Bomb pistols, Detonators & Bombs – WW2 Instructional Film

When recovering WW2 relics, identifying what you’ve found can be quite a challenge at times. I am always on the look out for sources of information to aid identification, and I just came across this rather unusual one.

This video shows RAF ground crew the basics of arming and loading aerial bombs into a Wellington bomber, along with servicing of the Browning MGs, and manufacture and loading of belts of 303.

At a number of points during this video I saw items that I had recovered in the past, so thought I would post it here to help others.

I’ve been through the video and logged various time codes against bits that you may find interesting. Of course, you can just watch the whole thing, but if you want to see a particular item, the list is below. This may also help those of you who recover aircraft/aircraft parts as it shows a lot of bits of Wellington quite close up.

So, without further ado……

2:25 – Oxygen bottles being loaded
2:50 – Servicing of a 303 Browning MG
4:20 – Manufacture of belts of 303 cartridges in metal links
5:24 – Loading 303 cartridges into a Browning MG
7:50 – Portion of video showing and explaining different bomb types
12:42 – No 27 nose pistol being examined and tested
13:08 – Arming vane in bomb tail assembly
13:28 – Anvil detonators being unpacked
14:00 – No 28 bomb tail pistol being examined (you can tell it’s not a No 30 by the firing pin)
14:32 – Installing anvil detonator and tail pistols
15:02 – Installing anvil detonator and nose pistols
16:10 – Testing tail arming vane
16:40 – Small bomb container. Close-up showing various release mechanisms
17:25 – 4lb incendiary bombs
17:40 – Loading incendiaries into small bomb container and showing how they are kept in place
19:18 – Bomb carrier (Type A, 2000lb) and release mechanisms
20:15 – Winching into bomb bay. A lot of inner workings of bomb bay can be seen
20:40 – Fuzing wire attachment
21:30 – Fuze setting wire
21:38 – Fuze setting control box (bombing arming solenoid)