A sad observation

Another thought that puts their losses in perspective is this. Fighter Command lost 544 in the whole battle of Britain, on one occasion Bomber Command lost that many in one night.

The late, great, Leonard Cheshire V.C. once pointed out that that, on average, for each DAY of the War the Nazis murdered 10,000 people in the concentration and extermination camps. So 45,000 is little under one working week’s work for the evil Nazis regime. His point was that Bomber Command’s role was to put an an end to this evil, no matter the cost to civilians in Germany and indeed BC themselves, as soon as possible, and just stop the killing on all sides. And let’s not forget, he was one the world’s greatest humanitarian if ever there was one.

They are the 21st century Red Army!;)

This comparison has crossed my my mind on many an occasion, more people can visit a football match now than remain in the current RAF.

That’s not the way to look at it. The NHS and Health & Safety workers are the new RAF…

I just wanted to share an eyeopening moment I had last week at a Rock concert……there were apparentley 45,000 people there in the stadium…..as I was perusing the crowd from above a thought crossed my mind that I was seeing 45,000 people in one place that looked like a sea of human beings, and the losses in BOMBER COMMAND were a good chunk more than that!!!. seeing so many people in one place hit home hard just how many people 55,000 actually was, its easy to roll the figures of the tongue or read it from a book, but to see a block of 45,000 people let alone 55,000 people all stood in one place really brought home just how many sacrifices were made, wether it was being shot over dresden an a blazing lancaster, or in a humble (but still every bit as important) accident whilst training.
I know you chaps on here will appreciate fully just how many 55,000 losses was but to the younger generation like my 16 yr old it was a great visual representation of the WW2 losses, and thats just in BOMBER COMMAND……..

A very sobering site to see, I often compare the BC losses to the number of empty seats in some football stadiums- that brings it home.

But to me the most sobering thought………..the casualty figures I often see quoted for the Second world war are around 60 million- thats roughly the UK population.

If you can imagine, every UK street, road & building being empty then you’re pretty close.

If you can do that, then you can understand why we cannot ever afford to forget those who gave.

I get choked up every time seeing row upon row of war graves either in person or on television. I never forget them and the ultimate sacrifice they made for my freedom.

‘For your tomorrow we gave our today.’

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the sad fact is that it took so bl##dy long for our very own country to recognise the men of Bomber Command those powers that be who decided not to for so long should have been ashamed…. and then some person whom I cannot find words bad enough to describe vandalsies it….
Its not celebrating what bomber command did, its remembering the HEROES that stood up to defend our country.

Here’s another one for you. There were more people in the stadium than in the RAF today. And there are more personnel in the Metropolitan police than in the Royal Navy. Food for thought….

Exactly the same impression was made on me at my first visit to the Flanders WW1 cemeteries – allied and German. Row upon row of crosses, white or black. Years later I am no less moved than at that first visit decades ago.

Staggering losses isn’t it, I looked at one nights ops and wondered how they managed to let alone train those many replacements, but to recruit them as well to fill those losses…. Such a terrible waste and I feel humbled by their sacrifice, I often feel for those that survived who see what they have done to their beloved country since.