My Grandfather piloted a Halifax out of the 429th Bison Squadron and donated to the restoration project here in Canada.I have tons of pictures just like these in the video and memoirs he left behind when he passed away.Many thanks for putting this video together or simply sharing it.Every time I look at his photos and now this video I am moved by the sacrifices these men gave for our freedom today.
It was a time of amazing sacrifice of service by these men (and women) who saw their duty and did it. How many of us could say the say the same thing about our generation? My grandfather served as pilot with 467 sqn RAAF and experienced life as a prisoner of war. We owe their memory so much.
War criminals, Churchill bombed civilians first and then burned Dresden when the war was almost over. England provoked a war with Germany over Poland only to turn Poland and half of Europe over to the communists and spread communism all over the world. Hitler did not want a war with England we are the same people , look at you fools now.
@theschizoid1 Hitler's Luftwaffe thought nothing of fire bombing Britain's largely undefended cities - mainly during 1940-41. At the time that the Eastern front Nazi citadel of Dresden was bombed in February 1945 the Germans were still firing V1 robot jet bombs and V2 rockets at London. Writing for myself, I might look like a German but I have a completely different language and culture to a German - we are not the same people.
@theschizoid1 There are no real victors in war. To say these men who fought on lawful orders from their superior officers are criminals is purely ridiculous.
Thank you, great vid. My Great-uncle Hol died on a bombing raid to Wilhelmshaven on the 15th of October 1944. Like so many of those heros, he was only 21. We owe so much to all these brave men. Never forget!
I know most of those guys used to say,they were only doing what any man would have done in that time,but i cant express in words the thanks i owe those glorious never to be forgotten,Heroes of our time.Thank You.
what our government did and still does to these brave men is just sickening . the pc brigade buried them . one of the few times i am ashamed of my countries attitude towards service men !
@dave2806 Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris and all the men of Bomber Command - they will be remembered as national heroes for their extreme valour. Their part in winning the war against Hitlerite German tyranny will not be 'airbrushed' from history by politically correct freaks and Hitler apologists. I learned from my own Grandfather - that served in the RAF - what these men went through. They were the bravest of the brave and they did more than their share to free the world from Hitlerite tyranny.
@RedGoblinus Hear hear! Good speech sir! It is to our nations shame that the boys of BC have not been awarded a campaign medal. They were our sole means of hitting back at Nazi Germany for much of the duration of the war. They carried the fight to the enemy, through the most sophisticated air defence system of it's time & suffered grievious losses whilst doing so, then when the war ended, the politicians abandoned them and treated them most shabbily. Politicians might 'forget' BC, WE WILL NOT.
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH I wish my RAF serving Grandfather was still with us. He'd have - no doubt - been most impressed with the Internet and how people such as your goodself are resurrecting the oft forgotten achievements of the brave men of RAF Bomber Command. Despite the best efforts of our own politicians, politically correct freaks, and Hitler apologists, RAF Bomber Command's fantastic achievements of outstanding valour against the Nazi tyranny - that blighted Europe - will never be forgotten.
@RedGoblinus Yes, so true.Hitler started a total war against us. We defended ourselves. Thank God for Bomber Command. Who knows what would have happened had we not used all means to defeat this tyranny? We did what was right.
@pogmathon100 Thank God also that I was brought up by my Grandfather that served in the RAF during World War 2. Or else, I would have been totally oblivious - like so many others these days - to the huge sacrifice of RAF Bomber Command in the defeat of Hitler's Germany. RAF Bomber Command did what was right and necessary and it's a national disgrace that their achievements and sacrifice have not been properly honoured.
According to Albert Speer - Hitler’s Armaments Minister - the greatest achievement of RAF and USAAF bombing was to force Hitler to divert nearly a million men, 55,000 artillery guns and a large part of the German air force's strength from fighting offensively to defending Germany itself against air raids. He described this as ‘the greatest lost battle on the German side’. Source: RAF Bomber Command website.
@DontheCritic - are you American?Do you know England was bombed by the 'Luftwaffe' in WW1?19 raids in 1915 & 23 '16 etc (before you joined in).The Germans "accidentally" bombed London in May 1916.The Kaiser then "allowed" bombing of urban centres.This showed that "the bomber would get through" & that was the RAF thinking of the day.No European would expect the Germans to regress - technically or tactically!They were bound to be fully prepared & were going "to bring it on".
A great vid mate. Respect. Give these brave lads the honour they deserve. They made sure the war ended more quickly and thus saved thousands of lives in concentration camps and in general. God Bless Bomber Command.
What a very moving tribute to those who were involved, sadly it probably does not enter Don the critics head that when these young men were going about their deadly business they must have had some inkling of the damage they were doing to the civilians down below, and didn't really relish the though of it, but they were obeying orders, just as much as those german camp gueards who sent millions into the ovens and lime pits. War is war, it breeds hatred and does no one any good.
The RAF Bomber Command Memorial will finally pay a public debt of gratitude to the 55,573 aircrew who lost their lives in World War II defending us against the oppression of the Nazis. All volunteers, they took to the skies knowing the odds they faced, but did so anyway. So please visit bombercommand,com/timecapsule and upload your personal message to the Time Capsule or simply make a donation.
@BomberCommand100 Sir, my Grandfather served in the RAF and - although he's long since departed from this world - he often spoke of the extreme bravery of those RAF Bomber Command men that risked and often lost their lives for our freedom. Let the NAZI German apologists remember that the German Luftwaffe targetted our civilians and torched and blast bombed every major British city in their bomber offensive against us during 1940/41. They sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind.
@RedGoblinus True remember the luftwaffe started bombing cities first when they bombeed Guernica when no war was declared krauts are biggest cry babiesin the world
I wonder how many of these men survived the war. Thank you for making this very moving video I think bomber command did what they had to do and so many died so that we the later generations could be free and never know what they had to experience.
