Bomber Command Memorial (Merged)
It seems that the Bomber Command Association have put their name to the call by the Heritage Association for a National Bomber Command Memorial. It would seem that is the reason, with this going on in the background, why they showed little interest in approaches from elsewhere. No matter, this is surely great news and with their support must surely succeed. The story is at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...09/nraf109.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...09/nraf109.xml
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I think Robin Gibb's involvement is good and I liked his eloquence and insistence that he will personally approach Gordon Brown. Fine! However, it was Gordon Brown was it not, who turned down the petition for a Bomber Command memorial. A petition a few hundred from PPRuNe signed. Will he overturn his own ruling? We can only hope.
But a bit of umph in the right places might get it done because it is, as Robin Gibb states, the only memorial left that needs to be fulfilled in honour of the tens of thousands of airmen who died for us.
But a bit of umph in the right places might get it done because it is, as Robin Gibb states, the only memorial left that needs to be fulfilled in honour of the tens of thousands of airmen who died for us.
Totally agree with you about Robin Gibb, PP. His connection is as President of the Heritage Foundation, and as such presumably not personally related to Bomber Command. Nonetheless he says that it is morally repugnant that after more than 60 years no such memorial exists, he speaks on a video clip on the Telegraph site. A powerful message from a sector of our society that has not been historically associated with such sentiments. Similar messages from David Graham, the Chairman and Founder of the Heritage Foundation, MRAF Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC (30 Ops on Lancs by the age of 21, later CAS), President Bomber Command Association and Sqn Ldr Tony Iveson DFC (75 Hours on 617 Sqn Ops against Tirpitz etc), Chairman Bomber Command Association. The last two venerable gentlemen (I hope they forgive me) both speak of their vivid memories as young men in those very dangerous times. Finally there is a contribution from someone who is an ex RAF Tornado navigator by the name of Nicol, anyone heard of him? 
Seriously, a heavyweight and powerful launch to this campaign which I am sure will get tremendous support. This one has to succeed!
Seriously, a heavyweight and powerful launch to this campaign which I am sure will get tremendous support. This one has to succeed!
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Petition
Hello all.
Sorry to interupt.
I have just willingly signed the petition with sincere gratitude, respect and hope.
As regards to the siting of any such memorial (personal choice would be a wall of all names of people lost), would I be silly in suggesting the public viewing area on the A15, very close to RAF Waddington.
Waddington, if I'm correct, had aircrew of different nationalities serving there during WW2, and I believe received the first operational Lancasters.
Thank you
Lanc474
Sorry to interupt.
I have just willingly signed the petition with sincere gratitude, respect and hope.
As regards to the siting of any such memorial (personal choice would be a wall of all names of people lost), would I be silly in suggesting the public viewing area on the A15, very close to RAF Waddington.
Waddington, if I'm correct, had aircrew of different nationalities serving there during WW2, and I believe received the first operational Lancasters.
Thank you
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Ineligible to sign, but will contribute
As an associate member of the BCA, I'm happy that this memorial is getting some traction, and have long-wondered why this dedicated group of men and women have waited so long to be memorialized by their countrymen.
As a foreigner, I'm unable to sign, but will gladly contribute to funding this monument to the crews that kept your island nation afloat during the darkest time of that dreadful war. Like the BoB, they took the fight to the enemy when no other arm could.
Please sign and encourage others to sign for the folks across the ocean that can't thank them enough for the sacrifices they made to turn back the tyranny of their time.
v/r,
ExHerkmate
As a foreigner, I'm unable to sign, but will gladly contribute to funding this monument to the crews that kept your island nation afloat during the darkest time of that dreadful war. Like the BoB, they took the fight to the enemy when no other arm could.
