That would be Max “Last Helicopter out of Saigon, First to Yomp into Port Stanley” Hastings. It’s on the strength of this book the he tends to be wheeled out every time there is a programme about Bomber Command on TV. The book is certainly worth reading, but, despite what he says in the Foreword, that it is unlikely if any further evidence on the Bomber Offensive should come to light, it has, particularly since the end of the Cold War and more information from the Russian prospective. So the Book is very much of its time when written, 1979. He had to rewrite large parts of Chapter 8 in the second edition after much criticism about accusations he made about 76 Squadron and its personnel. Having said that, The book itself is most critical about the policy of area bombing rather than the crews themselves ; the Air Staff, Churchill and Harris. I seem to recall Harris being most put out that having invited Hastings to his home, the result was a book that was rather disparaging about him. Hastings says that Harris should have been sacked at the end of 1944 and Portal was weak not to have done it.
It’s worth reading for the details of people and their roles in the Bomber Offensive that hardly ever get a mention now, Sir Henry Tizard, Solly Zuckermann and Lord Cherwell (aka Prof. Lindemann). The last named was Churchill’s scientific adviser who’s report on “de-housing”the German population was really a report suggesting mass murder. And those who attacked the policy at the time, Richard Stokes MP, Bishop Bell and Canon John Collins, who later was a founder of CND and was remarkable assigned to Bomber Command HQ.
Now of, course it’s just Harris who gets the criticism. The only honest one amongst them.
Also worth reading is “The Bombers” by Norman Longmate, which was written about the same time and covers similar issues, and slightly different conclusions.
Also, read “The Bomber War” by Robin Neillands, written in 2001, that has more positive spin on the Offensive and the role it had in defeating the enemy.
As for Hastings being “disproved”, I guess he’d say not. You just have to make your own mind up!
Sign In