This was total war and Germany had no problems in targetting civilians. This was Britains onlly way of taking the war to Germany and they certainly did that. I have met many of the Bomber Command vets and they are each worth a thousand of the armchair warriors like DonTheCritic. Bert Harris was exactly right when he said they sowed the wind and repead the whirlwind. These were brave brave men trying to end the war. Neo-Nazi revisionist moralists are oxymorons or maybe just plain morons.
I doubt Don the Cretin even lived or fought in the war, he should keep his naive simplistic views to himself and not judge the events of 70 years ago through 21st century pampered simplicity. Remember the Nazis were murdering millions.
The RAF did target civilians, this is not in dispute. But to the call them cowards is just wrong. The civilians were also part of the total war effort. The question to be asked is where does the civilian (who builts the weapons and feed the troops) begin and the soldier (who uses the weapons) end? Cowards? No.
Cowards? They went night after night after night into the maw of AA, night fighter squadrons, and the cones of search lights. They did bomb civilians, and they also destroyed a huge amount of industry and forced Germany to deploy up to 1 million men and boys in defence. Cowards? Only cowards make comments from the safety and anonymity of cyber space.
Cowards? Cowards do not go in night after night after night into the maw of AA, night-fighters, and search lights. The RAF did bomb civilians, however, they also smashed a huge amount of industry and forced Germany to redirect over a million men and boys to AA defence. Cowards? A cowards makes attacks from the safety and anonymity of cyber space not flying in a lancaster.
@DonTheCritic The Americans killed civilians too, but they had good intentions with their 'surgical bombing' strategy in Germany, bombing in daylight allowed them to do this. Anyway I can't argue with your opinion, your entitled to it, I think you've made a fair comment.
@Buggsy61 Men like Galland and Keith Park were heroes. Flying a Lancaster and disintegrating a family huddled for their lives is an act which holds no honor. That goes for the B-29s over Tokyo and yes, the He-111s over London.
@DonTheCritic Well my uncle was killed bombing the armanents factories in the Rhur valley and to me he and all the others were heroes. Its all very well to pass judgement 70 years later but this was a battle for survival. Noone glories in civillians getting killed but the Germans started it first and revelled the night when Coventry was firebombed. As Bomber Harris said they went into the war saying that they were going to bomb everyone else and nonone was going to bomb them back!.
@Buggsy61 Hard to top Dresden. Sorry about your uncle, but I don't condone Bomber Command, on the grounds that their objectives were to "Kill and dehouse the population". PS- I'm wearing pants.
@DonTheCritic I have erased the oroginal comment as I went a little over the top but having a family connection to this it is something I feel very strongly about. You can certainly question the morality of the orders given to RAF bomber command and 8th air force but not their courage. Cowards do not volunteer for something in which their life expectancy is only 3 weeks.
@DonTheCritic So more blame goes to the RAF because they killed more people? what sort of logic is that? The truth is both sided targeted cities killing many innocent people as the germans did to most of europe in blitzgrieg tactics. Many many innocent people die in war, ww2 brought it to a far more frightening level of carnage.Trying to tell me the americans were the only ones to attack real targets is absolute rubbish do you what me to list you the targets hit by the RAF?
@DonTheCritic Charles Lemay and americans who fire bombed jap cities ended the war earlier and saved a lot of lives. Guess you never heard of rape of nanking torture and murder of allied POW,s by japs
@jers59 It's a superb tribute video to the brave men of RAF Bomber Command. The American USAAF also played a major role in the bomber offensive against Germany. The RAF and USAAF did more than any other Western allied services to bring the European war to an early and successful conclusion. They saved millions of lives by helping end the tyranny of Hitler's German Reich earlier than would otherwise have been possible without the bombing offensive.
@RedGoblinus I agree its shame they never awarded bomber command campaign medal guess they are waiting to they all die off. One thing if bombers had also bombed the german electric grid it might have ended the war sooner but thats water under the bridge
@DonTheCritic The cowards were the luftwaffe those spineless swines bombed the spanish town of Guernica when no war was declared, machine gunnes pol;ish civilians fleeing the nazi swines in 1938 bombeed English and Dutch cities in 1940 The heroes were bomber command and eight airforce who taught the nazi swine lesson they remember today
@DonTheCritic you are a complete ameoba brained proletariat moron. You seem to have missed the point that it was the GERMANS who started the war, so should accept all consequences of their actions." Americans only killed civilians with good intentions" has to be the most moronic statement of all time. Bomber command was crucial to the defeat of Hitler. My father served as an officer in bomber command and was awarded the DFC for his bravery, to call him a coward is the biggest insult imaginable
@DonTheCritic I think some of your arguments are a little confused. Fact is this is a tribute video and some on here have some family connection to the brave fallen of Bomber Command. I defy anyone to read the VC citations of Manser,Gibson,Cheshire etc and call them cowards.
@DonTheCritic To post such a comment, you are nothing more than SCUM. These men did not want war, they did not start the war, nor were they the first people to bomb civilian areas. The nation that started a war of aggression against it's neighbours brought down the sword of Damocles on it's own head. Your comment is so disrespectful you are beneath contempt.
you bet, without them we would not have won that war together... Brits & Yanks together.
The lack of medals for all of them colectively and a Memorial -- is shameless. Heroes every single one. What courage it took, every job. God bless them all, every Bomber Command hero. Yanks and Brits together down the annals of history.
RIP Flight Sergeant Arthur Fowler, the great uncle who never got to grow old as I will. His Lancaster failed to return from a raid on Berlin on the 27th of November 1943, and was thought to have crashed into the North Sea. He'd married just six weeks earlier.
Thank you for posting this- we must never forget the sacrifice of the many brave men of Bomber Command- those that died, those injured, or captured - and the remaining survivors. And yet still no campaign medal.
Thank you Arther Harris & all who served with RAF Bomber Command, it feels me with great sadness that 70 years on these brave man still have to defend their actions.
