I hate to say it again but all this hand wringing and regret for the past and how we are making the same mistakes again indicates a softness that is a creeping disease in the Western world. It is heralding in only one thing. Our ultimate downfall!!
GAGS
E86

Did anyone see it? Anyone's paper got a review? I'm interested to see how how the spin went and how it was recieved. :confused:

Keydeck
I am afraid I missed that programme but about six months ago The History Channel shown another programme called 'Firestorm The Allied Bombing of Nazi Germany' which included the bombing of Dresden. I am pretty sure that the stories and the footage are the same but the interesting thing was the profile of the German writer Jörg Friedrich. I think this guy will give you a different point of view.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6rg_Friedrich

In case you don't read "Jetblast" Tony Draper has flagged up an online petition to Number 10 get Bomber Command crews campaign medals... Thread Petition

If anyone wants to read a more balanced account of the Dresden raid, I suggest they get hold of 'Dresden: Tuesday 13 February 1945' by Frederick Taylor, Bloomsbury 2005.

This debunks a lot of the myths about Dresden, pointing out it wasn't a harmless centre of the arts and porcelain production, which is all too often portrayed, but an important industrial centre for war production - Zeiss producing optics, Universelle making machine guns, searchlights, aircraft parts and directional guidance equipment, for example. It had been declared a defensive area by the Nazis; it was a vital communications hub both east to west and north to south serving the eastern front.

The local Gauleiter, Mutschmann, had completely failed to organise a comprehensive public shelter network as in other large cities, confining his efforts to his own entourage and party cronies.

The target was one agreed at the highest political and military levels at the Yalta conference. Harris was carrying out orders to hit a legitimate target. Cjurchill wanted it "basted".

The damage and casualties were indeed enormous, but the numbers were deliberately exaggerated by Goebbels by the simple expedient of adding a nought at the end. After the war, it suited the Communists then in control to perpetuate this distortion for propaganda purposes.

I didn't see the programme, and hopefully it was a balanced view. All too often the PC brigade are quite happy to perpetuate the myths for their own political purposes and ignore the facts.

It was a post-war scandal the the bomber crews didn't get proper recognition of their efforts and sacrifice. That started with Churchill's hypocritical stance. It was to Harris' credit that he refused to accept honours, stating that he would just have a Defence Medal if that was all the recognition his men would get.

I have been fortunate to fly Bomber Command veterans as part of Project Propeller, and it was a humbling experience hearing first hand what they went through.

I was also involved in a flypast back in the summer to honour Squadron Leader David Maltby, one of the Dambusters, who is buried at Wickhambreaux, near Canterbury. He was killed along with his crew during an abortive raid on the Dortmund Ems Canal, when his Lancaster crashed into the sea at low level. His was the only body recovered. Each year, relatives and veterans hold a memorial ceremony at his graveside. The vicar was invited to attend, but was too busy!

Sums it up really. I hope this petition is successful, but I suspect the spineless politicians will disagree.

RD

Nice post, RD :ok: ; & thank you, Tony Draper for the petitions post (and treadigraph, for passing it on). I have duly signed up!