Please sign and encourage others to sign for the folks across the ocean that can't thank them enough for the sacrifices they made to turn back the tyranny of their time.
v/r,
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Chugalug said: Totally agree with you about Robin Gibb, PP. His connection is as President of the Heritage Foundation, and as such presumably not personally related to Bomber Command. Nonetheless he says that it is morally repugnant that after more than 60 years no such memorial exists, he speaks on a video clip on the Telegraph site. A powerful message from a sector of our society that has not been historically associated with such sentiments. Similar messages from David Graham, the Chairman and Founder of the Heritage Foundation, MRAF Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC (30 Ops on Lancs by the age of 21, later CAS), President Bomber Command Association and Sqn Ldr Tony Iveson DFC (75 Hours on 617 Sqn Ops against Tirpitz etc), Chairman Bomber Command Association. The last two venerable gentlemen (I hope they forgive me) both speak of their vivid memories as young men in those very dangerous times. Finally there is a contribution from someone who is an ex RAF Tornado navigator by the name of Nicol, anyone heard of him?
Seriously, a heavyweight and powerful launch to this campaign which I am sure will get tremendous support. This one has to succeed!
Seriously, a heavyweight and powerful launch to this campaign which I am sure will get tremendous support. This one has to succeed!
Sport Relief got Ł20 million last night. Why can't we even give a fraction of that to recognise those who make events like Sport Relief possible? I am really busy right now Chuggers but if you prime me, wind me up and set me off in the right direction, I'm with you. In the meantime, Operation Bisto really works for me.
Can the board staff do something to spread the word too? Perhaps a gratis Prune signature to show support and raise awareness within the board good and the great, or perhaps sell one in return for a donation? The boys are just like those who we decorate and regularly lose overseas at the moment and they MUST be remembered properly. We owe them.
Bomber Command Memorial
Al, thanks for your response to my post and to the newly invigorated call for a National Memorial to Bomber Command. I have e-mailed the Heritage Foundation at the address given in the Telegraph article, drawing their attention to this Forum and our involvement in previous successful campaigns. I have asked them what manner of support would be most appropriate, eg contacting MPs for Government support, spreading the word around the Military and Aviation communities, etc. It seems that BCA want HF to lead on this so it behoves us to fit in with their plan, I feel. After 63 years this must happen. Let us get behind this campaign just as we did for Hercules Foam, Mr Pun VC and Headley Court. As soon as HF come back with a plan of action I'll post it here.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/m.../13/do1302.xml
<<The time has surely come for a campaign medal - and also for a monument in London to these brave men.>>
Whatever you think about London being the choice for it, is neither here nor there at the moment. Preserving RAF Bicester and/or putting the memorial on the Yorkshire coast near Bridlington would be better, but for now.. no matter. If everyone here copied and pasted the link to this particular thread, and then sent it to their MP (see link below).. then things might start rocking. Also, could someone more eloquent than me come up with a covering letter, suitable and to the point, and could the Board Staff possibly see their way to doing an All Stations, this is Zero (Charlie Charlie
) PM or E-mail, advising all members of this campaign? Just 10% of 60,000 demands going out to OUR MPs telling them what we want them to do would kick up one hell of a lot of notice. Also, let this bloke know too.
[email protected]
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/
*
Danny/Board Staff,
I understand that this forum has 60,000 members.. lots of whom temorarily dropped by again when the airliner at Heathrow plonked itself on the grass, if the 3 monthly traffic spike is to be believed, and then went away again. Are you able to come up with something high profile that allows you to name and list those public figures and MPs who support this campaign?? If you are unwilling/unable to assist, then this campaign stands little chance of losing the inertia that has bogged it down for decades.
The amount of page impressions and unique users seems to be flatlining anyway, so look on this as the chance to breathe some life into things and to be associated with something (nope.. at the forefront of something) that your budget lines (the advertisers!), your revenue generators (us!) and the new revenue streams (those who have never heard of Prune!) can all get excited by. I have sent suggestions privately before, but had no response, hence this public one.
Cheers.
<<The time has surely come for a campaign medal - and also for a monument in London to these brave men.>>
Whatever you think about London being the choice for it, is neither here nor there at the moment. Preserving RAF Bicester and/or putting the memorial on the Yorkshire coast near Bridlington would be better, but for now.. no matter. If everyone here copied and pasted the link to this particular thread, and then sent it to their MP (see link below).. then things might start rocking. Also, could someone more eloquent than me come up with a covering letter, suitable and to the point, and could the Board Staff possibly see their way to doing an All Stations, this is Zero (Charlie Charlie
) PM or E-mail, advising all members of this campaign? Just 10% of 60,000 demands going out to OUR MPs telling them what we want them to do would kick up one hell of a lot of notice. Also, let this bloke know too.[email protected]
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/
*
Danny/Board Staff,
I understand that this forum has 60,000 members.. lots of whom temorarily dropped by again when the airliner at Heathrow plonked itself on the grass, if the 3 monthly traffic spike is to be believed, and then went away again. Are you able to come up with something high profile that allows you to name and list those public figures and MPs who support this campaign?? If you are unwilling/unable to assist, then this campaign stands little chance of losing the inertia that has bogged it down for decades.
The amount of page impressions and unique users seems to be flatlining anyway, so look on this as the chance to breathe some life into things and to be associated with something (nope.. at the forefront of something) that your budget lines (the advertisers!), your revenue generators (us!) and the new revenue streams (those who have never heard of Prune!) can all get excited by. I have sent suggestions privately before, but had no response, hence this public one.
Cheers.
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Sounds good. I will send this off to a few people tonight. Please.. anyone, feel free to red pen it and improve it.
Dear ,
I am writing to you, to ask for your support in endorsing the campaign to gain proper recognition for those people who served in Royal Air Force Bomber Command during World War Two. Reading this letter will take 30 seconds of your time.. for many, the time that they lost was measured in a lifetime. RAF Bomber Command for much of the war, stood alone in standing up to Nazi tyranny and actively took the fight to them. Its sacrifice underpinned national resolve when we had little other good news, it shored up the potential for flagging morale, it gave us breathing space and it tied up Nazi assets which would otherwise have been employed directly against our cities, our people and our military. When much of our military re-equipped, licked its wounds and started all over again, it was RAF Bomber Command which shouldered the burden and it is shameful that recognition for it is almost non existant.
Timely and suitable recognition of these men and women is important for three reasons. Firstly, and being practical, there are not many of them left – they deserve to know quickly that we value and cherish what they and their comrades did for us. Secondly, it underlines the way that the Royal Air Force stood up against overwelming odds to bullying tyranny when many about us didn’t, and isn’t that what we’re trying to achieve globally but failing in, in places like Peterborough? And thirdly, and possibly more importantly, it is our duty to recognize those citizens of the world who came here to fight alongside us. Not to recognize these men in an appropriate manner would be an insult.
Much of Bomber Command’s strength came from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and all parts of the Empire and Commonwealth, plus those who stepped forward from Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, Holland, Ireland and many, many more places. These passionate, honourable and brave people all had little in common apart from the fact that they saw us as the sanctuary from where they could fight for the freedoms that we all take for granted. Just as today we are seen as a country of opportunity, fairness and compassion, then too, were we seen as the natural rallying point for the line in the sand that was not to be crossed under any circumstances. Over 50,000 of these men entered their cramped bombers on dark nights and never returned. If democracy was worth it for them to die for, what does it say about it today, if we are not even bothered to pick up a pen for them in return?
So, we need very little from you apart from your moral support and perhaps a few lines from you, extending your best wishes for a worthy cause. I look forward to hearing from you, to being able to publically count on your support and to be able to add your name to our growing list of backers. If you can do just that for us, then we shall do the rest for them. Its the least we can all do.
Yours..
Dear ,
I am writing to you, to ask for your support in endorsing the campaign to gain proper recognition for those people who served in Royal Air Force Bomber Command during World War Two. Reading this letter will take 30 seconds of your time.. for many, the time that they lost was measured in a lifetime. RAF Bomber Command for much of the war, stood alone in standing up to Nazi tyranny and actively took the fight to them. Its sacrifice underpinned national resolve when we had little other good news, it shored up the potential for flagging morale, it gave us breathing space and it tied up Nazi assets which would otherwise have been employed directly against our cities, our people and our military. When much of our military re-equipped, licked its wounds and started all over again, it was RAF Bomber Command which shouldered the burden and it is shameful that recognition for it is almost non existant.
Timely and suitable recognition of these men and women is important for three reasons. Firstly, and being practical, there are not many of them left – they deserve to know quickly that we value and cherish what they and their comrades did for us. Secondly, it underlines the way that the Royal Air Force stood up against overwelming odds to bullying tyranny when many about us didn’t, and isn’t that what we’re trying to achieve globally but failing in, in places like Peterborough? And thirdly, and possibly more importantly, it is our duty to recognize those citizens of the world who came here to fight alongside us. Not to recognize these men in an appropriate manner would be an insult.
Much of Bomber Command’s strength came from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and all parts of the Empire and Commonwealth, plus those who stepped forward from Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, Holland, Ireland and many, many more places. These passionate, honourable and brave people all had little in common apart from the fact that they saw us as the sanctuary from where they could fight for the freedoms that we all take for granted. Just as today we are seen as a country of opportunity, fairness and compassion, then too, were we seen as the natural rallying point for the line in the sand that was not to be crossed under any circumstances. Over 50,000 of these men entered their cramped bombers on dark nights and never returned. If democracy was worth it for them to die for, what does it say about it today, if we are not even bothered to pick up a pen for them in return?
So, we need very little from you apart from your moral support and perhaps a few lines from you, extending your best wishes for a worthy cause. I look forward to hearing from you, to being able to publically count on your support and to be able to add your name to our growing list of backers. If you can do just that for us, then we shall do the rest for them. Its the least we can all do.
Yours..
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Bomber Command Memorial
Thanks Al R,
I think you have covered every aspect of the subject well. It is good to see matters going forward once again and it doesn't matter who is able to kick-start things, as long as we make progress. Keep it up everyone.
I think you have covered every aspect of the subject well. It is good to see matters going forward once again and it doesn't matter who is able to kick-start things, as long as we make progress. Keep it up everyone.
Well done Al, you have brought the pot to the boil. Thank you Prune Pop for the PM and responding so quickly to the call. The following sent to my MP via the link on Al's post:
Dear xxxx ,
May I draw your attention to the campaign for the provision of a Memorial to Bomber Command in London, launched by the Heritage Foundation (HF) backed by the Bomber Command Association (BCA)? Details are at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/09/nraf109.xml
The Presidents of the HF (Mr Robin Gibb of the BeeGees) and the BCA (Air Marshall Sir Michael Beetham, GCB, CBE, DFC, AFC, DL) both speak on video far more eloquently than I can write. Suffice it to say that Mr Gibb has it right when he says that after more than 60 years it is morally repugnant that no such memorial yet exists, and that it is the one last piece of the jigsaw of Remembrance that has never been put in place. I believe he intends to raise this matter with Gordon Brown. I hope that you can do so as well.
Yours sincerely,
Chug
Dear xxxx ,
May I draw your attention to the campaign for the provision of a Memorial to Bomber Command in London, launched by the Heritage Foundation (HF) backed by the Bomber Command Association (BCA)? Details are at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/09/nraf109.xml
The Presidents of the HF (Mr Robin Gibb of the BeeGees) and the BCA (Air Marshall Sir Michael Beetham, GCB, CBE, DFC, AFC, DL) both speak on video far more eloquently than I can write. Suffice it to say that Mr Gibb has it right when he says that after more than 60 years it is morally repugnant that no such memorial yet exists, and that it is the one last piece of the jigsaw of Remembrance that has never been put in place. I believe he intends to raise this matter with Gordon Brown. I hope that you can do so as well.