It was a time of total war as advocated by Hitler who would have totaly blitzed England if it where not for the heroics of Fighter command during the battle of Britian and his obsession with Russia. LEST WE FORGET !
be carefull how one judges the right to comment. We all watch this video because it means something to us . We all remember and will pass this onto our children and our childrens children. It is important to communicate our attitudes and please never forget to pass on our memories! They may be from our personal experiences and they may be from parents. Mine is from parents and cousins and brothers. There is no end to war.
obviously chloe7829 is a modern new age thing that believes the world is a lovely place where we can all hold hands and everything will be ok, its university thinking like this that would understand better if they were put into a time-machine and had a 109 straffing her as she and her much loved family walked down the road. you have no idea!
I know what it is to have a P38 Lighning roaring over you with its machine guns chattering as I was on my way home from school. You ever experienced that? I was only ten at that time. So much for the modern age thing. All your knowledge is from movies and books, isn't it?
Due to the 'heroic' effort of the Nazis, Israel, America, The United Kingdom and her Commonwealth, and all other Allied nations have far fewer senior citizens at all. Many of those that survive would have PTSD if they were'nt so stoical. Chloe7829 rot in hell.
@chloe7829 They started it!. As the great Bomber Harris said "Germany came into the war thinking they were going to bomb everyone else and noone was going to bomb them back". No sane person revels in slaughter and war but those guys who flew those missions (including my uncle KIA) were heroes and noone should ever forget or denigrate them - Noone!
Many Allied flight crews owe their lives to my father who aided them after they were shot down. My dad was a member of the Cologne underground and spirited them unto the Railway to Vichy France and spain. One pilot we hid in our garden shed for a number of weeks. Do you know how dangerous that was for my dad and the whole family? Pls do not bother to reply
@chloe7829 "Please do not bother to reply". What kind of nut comes onto a discussion forum but only wants a one way conversation?. I feel you may have mental health issues.
I am so proud of Bomber Command. I am tired of them being treated in some quarters as war criminals. Also, only recently did the British decide to built a memorial to Bomber Command after all they suffered. God bless the whole RAF!
@willconq Great comment - my sentiments entirely. People should never confuse the rose-tinted and self-obsessed politically correct ways of thinking today with the harsh reality of 70 years ago- of a brutal dictator who was murdering millions and who had to be stopped at all costs. How many would volunteer now?
Great video and thanks for posting. My Uncle Ken Bowerman (50 Squadron) was KIA on 15/16 Jume 1943 - RIP and utmost respect to him and his comrades both alive and deceased. Incredibly courageous men.
Rest assured, those of us who have enquiring minds & a thirst for history, will NEVER forget the RAF Bomber Boys who made the ultimate sacrifice for Britain & the Commonwealth nations. RESPECT to Ken Bowerman & his comrades who didn't make the return trip to base. Read Patrick Bishops "Bomber Boys," & Max Hastings, "Bomber Command," superb accounts of the RAF BC campaign. Read Len Deighton's "Bomber." What guts & resilience those men had to climb aboard lumbering bombers night after night.
After Coventry these men deserve recognition to the end of WW11? why not? forget Dresden, Hamburg, this GermanNation bombed the heart out of England!? as bomber Harris rightly said Germany sowed the wind they shall sow the whirlwind!! and did ?? stop demonising our own couyntrymen!! these men shortened th war and should be shown the respect they deserve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well said! I am heartily sick of the lentil soup brigade who highlight Dresden as a 'war crime.' War itself IS a crime! The Germans did not hesitate to Blitz British cities in 40-41. Nor did they hesitate to fire indiscriminate V1 & V2 rockets at SE England. War is about KILL OR BE KILLED-you fight TO WIN. The RAF learnt to hit back harder that is all. Bomber Harris & his RAF crews are HEROE's, they had right on their side-Hitler was an evil bastard who had to be stopped-whatever the cost.
The bravery and dedication of WW2 bomber crews was equal to if not higher than those in other theatres of the conflict.For this reason,it remains a sad fact that they are still regarded as poor relations,after not receiving a campaign medal.
The results gained from such bravery and hardship unfortunately did not warrent the cost in young lives.Apart from oil targets,area bombing proved largely ineffectual in damaging The Nazi war effort.
This takes nothing away from those who risked all.
Given the choice would you of served on board a Lancaster of would you of taken part in the D Day Landings?
Hand to hand combat comes from the heart.
I think the reason Bomber Command never recieved medals was more due to the fact our Government didn't want to give praise to people who litteraly killed hundreds of thousands of civilians (I have no issue with this though as war is war and the Germans reaped what they sewed)
It is a national disgrace that the RAF BC crews have never received a campaign medal for their efforts & sacrifices. Do-gooders can whinge all they like about Dresden. The bottom line is we had the moral highground, NOT Nazi Germany. Had we failed to defeat Hitler, the consequences do not bare thinking about. Did Britain start WW2? Did we want WW2? Answer- NO. We had our hand forced. You fight a war to WIN & that sadly means killing people.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
My grandma (born 1920) still gets happy eyes when she tells me about the murder of 4 british airmen by a crowd in Düsseldorf 1944. The police did nothing, she says happily.Many of RAF-crews ended this way.But GB declared war to Germany, Hitler wanted a durable friendship with your country. Instead your elites licked and lick the ass of the USA - and finally lost your empire.
199520002002-Hitler wanted durable relationships with Balkans ,Poland and every other country that he lied and turned against. Shame we didnt flatten dusseldorf completely,then wankers like you wouldnt be here-no wander the whole world hates the crouts.
Do you know anything about the photo at around 1:33 which shows an aircraft (maybe a Whitley?) displaying DY-P.
DY was the code for 102 Squadron where my Grandad was a Navigator. I'm trying to research about his time in the RAF and anything concerning his old squadron is of great interest to me.
My father volunteered in 43 as a Lanc pilot aged 19. Had no hatred of the Germans (Tho no love of Russia for that matter). They took the war to the enemy in the only way possible at the time- we should never forget that. Their experiences and lonely battles, in training and in combat, created a corps of men a breed apart. We should honour them more and justify their efforts in our sorely won freedom. The Dutch people cherish their memory - we in Britain less. RIP BC
Well said! It is reprehensible that we as a nation have failed to honour these men with a campaign medal. It is also an insult to our GREAT CW allies, Canada, OZ, & New Zealand who helped BC deliver it's punch. You are absolutely right about the Dutch-they have great respect for the RAF. I once read a comment by a Dutchman who referred to the sound of the Merlin engines passing over Holland on route to Germany, as the "Sound of hope & freedom." Some like me, have HUGE RESPECT for your father.
