Following on from the interesting topic of Harris, I was wondering if anyone of the forum had an opinion on who could have replaced him if the Air Staff and Portal had their way in removing him from his post in 1944. ?
For my part I believe AVM Arthur “Mary” Coningham should have been given command. He had a proven record in the RAF and the experience gained in North Africa and his ability to “talk” with his American Allies could have galvanised both the RAF & USAAF bomber forces into carrying out a combined and coherent bomber campaign. !
Interested in any views.
PS : This is NOT a anti Harris attack.
By: bazv - 13th October 2008 at 12:55
Why. ??
Old boys network 😀
The right connections 😀
Maybe nobody wanted Harris’s job because they guessed it might be a ‘poisoned chalice’ for post war career prospects.
cheers baz
By: smudgersmith - 13th October 2008 at 12:50
Sholto Douglas
Why. ??
By: Vicbitter - 13th October 2008 at 12:46
Bennett probably wouldn’t have got the job, for the reasons stated, made too many enemies in the sevice, didn’t suffer fools gladly, dam colonial and all that, but would have done a good job IMHO.
By: bazv - 13th October 2008 at 12:23
Because of his background,Bennett would not have been considered.
I would have thought that the RAF had at least 4/5 people who could have stepped straight in,we were not short of professional and talented senior officers,the politics however sometimes ‘muddied the waters’ and of course the ‘old boys network’.
cheers baz
By: alertken - 13th October 2008 at 12:08
Sholto Douglas
By: smudgersmith - 13th October 2008 at 11:40
Must confess Bennett was a candidate, but like F.N his personality I think may have been a problem, he was not known for his tolerance and I think he may have struggled politically with his American counterparts.
I am surprised no as mentioned Cochrane. !!
By: Frazer Nash - 13th October 2008 at 11:12
Yeah Vic, my first thought was Bennett, but I’m not convinced he had the political nous to get the job. I believe (and more than happy to be corrected) he was quite pompous, unapproachable, extremely intolerant of others’ mistakes and unable to fathom that others did not possess the amazing talent he did.
As I say, I’ll happily stand corrected, but that is the impression I’ve formed through research.
By: Vicbitter - 13th October 2008 at 09:03
AVM Bennett would have to have been a candidate.
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October 13, 2008 at 7:20 am