I've just watched "Bomber Boys" on BBC 1 which you can watch here on BBC IPlayer. Featuring the actor Ewan McGregor and his brother Colin (who was a RAF fighter pilot during the first Iraq war). The programme was pretty moving and made a genuine attempt to explain the total war carnage in Coventry and Dresden as well as the great sacrifice of the RAF Bomber Command during World War Two.
When I was younger I was a member of the Air Training Corp in Holywell, North Wales. One of our ATC officers had been a Lancaster Bomber crew member and had been shot down over the North Sea during his first mission. He was rescued but spent the rest of the war in a German Prison camp. A few years ago there was a Newham Labour Party picnic on Wanstead Flats. One of the Party members who turned up had served in bomber command and had survived 30 Lancaster missions. I really don't know for certain but I think both of them would have thought that the mass bombing of Germany was right.
This genuine video recording is from 1942. BBC sound engineers were recording the sound of Nightingales in the Countryside when hundreds of RAF Bombers flew overhead on route to attack Germany.
Listen and weep.
Hat tip Captain Swing.
2 comments:
The same recording was played on Desert Island Discs for Vikram Seth.
More controversially, I occaisionally meet people who refer to the "second Gulf War" but they aren't too sharp when asked when they think the first one ended!
Hi anon
yes, I missed that one.
Not sure I get your second point?
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