This is a great vid. Their contributions were essential in winning the war and may they always be remembered.
As in many wars often those that make the largest contributions are ignored or brushed aside when their deeds are not popular and for that governments are reprehensible.
Thank you for this. I attempted to raise public interest in a campaign medal for Bomber Command and nearly 1000 people signed it. Needless to say no national media were interested. You have said it all. My dad was one of the "lucky" pilots - he "got away with it" and lived to be 87. RIP Freddie Watts DFC- the best of fathers and most modest of men.
Your welcome. There's no doubt that the boys deserve a campaign medal and the recognition just as much as the other armed forces. Its a disgrace the way they were snubbed. Your dad must have been a great man.
It is a great tragedy that no medal was awarded - and a subject on which many members of parliament should hang their heads in shame.
I had 3 members of my family fly with Bomber Command - one killed, one a POW and one survived.
These men were our best and brightest - they came from all over the world to help and suffered one of the highest casualty rates of all the Allied services - and we can't even say thankyou. It makes me so angry.
I agree with you entirely. It is an utter disgrace & shameful that the bravery of these men has never been acknowledged in the form of a campaign medal. 56,000 were KIA, & our nation cannot bring itself to honour these men.
Last year at RAF Cosford museum, I was priviledged to meet a Navigator who served on Lancs. He was shot down on a daylight raid in Dec 45. He spent the remainder of the war as a POW. He was so modest & phlegmatic. It was great to be able to shake his hand & say, "Thank you!"
Thank you for posting this superb tribute to the men of RAF BC. Whilst the Politicians have evaded the issue of awarding these brave men with a campaign medal, (probably too busy filling in bogus expense claims), there are those of us who have read history, & have TOTAL & UTTER RESPECT for these men. They will be remembered!
RB- You must be extremely proud of your father, and rightly so. I was born in 1970. I have a keen interest in military history & have read widely on the subject. Your father's generation were a breed apart- modest, phlegmatic, brave, determined. Your father & his comrades are, and always will be great hero's in my eyes. TOTAL & UTTER RESPECT & GRATITUDE. Per Ardua Ad Astra!
Very moving.Too much Dambusters?Wld be good to see reference to Operation Manna =unarmed Lancs dropped food to starving Dutch.For yrs only Ally seen in Occupied Europe was RAF.Kept their hopes alive.Bomber crews were working with primitive equipment 100s miles behind enemy lines against an implaccable enemy which had invented missiles & was working on atomic bomb.
My father met Dutchman whose villagers been made to walk past 7 RAF bodies (some shot)'You call these your saviours!' Dutch do.
Yes your right, Operation Manna is a very interesting part of world war II that is not well documented. Lancasters were dropping food parcels to the Dutch from as little as 120 metres in the air!
Grandad a was a rear gunner on Lancasters. He was with 460 Sqn I think.
Paganfuckingsexgod 1 month ago
Fighter Command got the glory the praise the women. Bomber command got the danger the sacrifice the opprobrium.
tigerarmyrule 1 month ago
My Grandfather piloted a Halifax out of the 429th Bison Squadron and donated to the restoration project here in Canada.I have tons of pictures just like these in the video and memoirs he left behind when he passed away.Many thanks for putting this video together or simply sharing it.Every time I look at his photos and now this video I am moved by the sacrifices these men gave for our freedom today.
bradnmack1 2 months ago
576gunner. Great pictures! but too much memories. A few of us still survive
576gunner 2 months ago
It was a time of amazing sacrifice of service by these men (and women) who saw their duty and did it. How many of us could say the say the same thing about our generation? My grandfather served as pilot with 467 sqn RAAF and experienced life as a prisoner of war. We owe their memory so much.
guybough 2 months ago
War criminals, Churchill bombed civilians first and then burned Dresden when the war was almost over. England provoked a war with Germany over Poland only to turn Poland and half of Europe over to the communists and spread communism all over the world. Hitler did not want a war with England we are the same people , look at you fools now.
theschizoid1 3 months ago
@theschizoid1 Hitler's Luftwaffe thought nothing of fire bombing Britain's largely undefended cities - mainly during 1940-41. At the time that the Eastern front Nazi citadel of Dresden was bombed in February 1945 the Germans were still firing V1 robot jet bombs and V2 rockets at London. Writing for myself, I might look like a German but I have a completely different language and culture to a German - we are not the same people.
RedGoblinus 3 months ago
@theschizoid1 There are no real victors in war. To say these men who fought on lawful orders from their superior officers are criminals is purely ridiculous.
guybough 2 months ago
@guybough Ok, Churchill was a criminal and everybody else was just following orders.
theschizoid1 2 months ago
Fantastic tribute, I thankyou. My Grandfather served with 100 group BC and sadly passed away last weekend. He was and always will be my saviour.
DaveTrashedDennis 3 months ago
Thank you, great vid. My Great-uncle Hol died on a bombing raid to Wilhelmshaven on the 15th of October 1944. Like so many of those heros, he was only 21. We owe so much to all these brave men. Never forget!
rincewind2000 3 months ago
I know most of those guys used to say,they were only doing what any man would have done in that time,but i cant express in words the thanks i owe those glorious never to be forgotten,Heroes of our time.Thank You.
tiger76rt 4 months ago
So sad that these brave men and their tremendous sacrifice is forgotten and buried beneath people's misunderstandings.
wranglers575 5 months ago
what our government did and still does to these brave men is just sickening . the pc brigade buried them . one of the few times i am ashamed of my countries attitude towards service men !
dave2806 8 months ago
@dave2806 Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris and all the men of Bomber Command - they will be remembered as national heroes for their extreme valour. Their part in winning the war against Hitlerite German tyranny will not be 'airbrushed' from history by politically correct freaks and Hitler apologists. I learned from my own Grandfather - that served in the RAF - what these men went through. They were the bravest of the brave and they did more than their share to free the world from Hitlerite tyranny.
