My mothers first husband was killed on his very first operation whilst my father, her second husband completed 51 operations. So how did this happen? Team effort, skill, commitment , bravery, pure luck, or a combination of all? It is heartbreaking to read the letter that mum’s first husband left for her should he not return, but it is also very heart warming for me reading dad’s log book of raids on Berlin, Peenemunde, Munich etc. Whatever the reasons for one man surviving and one not the fact is the both started off with the same mind set , they both wanted to be in Bomber Command because they like every other member volunteered! So that set me wondering why did they do that? As a small boy when I asked dad that question he would answer flippantly that as he didn‘t like sailing and hated walking (highlighted by the fact he would ride his motorbike to the earth closet at the bottom of the garden) so rather than be conscripted he volunteered for the R A F. Latter on when I was older and had a better understanding of what it meant to be a Flight Engineer in the summer of 1943 I was to ask the question again. This time the answer was more thoughtful, it simply it seems came down to bravado, adventure and wearing an R A F uniform in the presence of young women ! Whilst building a web site as a tribute to my father ( raf-bombercommand - Home) I have been in contact with some wonderful people who have helped in my research trough forums such as this, so gentlemen any thoughts on why did they volunteer?
Hi Andy ! This is going to sound very basic ... but it seems to me all little boys love aeroplanes !!!!!! I know mine did ! in fact even the memorial to Civilians in Liverpool has a little boy playing with one !! Liverpool Civilian War Dead Memorial And the opportunity to try must have been overwhelmingly tempting .... death didn't come into it ... it was just the thought of being there ... I have a friend who flew in the Gulf War .... he did what he did because it gave him a thrill that he had never felt with anything else ! ..... the pumping of adrenalin was a "rush" he never got over !! and he loved it every time he went up ! PLUS I guess it's a "man thing " !! :clapping: Annie
Hi Andy J Whenever you get down to completing this research, never forget to mention the great debt of gratitude we owe these men. Cheers Keith
The Uniform? The Thrill of Flight? The Adventure? The Ability to take it to the Enemy Heartland! The Ability to Protect the other fighting Services. The Ability to make a difference? Some or all of the above..........Maybe? Simply, I think it came down to bravery and courage! Look at the Bomber Command statistics. These were not known early however when they they were known the brave lads still went up every night. And the Australian Aircrew:
