Just finished a reread of Max Hastings book Bomber Command. A quote from a member of 76 Squadron I think sums up the thoughts of a lot of aircrews in 1943.
"If you live on the brink of death yourself, it is as if those who have gone have merely caught an earlier train to the same destination, and whatever that destination is, you will be sharing it soon, since you will almost certainly be catching the next one."
Reading of the early days of the war and the daylight raids with the Blenheims, Whitleys and Wellingtons, you have to wonder at the carnage and wastage of highly trained crews who were sent out on hopeless missions time and time again. It really was a case of "Lions being led by donkeys".
Good to see this thread continues to run with the stories from those days from regle and co, keep it up.