RedGoblinus 6 months ago 11
@RedGoblinus Hear hear! Good speech sir! It is to our nations shame that the boys of BC have not been awarded a campaign medal. They were our sole means of hitting back at Nazi Germany for much of the duration of the war. They carried the fight to the enemy, through the most sophisticated air defence system of it's time & suffered grievious losses whilst doing so, then when the war ended, the politicians abandoned them and treated them most shabbily. Politicians might 'forget' BC, WE WILL NOT.
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 4 months ago
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH I wish my RAF serving Grandfather was still with us. He'd have - no doubt - been most impressed with the Internet and how people such as your goodself are resurrecting the oft forgotten achievements of the brave men of RAF Bomber Command. Despite the best efforts of our own politicians, politically correct freaks, and Hitler apologists, RAF Bomber Command's fantastic achievements of outstanding valour against the Nazi tyranny - that blighted Europe - will never be forgotten.
RedGoblinus 4 months ago
@RedGoblinus Yes, so true.Hitler started a total war against us. We defended ourselves. Thank God for Bomber Command. Who knows what would have happened had we not used all means to defeat this tyranny? We did what was right.
pogmathon100 3 months ago
@pogmathon100 Thank God also that I was brought up by my Grandfather that served in the RAF during World War 2. Or else, I would have been totally oblivious - like so many others these days - to the huge sacrifice of RAF Bomber Command in the defeat of Hitler's Germany. RAF Bomber Command did what was right and necessary and it's a national disgrace that their achievements and sacrifice have not been properly honoured.
RedGoblinus 3 months ago 2
According to Albert Speer - Hitler’s Armaments Minister - the greatest achievement of RAF and USAAF bombing was to force Hitler to divert nearly a million men, 55,000 artillery guns and a large part of the German air force's strength from fighting offensively to defending Germany itself against air raids. He described this as ‘the greatest lost battle on the German side’. Source: RAF Bomber Command website.
RedGoblinus 9 months ago
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mojofuel62 9 months ago
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mojofuel62 9 months ago
@DontheCritic - are you American?Do you know England was bombed by the 'Luftwaffe' in WW1?19 raids in 1915 & 23 '16 etc (before you joined in).The Germans "accidentally" bombed London in May 1916.The Kaiser then "allowed" bombing of urban centres.This showed that "the bomber would get through" & that was the RAF thinking of the day.No European would expect the Germans to regress - technically or tactically!They were bound to be fully prepared & were going "to bring it on".
Insperato62 1 year ago
My uncle piloted avenging cleo with the 617 sqaudron out of scampton.
patsylyn1 1 year ago
Emotional, thought provoking and very impressive. Heroes every one.
Foolishspook 1 year ago
A great vid mate. Respect. Give these brave lads the honour they deserve. They made sure the war ended more quickly and thus saved thousands of lives in concentration camps and in general. God Bless Bomber Command.
npe1 1 year ago
Please could sombody tell me if this is R roger, The Plane of Phillip Gray.... Rip Crew..
ozoffroader 1 year ago
For those interested in the subject I've just posted the original cassette recording of the song "The Bomber" ...which relates to Bomber Harris.
harperjohnlive 1 year ago
What a very moving tribute to those who were involved, sadly it probably does not enter Don the critics head that when these young men were going about their deadly business they must have had some inkling of the damage they were doing to the civilians down below, and didn't really relish the though of it, but they were obeying orders, just as much as those german camp gueards who sent millions into the ovens and lime pits. War is war, it breeds hatred and does no one any good.
ukchris64 1 year ago
The RAF Bomber Command Memorial will finally pay a public debt of gratitude to the 55,573 aircrew who lost their lives in World War II defending us against the oppression of the Nazis. All volunteers, they took to the skies knowing the odds they faced, but did so anyway. So please visit bombercommand,com/timecapsule and upload your personal message to the Time Capsule or simply make a donation.
BomberCommand100 1 year ago
@BomberCommand100 Sir, my Grandfather served in the RAF and - although he's long since departed from this world - he often spoke of the extreme bravery of those RAF Bomber Command men that risked and often lost their lives for our freedom. Let the NAZI German apologists remember that the German Luftwaffe targetted our civilians and torched and blast bombed every major British city in their bomber offensive against us during 1940/41. They sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind.
RedGoblinus 1 year ago 3
@RedGoblinus True remember the luftwaffe started bombing cities first when they bombeed Guernica when no war was declared krauts are biggest cry babiesin the world
jers59 1 year ago
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mojofuel62 9 months ago
I wonder how many of these men survived the war. Thank you for making this very moving video I think bomber command did what they had to do and so many died so that we the later generations could be free and never know what they had to experience.
PlainAnne 1 year ago
This was total war and Germany had no problems in targetting civilians. This was Britains onlly way of taking the war to Germany and they certainly did that. I have met many of the Bomber Command vets and they are each worth a thousand of the armchair warriors like DonTheCritic. Bert Harris was exactly right when he said they sowed the wind and repead the whirlwind. These were brave brave men trying to end the war. Neo-Nazi revisionist moralists are oxymorons or maybe just plain morons.
soccerates61 1 year ago 8
I doubt Don the Cretin even lived or fought in the war, he should keep his naive simplistic views to himself and not judge the events of 70 years ago through 21st century pampered simplicity. Remember the Nazis were murdering millions.
