I have just joined the Forum to research the Dome Trainer. This was the first anti-aircraft simulation technology invented by my grandfather, Lt-Commander Henry Stephens, for the Royal Navy in 1940. This is the Pathe News in 1951.
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/dome-trainer
Henry's private journal has been deposited in the Imperial War Museum and the BBC made a documentary in 2025, narrated by the British actor Stephen Fry. YouTube has parts of the documentary.
There was a huge demand for this technology with 43 domes being built across the UK including one at Langham which survives today. This puzzling dome structure was a forerunner of today's immersive experiences including Imax screens, aircraft pilot simulation and computer games. This revolutionary invention saved thousands of lives and shortened the Second World War.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ect/1030031411
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02rcd2x
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02rc8dl
I would be pleased to have any more information on the Dome Trainer and the gunnery used inside it. At Scapa Flow there is a further installation of what looks like a rear gunner turret developed for air-to-air gunnery. This is not in any of the official records that I can find!
Best wishes,
Ewan Ward-Thomas
Grandson of Henry Stephens, RN