Britains Forgotten Bombers

[Kolibear]

I was in the local library last weekend & chanced upon what looked like an interesting book.

It was titled 'Britain's Forgotten Bombers' but to my surprise, our forgotten bombers include:- Bombay, Blenheim, Beaufort, Manchester and (i think) Hereford & Stirling. At that point I replaced the book & stalked off, thinking that maybe I do have a future in aviation journalism.

So what should have been in the book?

I suggest starting with:-
Blackburn Botha, Armstrong-Whitworth Albemare, Fairey Barracuda & Vickers Windsor,

any others?

[LowNSlow]

Kolibear I'm afraid that I agree with both you and the book's author.
Most people seem to think that the only Brit bombers in WW2 were the Mosquito and the Lancaster..... Some vaguely recognise the Wellington as well.
I'd put the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley on the list as well as the Fairey Battle and the Vickers Warwick. The Handley Page Hampden rarely gets a mention either so I'd say it's in-line engined sister, the Hereford, really does deserve a mention.

PS Of the four that you mention, only one really saw extensive service as a bomber.

[Archimedes]

Kolibear I thought the contents a little odd when I saw the book. However, on reflection, I felt that the title makes LNS's point - too many people are unaware that there were just a few more types than the Lanc and the Mossie...

Anyway, any book under that title should, IMO, have:

Botha
Bombay
Albermarle
Buckingham
Hereford & Hampden
Whitley
Warwick
Windsor
Battle
Manchester
Bolingbroke
Wellesley
Stirling
Wellington
Blenheim

I'm almost tempted to say that the Halifax should be in there as well, since most British bombers of that era are now forgotten, even amongst those who have some interest in things aeronautical, I've found.

And if we're not limited to WW2 types - well, don't get me started !

[Bus429]

I think Graham Warner has gone some way to redressing the balance with regard to the Blenheim/Bolingbroke. Not only was he responsible for the rebuilding of two Blenheims/Bolingbrokes - he has written a couple of books about them, too!

[karrank]

Britain's forgotten bombers.

Erm, ALL OF THEM...

[BikerMark]

Has anything ever been written about the pre-war RAF bombers?

I'm curious to know what it was like operating things like Heyfords, Hendons and earlier aircraft.

Mark.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Names like Battle, Barracuda, Bombay, Bolingbroke etc make me think it is best if they stayed forgotten. Hardly a list of aircraft to have any pride in, is it? The Manchester was an utter flop, Hampdens were hacked out of the sky like sitting ducks, God knows if the Albemarle or Botha ever did anything useful...

We certainly produced a lot of turkeys before we got one or two right, didn't we?

[JDK]

Agaricus, I agree there were some turkeys there. Sadly a lot of brave young men went down with them as well. They would've been rather useful later in 'real' bombers, apart from the tragic waste.

So there's two reasons I can think of to remember them.

Cheers

[mcdhu]

The Wellington was undoubtedly the unsung hero of the Bomber Command offensive of 1942. The Force consisted of 1,043 ac as follows:

589 wellingtons, 131 Halifaxes, 88 Stirlings, 79 Hampdens, 73 Lancasters, 46 Manchesters, 28 Whitleys.

The Lancaster crews always seems to get the accolades, but it was the Wellington crews who did most of the work.

Final fact: On 1st October 1944, the Air Force had a total of 98,853 officers and 1,072,568 other ranks making a grand total of 1,171,421 men and women on its strength.

For more, try 'The Right of the Line - The Royal Air Force in the European War 1039 - 1945' by John Terraine.

Cheers,
mcdhu

[Bus429]

mcdhu - has the RAF really being going since 1039?

[treadigraph]

Bus429, yes, hence the historical importance of the Hastings and the Battle just a couple of decades after its inception...

[mcdhu]

Ooops! Don't want to challenge the Wavy Navy's claim to being the Senior Service, now do we?!!

Cheers,
mcdhu