Yours sincerely,
Chug
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This thread will shortly be moved to Aircraft History and Nostalgia. This will give it a wider audience and hopefully contact with ex crew and the guys who made Bomber Command work. We are looking for their input. In the coming weeks I will be in touch with a couple of 617Sqdn crew I know and get their support.
A sticky will be left here with a link to AH&N and any inputs will be merged with it.
PPRuNe is going to support this campaign and I will be liasing with Al R and Chugalug2, and anyone else who feels they can give us a useful contribution and would like to join us. Simply put, to take this forward. Clearly there is no point in running counter to the new impetus that started last week by David Cameron with Frederick Forsyth and Robin Gibb, or indeed, any organisation that is currently pursuing the same aims. Al and Chugs have already got some great ideas so we can only hope that some of these efforts will enhance and enforce the principal aim.
Do not hesitate to add comments and ideas. They WILL be picked up and used if they help.
I very much hope that PPRuNe can make a difference. It won't be for the want of trying I can assure.
PPP
A sticky will be left here with a link to AH&N and any inputs will be merged with it.
PPRuNe is going to support this campaign and I will be liasing with Al R and Chugalug2, and anyone else who feels they can give us a useful contribution and would like to join us. Simply put, to take this forward. Clearly there is no point in running counter to the new impetus that started last week by David Cameron with Frederick Forsyth and Robin Gibb, or indeed, any organisation that is currently pursuing the same aims. Al and Chugs have already got some great ideas so we can only hope that some of these efforts will enhance and enforce the principal aim.
Do not hesitate to add comments and ideas. They WILL be picked up and used if they help.
I very much hope that PPRuNe can make a difference. It won't be for the want of trying I can assure.
PPP
Thank you PPRuNe Pop. The need for as large an audience as possible, both on PPRuNe and in the outside world for this campaign is essential, so the move to AH&N is very appropriate. I especially hope, as you say, that we can get many posts from those who were involved in the WW2 Bomber Command campaign. However, could I put a special plea to all those who have already contributed to the 10 pages, almost 200 posts, and nearly 7700 views that it has achieved already? Now is not the time to flag, in reaching out to a new and wider audience much of the ground needs to be covered again. So please follow the thread to its new home and keep contributing. We know that a lot of media coverage emanates from these pages. That is a tribute to PPRuNe and the good that it can do. This is a good cause if ever there was one, but it needs your help for it to succeed. I am sure that as Pop says, it won't be for want of trying!
Chug
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Hmmm, although from the western side of the great devide, I certainly can not understand why a present PM would somehow want to derail a memorial to one of the prime reasons that the allies prevailed during the last world war...seems to be terribly short-sighted to me.
Then again, perhaps the PM never learned about this in school.
Then again, perhaps the PM never learned about this in school.
A National Memorial to Bomber Command in London
This is my first posting on Aircraft History and Nostalgia, having moved with this thread from Military Aircrew. As I have been one of those involved with it from the beginning I thought that a summary of it to date might be of some help. The thread was started in October 2007 in support of a petition by Mr Don Griffiths MBE to:
“Erect a National Memorial in London to the over 55.000 brave young men who gave there lives1939-45 and played such a large part in gaining Victory in Europe,I applaurd the magnificent memorial to the'Battle of Britain'and feel that Bomber Commd.deserve the the same honour.Also appeal for public donations towards same.”
