Cliff, - Thanks for yet another wonderfully clear and comprehensive discourse.
The illustration is a real bonus.
As in any "team " situation, you all pull together to get the job done,as one would not like to let down the other members of one's team. -unfortunately, politicians will ruthlessly exploit this honourable trait, for their own ends.
once two nations (or more) are sucked into war by their political masters, there's no turning back until a great deal of death and misery has ensued.
Further to the life of a tail-gunner....I was told that the average life of a Recce pilot was 1 1/2 missions
Although unarmed, I was assured that they would outrun any fighter and my informant had the greatest respect for the bomber crews, whom he considered were sitting ducks, being not only slow, but lacking the element of surprise that a single, fast, low-flying aircraft was blessed with.