Exhibition for RAF man with the 'loneliest job'

An airman who was tasked with one of the "loneliest" roles in the RAF during World War Two is set to feature in an exhibition at a Derbyshire museum.

Foundry worker Eric Needham, from John Street in Ilkeston, was 20 when he answered a call from the Royal Air Force in 1941 to train as a gunner.

His logbook is now among some of the wartime items loaned by his family to Erewash Museum, in Ilkeston.

Erewash Borough Council's Deputy Leader, Becca Everett, said: "We owe so much to the incredible bravery of heroes such as Eric."

Mr Needham completed his training in 1942 and then joined 106 squadron at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC, known for leading the Dambusters Raid in 1943.

He served as a rear gunner on both Lancaster and Wellington bombers and also as a mid-upper gunner.

A rear gunner, or 'Tail End Charlie', was often referred to as one of the loneliest wartime roles by RAF personnel due to the fact they sat in a cramped pod near the tail of the aircraft which was cut off from the rest of the crew.

Mr Needham returned to Ilkeston after the war and died on 2 February 2003, aged 82.

Also on display at the exhibition is a model aircraft that Mr Needham made after the war, using old toothpaste cartons and parts from a Wellington and a De Havilland Mosquito.

The council said Mr Needham's items will remain at the museum "indefinitely".

In a statement, Mr Needham's family said: "We are delighted with the exhibition at Erewash Museum explaining Eric's early life and military career.

"We are very proud of Eric's service in the RAF during the Second World War and happy that people can visit the museum and learn about his life and accomplishments."

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