Air Gunners with Rank P/O, F/O & F/L

[Graham Boak]

The RAF had Gunnery Officers from the start of the war: although I don't know for sure I'd expect every bomber squadron to have an officer whose responsibility was the squadron's gunnery. I'd not expect every such officer to have risen from the ranks in the pre-war RAF, but maybe.

Stories from the USAAF's famous low-level raid on Ploesti describe the benefits of having an experienced RAF Gunnery Officer with them, not least as acting as a fire controller.