Wing Commander Guy Gibson was a man of his class and time. He was a professional military man prior to the outbreak of World War II and perhaps his attitude to life reflected that. I read a book quite recently about his early life prior to joining the RAF. His father lived in India, his mother was an alcoholic who lived in England with her family including Guy who was a youngest son, his mother died tragically at a young age due to an accident. I would suggest that if this situation arose today then Guy and his family might be taken in to care. When he led the Dams Raid I believe that he did not have enough flying hours to qualify him for an ATPL nowadays. He was a young man who fate decided would be made a "hero", a much abused word nowadays. Let him be remembered as a representative of RAF Bomber Command the vast majority of whose crews faced nearly certain death in one of its most unpleasant forms with stoicism and bravery and did their duty and died unacknowledged.
Tony Fallows
Swanwick ATC Centre