Bomber command, through fits and starts, grew into an effective fighting force. Bomber command, in total, lost some 55,000 aircrew. The 6 episodes show members of bomber commands 103, 617 and 156 squadron lancasters as they progress from training to the final raids over germany. Hastings has a particular skill at weaving together the different aspects of a war such that one can see both the broad max hastings is arguably the top british war historian working today. High degree of reader involvement in supplying information. I read it in preparation for an upcoming trip to lincolnshire, where there is a museum on bomber command. The v bomber command is an inactive united states army air forces unit. At an operation on nuremburg, on which i luckily was not flying, we lost some 650 men in one night. Yorkshire airfields countryside books 1998 isbn 9781853065422. This very long play was originally broadcast by the bbc throughout a single day, the anniversary of the events portrayed. It was largely destroyed in the battle of the philippines, and withdrew to australia at the end of december. Raf bomber command and its aircraft by goulding, james and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Memories of bomber command are unusual in being both complex. My mothers main recollection was that he had started the airsea rescue operations for the 5th bomber command.
Bomber command books from mention the war publications. Find books like bomber command from the worlds largest community of readers. The tenure of the majority of the bases was brief some six years but during that time more than 55,000 men lost their lives while flying from them to attack targets on the continent. Tactical mission reports for the 21st bomber command. But of late the issue of the effectiveness of strategic bombing has become a contested one in britain, and journalist hastings contribution to the debate is a crippling blow to the carefully.
Don charlwoods and miles tripps books caused sensations when they were first published, giving a personal and very direct view of what life was like in bomber command at different times in the war. It received a major slice of britains economic and technological resources, and many of its brightest and best. The game recreates the great raf bombing raids against the heart of germany and the defence of the german luftwaffes night fighter arm. From 1942 onward, the british bombing campaign against germany became less restrictive and increasingly targeted industrial sites and the civilian manpower base essential for german war production. With greg burridge, john mawson, gaia passaler, sarah maddocks. We specialise in publishing and selling books about raf bomber command in the second world war and related topics. Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples log in dictionary. Buy black night for bomber command the tragedy of 16 december 1943 1st edition by knott, richard isbn.
These are the key roles and responsibilities of a heavy bomber crew during the second world war. It was last assigned to fifth air force, based at irumagawa ab, japan. Into the dark a bomber command story home facebook. Bomber command books from mention the war publications, merthyr tydfil.
Buy bomber command 1st uk edition by hastings, max isbn. For richard overy, whose first book on the subject appeared in 1980, the. The civilians themselves would cause the nazi hierarchy to sue for peace, so harris believed. Bowman recounts the development of bomber command from its early twin engine hampdens, wellingtons, and whitleys, through the introduction of the fourengined. Life as a raf navigator in raf bomber command in ww2. Bomber command definition and meaning collins english. I am very cynical of fresh take books often they are only published if they take a controversial. Men of the air presents the british pointofview of its bomber command. Raf bomber command controlled the rafs bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Insights into the organisation, equipment, men, machines and tactics of raf bomber command 19391945 haynes manuals. Buy bomber command pan military classics main market by max hastings isbn. Bomber commands air offensive against the cities of nazi germany was one of the most epic campaigns of world war ii. Much of the information on the lack of accuracy and the success of the germans at dispersing production are already in the public domain.
Among the strongest images of world war ii is that of waves of allied bombers striking at the heart of germany, reducing german cities to rubble and destroying the german will to fight. Bomber command by the air ministry and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A fter almost 70 years, the 55,573 dead of raf bomber command are to be honoured in a prominent memorial at the western end of londons piccadilly. Yates book came out somewhat later, but was, and is, remarkable for a first book written at the age of 77. Bomber command s air offensive against the cities of nazi germany was one of the most epic campaigns of world war ii. Bomber command books is a community site from mention the war publications, a specialist in publishing and selling. Along with the united states army air forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of germany in world war ii. Research based site with hundreds of thousands of data points on pilots, crew and ground crew associated with flying, particularly ww11. I have been choosing books from other countries of wwii in an attempt to get a perspective from the other countrys pointofview. If the weather was good enough, we would attack the enemy. In this powerful book, first published in 1995, denis richards describes the commands difficulties and failures, but also redresses the balance by making clear the. Raf bomber commands offensive against the cities of germany was one of the epic campaigns of the second world war. Books purchased via these links will result in small commissions to the website these go towards the upkeep, maintenance etc.