MCCXK120 1 year ago
The RAF did target civilians, this is not in dispute. But to the call them cowards is just wrong. The civilians were also part of the total war effort. The question to be asked is where does the civilian (who builts the weapons and feed the troops) begin and the soldier (who uses the weapons) end? Cowards? No.
willconq 1 year ago
Cowards? They went night after night after night into the maw of AA, night fighter squadrons, and the cones of search lights. They did bomb civilians, and they also destroyed a huge amount of industry and forced Germany to deploy up to 1 million men and boys in defence. Cowards? Only cowards make comments from the safety and anonymity of cyber space.
willconq 1 year ago 2
@willconq Their specific orders were to kill and dehouse civilions
DonTheCritic 1 year ago
Cowards? Cowards do not go in night after night after night into the maw of AA, night-fighters, and search lights. The RAF did bomb civilians, however, they also smashed a huge amount of industry and forced Germany to redirect over a million men and boys to AA defence. Cowards? A cowards makes attacks from the safety and anonymity of cyber space not flying in a lancaster.
willconq 1 year ago
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DonTheCritic 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic So what about the Germans who bombed women and children during the blitz? I think you'll find thats the pot calling the kettle black...
Remember39to45 1 year ago
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DonTheCritic 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic The Americans killed civilians too, but they had good intentions with their 'surgical bombing' strategy in Germany, bombing in daylight allowed them to do this. Anyway I can't argue with your opinion, your entitled to it, I think you've made a fair comment.
Remember39to45 1 year ago
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Buggsy61 1 year ago
@Buggsy61 Men like Galland and Keith Park were heroes. Flying a Lancaster and disintegrating a family huddled for their lives is an act which holds no honor. That goes for the B-29s over Tokyo and yes, the He-111s over London.
DonTheCritic 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic Well my uncle was killed bombing the armanents factories in the Rhur valley and to me he and all the others were heroes. Its all very well to pass judgement 70 years later but this was a battle for survival. Noone glories in civillians getting killed but the Germans started it first and revelled the night when Coventry was firebombed. As Bomber Harris said they went into the war saying that they were going to bomb everyone else and nonone was going to bomb them back!.
Buggsy61 1 year ago
@Buggsy61 Hard to top Dresden. Sorry about your uncle, but I don't condone Bomber Command, on the grounds that their objectives were to "Kill and dehouse the population". PS- I'm wearing pants.
DonTheCritic 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic I have erased the oroginal comment as I went a little over the top but having a family connection to this it is something I feel very strongly about. You can certainly question the morality of the orders given to RAF bomber command and 8th air force but not their courage. Cowards do not volunteer for something in which their life expectancy is only 3 weeks.
Buggsy61 1 year ago
@Buggsy61 We were both right and wrong in our own ways. Let's agree to disagree, shall we?
DonTheCritic 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic Its bomber pilots that win war not fighter pilots 2 B29,s ended Ww2 case closed
jers59 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic So more blame goes to the RAF because they killed more people? what sort of logic is that? The truth is both sided targeted cities killing many innocent people as the germans did to most of europe in blitzgrieg tactics. Many many innocent people die in war, ww2 brought it to a far more frightening level of carnage.Trying to tell me the americans were the only ones to attack real targets is absolute rubbish do you what me to list you the targets hit by the RAF?
pramboy09 1 year ago 2
@DonTheCritic Charles Lemay and americans who fire bombed jap cities ended the war earlier and saved a lot of lives. Guess you never heard of rape of nanking torture and murder of allied POW,s by japs
jers59 1 year ago
@jers59 It's a superb tribute video to the brave men of RAF Bomber Command. The American USAAF also played a major role in the bomber offensive against Germany. The RAF and USAAF did more than any other Western allied services to bring the European war to an early and successful conclusion. They saved millions of lives by helping end the tyranny of Hitler's German Reich earlier than would otherwise have been possible without the bombing offensive.
RedGoblinus 1 year ago
@RedGoblinus I agree its shame they never awarded bomber command campaign medal guess they are waiting to they all die off. One thing if bombers had also bombed the german electric grid it might have ended the war sooner but thats water under the bridge
jers59 1 year ago
@Remember39to45 I'm glad we could reach an understanding.
DonTheCritic 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic Americans these days like to kill their own side.
gunnermorph01 4 months ago
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1965DAZA 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic I would guess that you are just taking the piss,if that is not the case then you are an ignorant wanker !
1965DAZA 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic The cowards were the luftwaffe those spineless swines bombed the spanish town of Guernica when no war was declared, machine gunnes pol;ish civilians fleeing the nazi swines in 1938 bombeed English and Dutch cities in 1940 The heroes were bomber command and eight airforce who taught the nazi swine lesson they remember today
jers59 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic you are a complete ameoba brained proletariat moron. You seem to have missed the point that it was the GERMANS who started the war, so should accept all consequences of their actions." Americans only killed civilians with good intentions" has to be the most moronic statement of all time. Bomber command was crucial to the defeat of Hitler. My father served as an officer in bomber command and was awarded the DFC for his bravery, to call him a coward is the biggest insult imaginable
dstearn 1 year ago
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DonTheCritic 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic I think some of your arguments are a little confused. Fact is this is a tribute video and some on here have some family connection to the brave fallen of Bomber Command. I defy anyone to read the VC citations of Manser,Gibson,Cheshire etc and call them cowards.
Buggsy61 1 year ago
@DonTheCritic To post such a comment, you are nothing more than SCUM. These men did not want war, they did not start the war, nor were they the first people to bomb civilian areas. The nation that started a war of aggression against it's neighbours brought down the sword of Damocles on it's own head. Your comment is so disrespectful you are beneath contempt.
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 1 year ago
you bet, without them we would not have won that war together... Brits & Yanks together.
The lack of medals for all of them colectively and a Memorial -- is shameless. Heroes every single one. What courage it took, every job. God bless them all, every Bomber Command hero. Yanks and Brits together down the annals of history.
geoffreysf 1 year ago
My father was with 405 RCAF Vancouver Squadron, Grandsden Lodge
keechly 1 year ago
i will.
glrcmptn 1 year ago
RIP Flight Sergeant Arthur Fowler, the great uncle who never got to grow old as I will. His Lancaster failed to return from a raid on Berlin on the 27th of November 1943, and was thought to have crashed into the North Sea. He'd married just six weeks earlier.
ScreamingTc 1 year ago
Thank you for posting this- we must never forget the sacrifice of the many brave men of Bomber Command- those that died, those injured, or captured - and the remaining survivors. And yet still no campaign medal.
