A question has occurred to me about the ethics of bombing.

If the target for a force of bombers is a factory in a built-up area, and with the limitations of bombing accuracy, some bombs (possibly many bombs) will fall on civilian housing and cause civilian casualties. Is this ethical?

Now, if the target for a force of bombers is the civilian factory workforce and their housing, some bombs (possibly many bombs) will fall on the housing of civilians who are not part of the factory workforce and cause casualties. Is this ethical?

I did play the ‘they did it to us first’ card, but in my defence I would say that it was in response to a post that suggested that Britain, rather than Nazi Germany, authorised the first bombing raid aimed directly at civilians. My point here was that the Bomber Command campaign cannot be viewed in isolation.

Whoever made the decision it was quite a courageous decision to come to. When it was finally appreciated how hopelessly inaccurate night-bombing was it was realised that damage to war production could still be achieved by area-bombing (something that was driven home by the effects of bombing on British cities I believe). At least those responsible had the courage not to pretend it was anything other than what it was.

It undoubtedly did tie-up Nazi resources but I agree that doesn’t make it ethical on its own. Personally I’m not sure it was the best trade-off that could have been achieved (ethical arguments aside) but I can only say that with the benefit of hindsight and thankfully I was never in the position to make those decisions.

It is very difficult not to judge it by the standards of today but as somebody pointed out ‘the past is a foreign country’.

Sorry for the suggestion that you may be some sort of Nazi apologist. I hope and trust I am wrong on that score at least.

As to my sense of what is right and wrong, as I attempted to explain in an earlier post, where warfare is concerned my view is really what is wrong and what is slightly less wrong. Enemy soldiers are still human beings and I imagine it was almost impossible to resist ‘obeying orders’ in Nazi Germany so the ‘ethics’ of killing civilians or soldiers is really one of what will bring the war to an end the quickest and result in the lowest possible casualties (tempered with where those casualties should fall). Not an easy decision for anyone to make.

OK, I think deliberately fire bombing cities with the deliberate intent to cause a firestorm and burn civilians (men, woman, children and babies) is wrong – NO MATTER WHAT WENT ON BEFORE.

Yes, that is a reasonable argument why the deliberate bombing of civilians is wrong but what worried me from your earlier post was the statement:

Either side can usually argue a case to prove they were right and the other side was wrong.

Please don’t tell me you can complete your argument with any case where Nazi Germany was right?

“Winners are grinners and the rest can please themselves” seems to be the logic in play here.

Or that ‘history’ has been re-written by the victors in some way to portray Nazi Germany unfairly?

Ah…. Now its situational ethics, fair go – there is right and there is wrong.

In war, total war? Right and wrong? Absolutes? No. But certainly better or worse.

Either side can usually argue a case to prove they were right and the other side was wrong.

Go on then, let’s say for the sake of argument that you play Germany.

I do not know who Leslie Stark is, but he has certainly told a stark untruth about the Dornier down at Snape, Wadhurst. The pilot was killed in the crash and not “seen off” by the Black Watch. The remainder were taken POW by the 8th North Loyal Lancashire Regiment. The aircraft of III/KG76 was shot down by Red Section of 253 Squadron – Flt LT Duke-Woolley (V6757) and Plt Off Murch (V6570) on 6 October 1940

I was under the impression that all the statements in ‘Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for Britain’ were from recording in the IWM Sound Archive but it seems that some interviews were done specifically for the book. Not sure where the Leslie Stark interview comes from.

Thanks for adding those details; as you said earlier with regard to the other Dornier perhaps this is a myth that has been reported as fact.

Just playing devil’s advocate for a minute wouldn’t any such incidents be likely to be covered-up in official documentation?

Back on topic, from ‘Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for Britain’:

“A Dornier crash-landed near Wadhurst. The crew got out with their little bags, all prepared to be taken prisoner. The Black Watch ‘saw them off’. I wouldn’t like to say any more.” Leslie Stark, civilian in Sussex.

With respect, I think this is a misrepresentation.

Agreed, ‘highest possible civilian casualties’ as an aim of the raid was possibly as bit strong but certainly aiming-points in areas of predominantly civilian housing is beyond dispute and an indifference to civilian casualties is little less shocking.

I’m not really trying to comment on the morality of area-bombing, rather my reaction to it, and I do appreciate the limitations of what Bomber Command was capable of targeting. Above all I do appreciate that I’m commenting from the comfort of my office and sixty-six years of relative peace in Britain.