Bomber Command WW2 Memorial at last :-)

[Zak33]

And about blummin time too

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8681663.stm

Shame there are almost none of the heroes left to be able to visit it.

[Disturbedguy]

Why does it take the UK so long to recognise what people did back in WW2 and before, then actually show they give a crap?

[peterb]

Why does it take the UK so long to recognise what people did back in WW2 and before, then actually show they give a crap?

@Bomber' Harris's campaign was rather controversial after the war (when 20/20 hindsight is applied) - in particular the bombing of Dresden and the civilian casualties in a city of little strategic importance.

What was overlooked at the time was that it persuaded Hitler to order the bombing of British cities, rather than military targets which would have had a greater immediate impact on the course of the war - to the extent that we might have lost.

As always, the immediate tactical/strategic problem had to be solved and the consequences could be sorted out later (if there was a later).

As a result, the achievements of Bomber command were overlooked - including the sacrifices made by them (also overshadowed by the more apparantly glamorous role of the fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain.

So yes, this is a long overdue memorial to those brave men who gave their lives and recognition of Bomber Command's role.

[TheAnimus]

@Bomber' Harris's campaign was rather controversial after the war (when 20/20 hindsight is applied) - in particular the bombing of Dresden and the civilian casualties in a city of little strategic importance.

Indeed, it was a very wrong thing, akin to shooting fish in a barrel.

The effects of it polarized many germans against us, and were it not for the worse atrocities of the Nazis I think we would still be shamed to this day as war criminals.