MCCXK120 1 year ago
Thank you Arther Harris & all who served with RAF Bomber Command, it feels me with great sadness that 70 years on these brave man still have to defend their actions.
It was a time of total war as advocated by Hitler who would have totaly blitzed England if it where not for the heroics of Fighter command during the battle of Britian and his obsession with Russia. LEST WE FORGET !
DAZA1965 1 year ago 2
be carefull how one judges the right to comment. We all watch this video because it means something to us . We all remember and will pass this onto our children and our childrens children. It is important to communicate our attitudes and please never forget to pass on our memories! They may be from our personal experiences and they may be from parents. Mine is from parents and cousins and brothers. There is no end to war.
314mcgeever 2 years ago
obviously chloe7829 is a modern new age thing that believes the world is a lovely place where we can all hold hands and everything will be ok, its university thinking like this that would understand better if they were put into a time-machine and had a 109 straffing her as she and her much loved family walked down the road. you have no idea!
holdencare 2 years ago 2
I know what it is to have a P38 Lighning roaring over you with its machine guns chattering as I was on my way home from school. You ever experienced that? I was only ten at that time. So much for the modern age thing. All your knowledge is from movies and books, isn't it?
chloe7829 2 years ago
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chloe7829 2 years ago
Due to the 'heroic' effort of the Nazis, Israel, America, The United Kingdom and her Commonwealth, and all other Allied nations have far fewer senior citizens at all. Many of those that survive would have PTSD if they were'nt so stoical. Chloe7829 rot in hell.
Hanglands 2 years ago
@chloe7829 They started it!. As the great Bomber Harris said "Germany came into the war thinking they were going to bomb everyone else and noone was going to bomb them back". No sane person revels in slaughter and war but those guys who flew those missions (including my uncle KIA) were heroes and noone should ever forget or denigrate them - Noone!
Buggsy61 2 years ago 2
Many Allied flight crews owe their lives to my father who aided them after they were shot down. My dad was a member of the Cologne underground and spirited them unto the Railway to Vichy France and spain. One pilot we hid in our garden shed for a number of weeks. Do you know how dangerous that was for my dad and the whole family? Pls do not bother to reply
chloe7829 2 years ago
@chloe7829 "Please do not bother to reply". What kind of nut comes onto a discussion forum but only wants a one way conversation?. I feel you may have mental health issues.
Buggsy61 1 year ago
I am so proud of Bomber Command. I am tired of them being treated in some quarters as war criminals. Also, only recently did the British decide to built a memorial to Bomber Command after all they suffered. God bless the whole RAF!
Also, what is the title of the music?
willconq 2 years ago 3
@willconq Great comment - my sentiments entirely. People should never confuse the rose-tinted and self-obsessed politically correct ways of thinking today with the harsh reality of 70 years ago- of a brutal dictator who was murdering millions and who had to be stopped at all costs. How many would volunteer now?
MCCXK120 1 year ago
Great video and thanks for posting. My Uncle Ken Bowerman (50 Squadron) was KIA on 15/16 Jume 1943 - RIP and utmost respect to him and his comrades both alive and deceased. Incredibly courageous men.
Buggsy61 2 years ago 13
Rest assured, those of us who have enquiring minds & a thirst for history, will NEVER forget the RAF Bomber Boys who made the ultimate sacrifice for Britain & the Commonwealth nations. RESPECT to Ken Bowerman & his comrades who didn't make the return trip to base. Read Patrick Bishops "Bomber Boys," & Max Hastings, "Bomber Command," superb accounts of the RAF BC campaign. Read Len Deighton's "Bomber." What guts & resilience those men had to climb aboard lumbering bombers night after night.
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 2 years ago
Thank you, a fitting tribute. A Memorial is long overdue, those cowards that sit in Parliment should be ashamed. Per Ardva
warbyuser 2 years ago
After Coventry these men deserve recognition to the end of WW11? why not? forget Dresden, Hamburg, this GermanNation bombed the heart out of England!? as bomber Harris rightly said Germany sowed the wind they shall sow the whirlwind!! and did ?? stop demonising our own couyntrymen!! these men shortened th war and should be shown the respect they deserve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GERMANOPHILE 2 years ago 5
Well said! I am heartily sick of the lentil soup brigade who highlight Dresden as a 'war crime.' War itself IS a crime! The Germans did not hesitate to Blitz British cities in 40-41. Nor did they hesitate to fire indiscriminate V1 & V2 rockets at SE England. War is about KILL OR BE KILLED-you fight TO WIN. The RAF learnt to hit back harder that is all. Bomber Harris & his RAF crews are HEROE's, they had right on their side-Hitler was an evil bastard who had to be stopped-whatever the cost.
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 2 years ago 5
brought tears to my eyes, such bravery of these young men, so very sad we had to lose so many people to fight for what was right. RIP
tonightwefly 2 years ago 5
The bravery and dedication of WW2 bomber crews was equal to if not higher than those in other theatres of the conflict.For this reason,it remains a sad fact that they are still regarded as poor relations,after not receiving a campaign medal.
The results gained from such bravery and hardship unfortunately did not warrent the cost in young lives.Apart from oil targets,area bombing proved largely ineffectual in damaging The Nazi war effort.
This takes nothing away from those who risked all.
jimmyb757 2 years ago 5
Equal maybe but not higher. Example:
Given the choice would you of served on board a Lancaster of would you of taken part in the D Day Landings?
Hand to hand combat comes from the heart.
I think the reason Bomber Command never recieved medals was more due to the fact our Government didn't want to give praise to people who litteraly killed hundreds of thousands of civilians (I have no issue with this though as war is war and the Germans reaped what they sewed)
29Gixxer 2 years ago
It is a national disgrace that the RAF BC crews have never received a campaign medal for their efforts & sacrifices. Do-gooders can whinge all they like about Dresden. The bottom line is we had the moral highground, NOT Nazi Germany. Had we failed to defeat Hitler, the consequences do not bare thinking about. Did Britain start WW2? Did we want WW2? Answer- NO. We had our hand forced. You fight a war to WIN & that sadly means killing people.