That petition is still active at: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Bomberboys/
Since then the thread has discussed the form and location that such a memorial might take, with the emphasis on a ‘country’ rather than a London location. The discussion decamped to a purpose designed site, led by Al R to:
http://www.mfipb.com/index.php?mforum=bomberboys&act=idx
Al approached the Bomber Command Association in an endeavour to ascertain their position and to get some of their members to express their thoughts and preferences on this site (we already had Hugh Spencer doing just that). Unfortunately neither aim succeeded, though we did attract another BC veteran, sprey, and our debate continued both here and on bomberboys, with preferred solutions to form being a ‘Vietnam’ style wall with every name of those who fell engraved, and to locations including Swinderby, East Kirkby, Flamborough Head and Bicester. Christmas and the New Year saw an anticipated reduction of posting which never really recovered, given the lack of interest expressed by BCA. I now suspect that this was because they were forming up the campaign launched with the Heritage Foundation on 9 March 2008 at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/09/nraf109.xml
The significant point here is that the call is for a London memorial. We had envisaged a country one which, set in ‘bomber country’, would attract more support and once built and accepted only then to go for a London one. The pattern of two such memorials has been well set by those to Fighter Command on the Embankment and at Capel le Ferne. Now that BCA have expressed their wish (which is all we ever wanted to know) for the London memorial then that is what we feel should be supported. Hence the new awakening of this thread, hence its move to AH&N, where perhaps it should have been all along! I hope this hasn’t been too much of an illustrated lecture on the last 6 months. With luck it will avoid the need to plough through the 200 odd postings but still have a feel for the thread. Anyway it’s a new start for the old aim; to ensure that 63 years on a National Memorial to Bomber Command and to the 55,573 men who gave their lives to ensure Victory and the freedoms that we enjoy today is finally provided by this Nation.
“Erect a National Memorial in London to the over 55.000 brave young men who gave there lives1939-45 and played such a large part in gaining Victory in Europe,I applaurd the magnificent memorial to the'Battle of Britain'and feel that Bomber Commd.deserve the the same honour.Also appeal for public donations towards same.”
That petition is still active at: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Bomberboys/
Since then the thread has discussed the form and location that such a memorial might take, with the emphasis on a ‘country’ rather than a London location. The discussion decamped to a purpose designed site, led by Al R to:
http://www.mfipb.com/index.php?mforum=bomberboys&act=idx
Al approached the Bomber Command Association in an endeavour to ascertain their position and to get some of their members to express their thoughts and preferences on this site (we already had Hugh Spencer doing just that). Unfortunately neither aim succeeded, though we did attract another BC veteran, sprey, and our debate continued both here and on bomberboys, with preferred solutions to form being a ‘Vietnam’ style wall with every name of those who fell engraved, and to locations including Swinderby, East Kirkby, Flamborough Head and Bicester. Christmas and the New Year saw an anticipated reduction of posting which never really recovered, given the lack of interest expressed by BCA. I now suspect that this was because they were forming up the campaign launched with the Heritage Foundation on 9 March 2008 at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/09/nraf109.xml
The significant point here is that the call is for a London memorial. We had envisaged a country one which, set in ‘bomber country’, would attract more support and once built and accepted only then to go for a London one. The pattern of two such memorials has been well set by those to Fighter Command on the Embankment and at Capel le Ferne. Now that BCA have expressed their wish (which is all we ever wanted to know) for the London memorial then that is what we feel should be supported. Hence the new awakening of this thread, hence its move to AH&N, where perhaps it should have been all along! I hope this hasn’t been too much of an illustrated lecture on the last 6 months. With luck it will avoid the need to plough through the 200 odd postings but still have a feel for the thread. Anyway it’s a new start for the old aim; to ensure that 63 years on a National Memorial to Bomber Command and to the 55,573 men who gave their lives to ensure Victory and the freedoms that we enjoy today is finally provided by this Nation.
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Cheers Chuggers, that Bisto option is still a cracker if a plan and has to be followed through imho. Because if we don't bother with it, soon.. we'll have lost it forever and in 100 years, they'll be saying 'Why on earth didn't they save it?'.
