Your final comments have a whiff of 'damning with faint praise'. Not your finest submission, IMNSHO.
your interpretation of my written word is completely wrong - it was a genuine comment not intended in any 'sub-text' way from what the words actually say.
As for intensity of threat, this would normally be indicated by the casualty count - something the troops on the ground have suffered horribly.
We didn't lose a single crew (thank God) and I believe any aircraft lost were taken out by our own side to deny the kit and int on board to the enemy.
I get it that the crews worked long hours in **** conditions - life in a blue suit I think that is called - and the physical and emotional challenge of that work clearly took its toll on the crews in other ways than bullet wounds.
It was a good campaign by the SH Force (and all others involved) but, as I said earlier, it wasn't the Battle of Britain and 27 DFCs with no lives lost seems slightly at odds with some of the chest-beating. There is no doubting the bravery of the crews but were there really 27 occasions where really above and beyond levels of bravery were demonstrated?
At the end of the day, they all came back safe - which is what really matters.