The Machine Gunners

The Machine Gunners

Front cover of New Windmills edition (Heinemann, 1996)
Author	Robert Westall
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Children's historical novel, war story
Publisher	Macmillan
Publication date	18 September 1975
Media type	Print (hardcover; paperback)
Pages	189 pp (first edition)
ISBN
OCLC	2186118
LC Class	PZ7.W51953 Mac3
Followed by	Fathom Five

The Machine Gunners is a children's historical novel by Robert Westall, published by Macmillan in 1975. Set in northeastern England shortly after the Battle of Britain (February 1941), it features children who find a crashed German aircraft with a machine gun and ammunition; they build a fortress and capture and imprison a German gunner. The author also wrote a play based on the book, and others have adapted it for television and radio. A sequel, Fathom Five, set two years later, was published in 1979.

Westall won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's outstanding children's book by a British subject, and Machine Gunners was named one of the top ten Medal-winning works for the 70th anniversary celebration in 2007, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite.

Set during the Second World War the story follows six children living in the fictional town of Garmouth which regularly suffers bombing raids by the German Luftwaffe. When Chas McGill finds a crashed German Heinkel 111 bomber he removes a fully operational machine gun and over 2000 rounds of ammunition. With the help of his friends, Cyril, Clogger, Carrot Juice, Audrey and Ben they set up their own den called "Fortress Caporetto", named after a World War I battle in which Chas's grandfather fought.

Later a bomb lands on Nicky's house and he is presumed dead but actually survives and hides in the fortress, where he is found by the gang. After this, only his friends know he is alive and Clogger leaves his home and joins him.