Originally Posted by
Chugalug2
veep :-
Are you saying that the RAF used poison gas in "Air Policing"? If so, where and when?
Stupid idea mentioned in a meeting by a Politician in 1919 that somebody dug up in a file at the National Archives when somebody else suggested use of tear gas in the air policing role. His first name was Winston. Because of this somebody wrote a book saying that the British actually used the stuff. In his own book, "Bomber Offensive" written in 1946-7, Harris clearly states that he was not out to kill Iraqis or Kurds if he could avoid it. He did a leaflet drops and loud speaker warnings first for the villages to get out their homes before he bombed them and used bombs dropped close to, but not on people to stop them going back. Likewise in Palestine in 1938, he used aircraft to lockdown villages with loudspeaker saying do not go outside your homes or you will be shot (with the added carrot of if you stay in your homes you will not be harmed). His views on Military armed support to the Civilian powers were quite simple. Run away if you can as it gives you no margin for error. Be too weak and you get sacked, Be too harsh and you will be castigated. He had fought in the North West Frontier, before that, but of course nobody has a easy time trying to run that neck of the wood even to this day.