widely recognized as one of the most dangerous places to serve during World War II, being a member of a B-17 bomber crew flying over occupied Europe must have been an inexplicably hellish experience. The most dangerous of all the air crew positions was undeniably the ball turret gunner. Nicknamed the “suicide seat”, the ball turret was by no means a glamorous place to be and was reserved for only the smallest and the toughest. The following series of letters and artifacts chronicles the final months of life for one B-17 ball turret gunner. The story of the man speaks for itself over the following pages. Standing at a height of 5’ 6” and weighing in at barely 110 pounds, John V. Avrett definitely fit the bill for the position of ball turret gunner. The following letters were transcribed word-for-word from J.V.’s handwritten letters. This work was completed in an effort of both preservation and investigation into the life of an American soldier during the... More > war.< Less
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