A bomber command story of combat and survival, discovery and remembrance. Life and death in bomber command imperial war museums. It provides the reader with a myriad of facts and the opportunity to compare the records of a single squadron with another. The nature of the entries is really the main determining factor. It was not until 1942 that bomber command gained a real sense of direction, with the advent of air marshal arthur bomber harris. Based on an air combat system derived from the awardwinning downtown and the burning blue raidscale games, bomber command details the tactics of night fighting. Have a free kindle edition of late shift, one of the few books we have published that is not actually about bomber command though even this novel includes a. Over the course of the war, it developed from a limited and relatively ineffective force into a weapon of immense destructive power.
It would later play its own role in that expansion when c flight was used to form no. How you choose to interpret it all is your own dilemma and the stuff of other books entirely. The struggle began in 1939 with a few score primitive whitleys, hampdens and wellingtons, and. Raf bomber command deserves to be remembered with honesty. From 1942 onward, the british bombing campaign against germany became less restrictive and increasingly targeted industrial sites and the civilian manpower base essential. Bases of bomber command then and now after the battle. I would have to be a super sleuth in order to find a story. Bomber command books is the sales site for mention the war ltd. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. Raf bomber command was created in 1936 and comprised the rafs light and heavy bomber squadrons. Bomber command news newspapers books scholar jstor july 2009 learn how and when to remove this template. Thus bomber command was ordered to attack by night. During world war ii the unit initially controlled fifth air force bomber units in the philippines.
The i bomber command later xx bomber command was an intermediate command of the army air forces during world war ii. The point which is not often appreciated was the fact that bomber command was standing by every day of the war. A bomber command is generally used for strategic bombing although at times, e. Bowmans raf bomber command books are a superbly researched and written series of volumes telling the story of the royal air forces bomber command during world war ii. Goodreads members who liked bomber command also liked. Yorkshire airfields countryside books 1998 isbn 9781 853065422. The bomber command war diaries an operational reference book 19391945. From shortly after the attack on pearl harbor until its assets were transferred to army air forces antisubmarine command in october 1942, it conducted antisubmarine. Each member was mutually dependent on the others and each had a vital part to play in ensuring that the aircraft reached its target, dropped its bombs and safely returned to base. Harris was appointed as commander in chief of bomber command in february 1942, with a mandate to begin attacking german industry, much of which was located in large cities. A bundu boy in bomber command memoirs of a royal air force lancaster pilot from rhodesia by tweet. The most famous ones were in britain and the united states. It was an attempt to win the war in europe by strategic bombing on such an enormous scale that historians have only recently begun to piece together the finer details of the individual.
Bomber command veterans were given no campaign medal, despite the scale of losses, and air chief marshal harris was passed over when. Sixty years ago over 100 aerodromes in east and northeastern england were occupied by the men and machines of raf bomber command. Our growing list of titles focuses on the aircraft, squadrons and above all the men and women who shaped the legend that endures to this day. More than 56,000 british and commonwealth aircrew and 600,000 germans died in the course of the rafs attempt to win the war by bombing. Without flight log books, personnel records, specific squadron or bomb group information few could help me. In his book bomber offensive, published in 1947, marshal of the royal air force sir arthur harris wrote that all the credit for preventing the invasion of britain had. All the routes are clearly marked and journeys end will be easily defined. It combines narrative based on deightons novel with real eyewitness accounts from both sides in the conflict. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This excellent novel about bomber command in world war 2 is released tomorrow and if i were you i would get down and get it because you will not read a better novel about this topic than this one. Jack is a nz boy of 19 years and he cant wait to get off the ship and join in the fight against hitler. It trained bombardment units and aircrews for deployment to combat theaters.
Raf bomber command during the second world war imperial. Bomber command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a. Buy bomber command pan military classics main market by hastings, max isbn. He had brought home his crew safely home for the last time.
1451 394 1538 671 680 731 81 295 641 283 1106 1314 188 1349 1475 22 216 705 98 828 1082 981 704 1035 1186 1324 1176 1107 776