Museum Exhibit Honors RAF Airman with ‘Loneliest Job’

An exhibition at a museum in Derbyshire will highlight an airman who performed one of the “loneliest” roles in the RAF during World War Two. Eric Needham, a foundry worker residing on John Street in Ilkeston, joined the Royal Air Force in 1941 at the age of 20 to undergo gunner training. His logbook is currently displayed among various wartime artifacts that his family has provided to the Erewash Museum in Ilkeston. Becca Everett, Deputy Leader of Erewash Borough Council, stated: “We owe so much to the incredible bravery of heroes such as Eric.” In 1942, Mr Needham finished his training and subsequently became a member of 106 squadron at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. This squadron was commanded by Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC, who gained renown for leading the Dambusters Raid in 1943. He performed duties as a rear gunner aboard both Lancaster and Wellington bombers, in addition to serving as a mid-upper gunner. RAF personnel frequently described the position of a rear gunner, also known as a ‘Tail End Charlie’, as one of the most solitary wartime assignments. This was attributed to their placement in a confined pod located near the aircraft’s tail, isolated from the remaining crew members. Following the war, Mr Needham went back to Ilkeston, where he passed away on 2 February 2003, at the age of 82. The exhibition also features a model aircraft crafted by Mr Needham post-war, constructed from used toothpaste cartons and components sourced from a Wellington and a De Havilland Mosquito. The council confirmed that Mr Needham’s artifacts will be kept at the museum “indefinitely”. Mr Needham’s family issued a statement, declaring: “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.”