WINGLEADER ARCHIVE PUBLIC DATABASE

This wartime Press photo shows a bomb aimer in position in the nose of a Short Stirling heavy bomber. It's probably just as well that RAF Bomber Command didn't employ any 'health and safety' people as this confined space is the stuff of their nightmares! Just look at all the sharp edges, the lack of any form of padding, and the amount of things that you can bang your head on. If the Stirling existed today, it would be covered in yellow and black danger signs...
Of course, the Stirling bomb aimers didn't worry about trivial things like this, they were more concerned about the sub-zero slipstream working its way through the thin perspex and metal panels and of course the ever present danger of being shot at. Add in a constant amount of turbulence or corkscrewing over enemy territory and it made for an unbelievably stressful and uncomfortable ride.
Now consider that these men were all volunteers who simply wanted to 'do their bit'. Each one had to complete 30 operations, and when the Stirling was operational, the chances of any of them completing 30 were close to zero.