Bomber command memorial

The unveilling brought a lump to my throat. It's shameful it has taken so very long to give recognition (in this form) to so many brave young men.
Tail end Charlie
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"Let's just all be really careful out there folks!"
Still, I won't forget as my father was in the RAF from 43-49
There was more than a lump in my throat watching Proceedings
Still, I won't forget as my father was in the RAF from 43-49
There was more than a lump in my throat watching Proceedings
I heard some years ago of that travesty,but, I thought that they had eventually been awarded them.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u4Md_aXVJE
A Spitfire bird!
Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Calibre Bossnut
Personally, I would prefer a statue of a wistful black labrador pining for his master.
Personally I think it's a great piece of artwork, but, it's not about the form the monument takes it's the fact there now is one.
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momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
Yeah, but what would you call it? :twisted:
My Uncle has a static caravan at Tatershall lakes near Raf Conigsby and in the Summer I ll ride out and have a beer on the deck with him just so I can watch the Battle of Britain memorial flight return from one of their various shows, Puts the hairs on the back of my neck up, One Lancaster (City of Lincoln) One Spitfire and One Hurricane you can hear them coming from the coast.
Not answering that? But you'd have to make sure it was a Bronze , with a back end with two tin legs.
Back in the mists of time when I was in the ATC we had a summer camp at Coningsby and me and a couple of mates were tasked with the job of polishing the BoB flight for the week! 15 years old and clambering all over a Lancaster was a dream come true :-) And to top it off we all got to sit in it while it did an engine test run up the runway - the noise was incredible! :shock:
It's a very moving monument.
As much as I totally respect the men involved 100% I cannot but think the ordinary people of Dresden may have different feelings on this. Would the people of Coventry etc feel good about a monument being raised in Germany?
Just felt that it had to be said but hopefully with no disrespect to the crews.
At that time we were invlved in "total war" the like of which had not been seen before and hopefully never again.
The aircrews of bomber command were doing a given task, the validity of some of the targets from a military POV has been called into question since. However, IMHO "total war" is exactly that, and if it meant slaughtering tens of thousands of civilians that were helpnig the German war effort so beit. Carpet bombing was not a discriminatory technique but that was the best that was on offer at the time. Don't forget the Germans were quite happy to launch V1/V2 rockets our way and there was no control over where they would devastate.
Not having a "pop" at you fella you're as entitled to an opinion as everyone,but, I feel it's very easy sitting in the safety of your armchair (to who you owe bomber command a debt, they helped win the war) pass judgement 60odd year later.
We all know war is awful and the innocent become casualties but being honest winding the clock back if I though the deaths of 100,000 enemy would save one allied life, then it was a price worth the other side paying.
Sorry if this causes offence but that's how I feel and I've never been involved intotal war.
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I think he said that about Fighter Command after so few fighter pilots managed to hold off the Luftwaffe in its quest for dominance of the skies over Britain... But anyway...
This is probably why there has been less recognition of Bomber Command, some of the bombing by both sides (Dresden, Coventry, Bath etc) was simply malicious targetting of innocent civilians. Certainly some bombing targetted military and industrial sites but not all. The job needed doing but regrettably there was a lot of unnecessary killing... My great uncle was a bomber captain, he used to tell us the story of how they were lost over Germany on a mission once and the navigator pointed in 1 direction and said "that's the way home" but my great unlce as captain, overruled him and took them in the opposite direction and they made it home... The entire crew said they basically owed their lives to him as otherwise they basically would have crash landed somewhere in Germany...
Making the point does not make it my view, either full or partial. Now that I have made the point I will toddle off to enjoy my freedom that others have made the sacrifices for.
The memorial is not a glorification of those who died, it's a tribute.
TBH, I knew when I made the OP such a observation as the one you made would be made. Whether you're playing devils advocate or not, it IS a view some hold and I don't dissrespect them for it. Those men died doing a job, it's not like they were emptying zyclon b pellets into the gas chambers.
As I said fella, I wasn't having a go at you.Forums are what they are.
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All is good.
One of if not my favourite aircraft of all time.
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Wars are terrible things. One could argue all war is a crime.
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David
I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a tactic persued by a modern airforce today,there's no need with the technology at our disposal. As I said earlier it was total war and after four+ years of it all tactics possible were being used. Do you think for one second had the Germans manufactured a nuclear bomb they'd have had any qualms about using it? I think not.
As awful as it was I will never critisize the role bomber command took, or any of their individual missions.
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