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The Machine Gunners

Learning: Primary

1: The hunt for war souvenirs

Robert Westall's famous novel set during World War Two in the fictional town of Garmouth.

Listen to The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall, abridged in 10 episodes. Set during World War Two, The Machine Gunners is the story of young Chas McGill and his friends living in the fictional town of Garmouth in the north east of England. With Nazi planes raining bombs on Garmouth night after night, every boy has a collection of war souvenirs. But nothing comes close to the machine gun which Chas pulls down from a crashed German bomber plane. While the police and Home Guard search frantically for the missing gun, Chas and his friends build a secret fortress and plan to fight the Germans themselves.

Antony Byrne

Penny Leicester

Roland Taylor

Bridget Dowty

The Machine Gunners: 1: The hunt for war souvenirs

English KS2: The Machine Gunners. 1: The hunt for war souvenirs - BBC Teachdocumentaudioaudioaudio

After a night of German bombing, young Chas McGill is on the hunt for war souvenirs.

After a night of heavy German bombing on his home town of Garmouth, young Chas McGill is on the hunt for war souvenirs. He finds himself in the bleak and ugly wood of Chirton Hall where he comes across the swastika-emblazoned tail of a crashed German bomber plane, with its machine gun hanging tantalisingly from the turret and the dead gunner still in place.

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The Machine Gunners

1: The hunt for war souvenirs

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