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 2 years ago 5
A fitting tribute to brave men who lived, died, were captured & wounded for future generations.
mikethefoto 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
My grandma (born 1920) still gets happy eyes when she tells me about the murder of 4 british airmen by a crowd in Düsseldorf 1944. The police did nothing, she says happily.Many of RAF-crews ended this way.But GB declared war to Germany, Hitler wanted a durable friendship with your country. Instead your elites licked and lick the ass of the USA - and finally lost your empire.
199520002002 2 years ago
199520002002-Hitler wanted durable relationships with Balkans ,Poland and every other country that he lied and turned against. Shame we didnt flatten dusseldorf completely,then wankers like you wouldnt be here-no wander the whole world hates the crouts.
bendyghandi 2 years ago 9
Bet your grandma got happy eyes selling her ass for cigarettes and chocolate with the victorious allied troops
soccerates61 2 years ago 4
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mikethefoto 2 years ago
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snailer12345 2 years ago
Thanks for posting this.
Do you know anything about the photo at around 1:33 which shows an aircraft (maybe a Whitley?) displaying DY-P.
DY was the code for 102 Squadron where my Grandad was a Navigator. I'm trying to research about his time in the RAF and anything concerning his old squadron is of great interest to me.
Thanks again.
snailer12345 2 years ago
snailer12345 try reasearching the wartime memories project of 102 squadron, lots of info regarding raf personel and wartime history.
binfieldwasp 2 years ago
Cheers Binfieldwasp that's a great site.
snailer12345 2 years ago
Believe it or not, my initials are DY....extraordinary.
crocfme 2 years ago
My great Uncle was a Pilot Officer in the RAF Lancaster bomber but was shot down over France 1939-1945
lHoodlum 2 years ago 2
My father volunteered in 43 as a Lanc pilot aged 19. Had no hatred of the Germans (Tho no love of Russia for that matter). They took the war to the enemy in the only way possible at the time- we should never forget that. Their experiences and lonely battles, in training and in combat, created a corps of men a breed apart. We should honour them more and justify their efforts in our sorely won freedom. The Dutch people cherish their memory - we in Britain less. RIP BC
michaelwilliams85 2 years ago 3
19 jesus he was just a baby!!!
timpatjoe 2 years ago
Well said! It is reprehensible that we as a nation have failed to honour these men with a campaign medal. It is also an insult to our GREAT CW allies, Canada, OZ, & New Zealand who helped BC deliver it's punch. You are absolutely right about the Dutch-they have great respect for the RAF. I once read a comment by a Dutchman who referred to the sound of the Merlin engines passing over Holland on route to Germany, as the "Sound of hope & freedom." Some like me, have HUGE RESPECT for your father.
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 2 years ago 3
This is a great vid. Their contributions were essential in winning the war and may they always be remembered.
As in many wars often those that make the largest contributions are ignored or brushed aside when their deeds are not popular and for that governments are reprehensible.
fleuger99 2 years ago
Thank you for this. I attempted to raise public interest in a campaign medal for Bomber Command and nearly 1000 people signed it. Needless to say no national media were interested. You have said it all. My dad was one of the "lucky" pilots - he "got away with it" and lived to be 87. RIP Freddie Watts DFC- the best of fathers and most modest of men.
rosebarry 2 years ago 10
Your welcome. There's no doubt that the boys deserve a campaign medal and the recognition just as much as the other armed forces. Its a disgrace the way they were snubbed. Your dad must have been a great man.
Remember39to45 2 years ago
It is a great tragedy that no medal was awarded - and a subject on which many members of parliament should hang their heads in shame.
I had 3 members of my family fly with Bomber Command - one killed, one a POW and one survived.
These men were our best and brightest - they came from all over the world to help and suffered one of the highest casualty rates of all the Allied services - and we can't even say thankyou. It makes me so angry.
mig25pd 2 years ago 5
I agree with you entirely. It is an utter disgrace & shameful that the bravery of these men has never been acknowledged in the form of a campaign medal. 56,000 were KIA, & our nation cannot bring itself to honour these men.
Last year at RAF Cosford museum, I was priviledged to meet a Navigator who served on Lancs. He was shot down on a daylight raid in Dec 45. He spent the remainder of the war as a POW. He was so modest & phlegmatic. It was great to be able to shake his hand & say, "Thank you!"
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 2 years ago 3
Thank you for posting this superb tribute to the men of RAF BC. Whilst the Politicians have evaded the issue of awarding these brave men with a campaign medal, (probably too busy filling in bogus expense claims), there are those of us who have read history, & have TOTAL & UTTER RESPECT for these men. They will be remembered!
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 2 years ago 5
Your welcome, I'm glad you appreciate it.
Remember39to45 2 years ago
RB- You must be extremely proud of your father, and rightly so. I was born in 1970. I have a keen interest in military history & have read widely on the subject. Your father's generation were a breed apart- modest, phlegmatic, brave, determined. Your father & his comrades are, and always will be great hero's in my eyes. TOTAL & UTTER RESPECT & GRATITUDE. Per Ardua Ad Astra!
LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH 2 years ago
Very moving.Too much Dambusters?Wld be good to see reference to Operation Manna =unarmed Lancs dropped food to starving Dutch.For yrs only Ally seen in Occupied Europe was RAF.Kept their hopes alive.Bomber crews were working with primitive equipment 100s miles behind enemy lines against an implaccable enemy which had invented missiles & was working on atomic bomb.
My father met Dutchman whose villagers been made to walk past 7 RAF bodies (some shot)'You call these your saviours!' Dutch do.
Insperato62 2 years ago 4
Yes your right, Operation Manna is a very interesting part of world war II that is not well documented. Lancasters were dropping food parcels to the Dutch from as little as 120 metres in the air!
Remember39to45 2 years ago
A Truly Wonderful Tribute to the men of Bomber Command, I don't think i've ever been so moved by a youtube video.
phil4077 2 years ago 2