Our debt to the airmen of Bomber Command
Seventy-five years on, the commemorations for the Battle of Britain have been deservedly welcomed. Nobody could not have been thrilled by the mass formation of Spitfires, the re-running of stirring film clips, the magnificent oratory of Winston Churchill both before and after the decisive contest to control the air.
But as usual there has been hardly a mention of Bomber Command, whose crews fought so many battles night after night for five years. So here's a figure to ponder: more bomber airmen died on the night of March 30/31, 1944, than were lost by Fighter Command during the four months of the Battle of Britain in 1940. Those who survived told of the route to and from Nuremberg being marked by burning aircraft.
Am I the only one to notice that the rare mentions on BBC in particular will refer to the RAF's 'controversial' bombing campaign? I remember some TV poser, hands waving furiously, spouting from a Hamburg street and telling us that the workers' houses had been devastated and thousands had been killed. Too bad he didn't go a couple of miles north and show us the U-boat facilities which Bomber Command had also devastated. According to Speer, the raid had cost Germany two months of U-boat production at a time when submarine warfare posed the biggest threat to Britain.
In no way would I wish to detract from the achievements and sacrifice of Fighter Command. But stories such as those on this thread are important to those who believe that every item of information concerning Bomber Command needs to be preserved, indeed treasured. The 55,573 airmen who gave their lives deserve no less.
Last edited by Geriaviator; 1st Dec 2015 at 21:58.