"Bombing up" a Catalina flying boat. I was "promoted" to deck hand
on bomb scow 34. During bad weather aircraft were towed into the
shelter of the harbour mouth and moored to replenish depth charges.
On one such occasion scow 34 was completing delivery of four
charges under the instruction of two bomb armourers. As the charge
was winched and secured to its rack under the aircraft's wing, the
fusing device was connected. This looked like a large wire paper
clip. When the charge was released, a plunger in the shape of a car
piston and piston rod was left hanging under the wing on the end of
the paper clip, the charge falling seaward fully armed. Moments
before the last charge was secured in the rack it slipped off the
winch wire onto the chest of an attendant armourer. The crew
watched charge and armourer disappear over the side with a splash
and became aware of the piston rattling loose overhead. They
cringed for a few seconds awaiting the expected explosion beneath
their feet.
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