This might be of interest to some.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/n...re/7305689.stm
"The bravery of World War Two bomber crews has been praised by Sir David Jason as he opened a new RAF exhibition in North Yorkshire. The actor paid tribute to servicemen as he unveiled the display at Yorkshire Air Museum near York, which highlights the contribution of RAF crews in war."
This might be of interest to some.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/n...re/7305689.stm
"The bravery of World War Two bomber crews has been praised by Sir David Jason as he opened a new RAF exhibition in North Yorkshire. The actor paid tribute to servicemen as he unveiled the display at Yorkshire Air Museum near York, which highlights the contribution of RAF crews in war."
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My grandfather who is still alive was in bomber command in world war 2 and as he is coming towards the end of his life he is starting to talk about his experiences a lot more. Its quite incredible stuff - he said he never expected to live but looking back it really defined his life. They were all so brave those lovely boys.
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Brave indeed. It took 60 years to get 'just' regional recognition.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/5281590.stm
I'm not sure if the official line is based in apathy or concern to be involved with something as politically potentially explosive as supporting the boys. The whole campaign of course, revolves around Dresden which was possibly, the first instance of public unease at a military action, and drew some criticism from the very top. It is useful to read the Harris response to Churchill's words of caution;
"I ... assume that the view under consideration is something like this: no doubt in the past we were justified in attacking German cities. But to do so was always repugnant and now that the Germans are beaten anyway we can properly abstain from proceeding with these attacks. This is a doctrine to which I could never subscribe.
Attacks on cities like any other act of war are intolerable unless they are strategically justified. But they are strategically justified in so far as they tend to shorten the war and preserve the lives of Allied soldiers. To my mind we have absolutely no right to give them up unless it is certain that they will not have this effect. I do not personally regard the whole of the remaining cities of Germany as worth the bones of one British Grenadier.
The feeling, such as there is, over Dresden, could be easily explained by any psychiatrist. It is connected with German bands and Dresden shepherdesses. Actually Dresden was a mass of munitions works, an intact government centre, and a key transportation point to the East. It is now none of these things."
What has changed, is the idea that the life of one British serviceman is worth more than entire enemy cities - the bombing campaign against Serbia confirmed that, and that reflection isn't a bad thing. But what stinks, is that blinkered tofu munchers like Alan Russell see fit to purge themselves by raising a quarter of a million quid to rebuild a part of Dresden, but don't give a damn about those who died to provide the likes of him with the freedom to express himself as he saw fit.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/5281590.stm
I'm not sure if the official line is based in apathy or concern to be involved with something as politically potentially explosive as supporting the boys. The whole campaign of course, revolves around Dresden which was possibly, the first instance of public unease at a military action, and drew some criticism from the very top. It is useful to read the Harris response to Churchill's words of caution;
"I ... assume that the view under consideration is something like this: no doubt in the past we were justified in attacking German cities. But to do so was always repugnant and now that the Germans are beaten anyway we can properly abstain from proceeding with these attacks. This is a doctrine to which I could never subscribe.
Attacks on cities like any other act of war are intolerable unless they are strategically justified. But they are strategically justified in so far as they tend to shorten the war and preserve the lives of Allied soldiers. To my mind we have absolutely no right to give them up unless it is certain that they will not have this effect. I do not personally regard the whole of the remaining cities of Germany as worth the bones of one British Grenadier.
The feeling, such as there is, over Dresden, could be easily explained by any psychiatrist. It is connected with German bands and Dresden shepherdesses. Actually Dresden was a mass of munitions works, an intact government centre, and a key transportation point to the East. It is now none of these things."
What has changed, is the idea that the life of one British serviceman is worth more than entire enemy cities - the bombing campaign against Serbia confirmed that, and that reflection isn't a bad thing. But what stinks, is that blinkered tofu munchers like Alan Russell see fit to purge themselves by raising a quarter of a million quid to rebuild a part of Dresden, but don't give a damn about those who died to provide the likes of him with the freedom to express himself as he saw fit.