John Purdey,
Thank you for your message. Forgive me but I fear you have missed the point. You are quite right to say that even the best people can just 'get it wrong', of course they can, but in this case there is DOUBT. Two boards of enquiry found the evidence "inconclusive".
Regulations in force in the RAF at that time precluded any finding of negligence against aircrew that were DEAD and in no position to defend their actions. (It is interesting to note that these regulations were subsequently abolished, presumably so as to make it easier to 'fit up' any conveniently placed aircrew at some future time).
Hence, in my view the finding of gross negligence against the two pilots is grossly improper and has been merely a strategem to enable others to escape blame. It is this gross injustice that inspires emotion.
By the way, don't discount Captain Dreyfus: on the contrary the best way to draw attention to a scandal is to draw embarrassing comparisons to a similar, well known and accepted scandal.
Best regards,
BroomstickPilot