Commemoration prompts controversy
Bomber Command commemoration prompts controversy
The commemoration given to Bomber Command last week, and the unveiling of a memorial statue in Green Park, London, has prompted controversy. Thousands of poppies were dropped over the area by a Lancaster bomber as part of the commemoration.
Brenda Bailey, a Quaker who strongly opposed the bombing of German cities during the war, was surprised to discover more than a dozen poppy petals in her back garden.
She said: ‘I am horrified that we should be so unfeeling about the mistakes we made long ago. The bombing of innocent German civilians was a shocking thing to do. The young men concerned [in Bomber Command] were brainwashed to take part. It is sad that we should be celebrating the event in this way – by dropping petals.’
The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) has expressed concern that the vast new memorial ‘goes far beyond mere commemoration’.
The PPU said: ‘Its sheer scale and attendant ceremony are a clear statement by its supporters, the military and the state that the core activities of Bomber Command – which an unbiased International Court would readily identify as a war crime – are here seen as laudable, heroic and noble.’
Many commentators have made a clear distinction between the 55,000 young men who lost their lives and the architects of the deliberate bombing of German civilians in their homes – particularly its chief advocate Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris.
Columnist Peter Hitchens supported the commemoration as ‘a recognition of the bravery of young men’ but pointed out that Harris described, unambiguously, the aim of his offensive as ‘the destruction of the German cities, the killing of German workers, and the disruption of civilised life throughout Germany’.
He writes: ‘The victims included women and small children and were concentrated in working-class areas – where most people had never voted for Hitler, so it’s hard to say “they asked for it”.’
Comments
Please login to add a comment
