Dave Homewood wrote:
I have a strong feeling that the photo at the top of this thread of the naked air gunner is an RNZAF photo. It has been published in at least one, I think two publications here in NZ, I'm trying to recall where, I think it was originally seen by me in either RNZAF News or RNZAF Museum News magazine, and then was republished in something like RNZAF Association News. (yes all three were different magazines). That was the early 1990's.
The caption in at least one instance named the chap I think, and it said that he had taken off his flight suit to jump in the water to rescue someone, and on climbing back aboard they had to take to action stations as an enemy aircraft was sighted I think it was. There was an official photographer aboard who snapped the funny scene of the naked gunner. I'm looking for the magazine it was in, I have it somewhere...
The original picture is from the US Navy Photo Collection stored at the US National Archives and Record Administration (NARA). I'll have to check if I scanned the photo description.
The aircrewman is most likely part of the US Navy.
Regards,