Jacko
Finally, while the techniques and equipment of the day meant that heavy collateral damage and civilian casualties were inevitable even in precision attacks, the only way of killing 50,000 civilians was by deliberately targeting them, and that was exactly what Harris did at Dresden.
Do you really have to villify Harris over the attack on Dresden? Didn't he follow orders? And when it comes to casualties did not Hamburg have a fire storm that killed some 30,000(?) people? Not to mention other large German cities. Why don't you blame Harris for all the civilians killed by ALL our bombers while you are at it. Why pick? It was total war and he was the leader of Bomber Command and together with my mother and sister we thanked him and the crews day on day for three years. Just as we did the fighter pilots who flew from Croydon. I will not accept that Harris
deliberately targeted civilians - almost as if he enjoyed it! Sorry, but your tone comes across a little like that. But then you also said the civilian deaths were "inevitable."
As I said earlier, when you are being bombed you want it returned with interest, most people like me who lived through it did. They said so the morning after being in shelters all night!
However, civilians are simply the people who happen to be in the way when a war is on - or haven't you noticed that lately? Not a flippant remark, just a factual one.
Well it is over and we all get along now. I am just glad I am here to say so.