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 from a crashed German bomber. While the police and 鶹Լ Guard search frantically for the missing gun, Chas and his friends build a secret fortress and plan to fight the Germans themselves.
1: The hunt for war souvenirs. audio
Young Chas McGill is on the hunt for war souvenirs after a night of German bombing.
2: Keeping a secret. audio
Chas and his friends return to the crashed plane and saw away the machine gun.
3: Getting the better of Boddser Brown. audio
The police and Boddser Brown have found the plane and wonder who has taken the machine gun.
4: Setting up camp. audio
The children start building a secret camp at the bottom of Nicky’s garden to house the gun.
5: Life at the fortress. audio
School has closed early for Christmas because of bomb damage and the children spend time at Nicky’s house.
6: A home from home. audio
A German bomb destroys Nicky’s house, killing everyone except Nicky. He takes refuge in the Fortress Caparetto.
7: A German friend. audio
As his plane is shot down over Garmouth, Sergeant Rudi Gerlath of the German Luftwaffe bails out and parachutes, unnoticed, to earth.
8: Closing in. audio
After Rudi blunders into Fortress Caparetto, the children hold him captive with his own gun.
9: The Germans are coming. audio
Fear of a German invasion and life under the Nazis reaches fever pitch in Garmouth.
10: A false alarm. audio
As dawn breaks over Garmouth, the authorities realise the German invasion is a false alarm.
