Bomber Command Finally Receives Recognition

     Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, unveiled the Bomber Command Memorial on Thursday in a ceremony remembering 55,573 airmen who lost their lives during the Second World War. Over 6,000 people attended the dedication in order to honour the men who sacrificed everything to serve their country. Veterans and families of the deceased gathered together at the ceremony to see Bomber Command finally receive the recognition it deserves after the decades of controversy the unit has dealt with.

     The Royal Air Force Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. At the start of the Second World War they were instructed by President Roosevelt to strike only military targets. This changed after the German Rotterdam Blitz of May 1940 which resulted in the RAF Bomber Command gaining authorization to attack German targets east of the Rhine. Later in the War a number of strikes against Nazi Germany's industries and cities were carried out, the raids resulted in the loss of up to 600,000 civilian lives. An article posted on the Toronto Star website talked about some of the controversy in greater detail:

Even during the War there was misgiving about the policy of saturation bombing of German cities adopted by Air Marshall Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris. That grew into revulsion when it became clear that something like half a million German civilians had died - not as a result of what we now call "collateral damage," but due to deliberate targeting of city centres in an unsuccessful effort to break the will of the enemy.

     These facts do nothing to take away from the heroism of the 125,000 men who served in Bomber Command, about 10,000 of which were Canadian. Their average age was only 22, and the young men were simply doing what they were instructed. The unit had a casualty rate of 60 per cent - the highest of any unit. Many of those in attendance felt that the memorial was a long time coming because of the political issue that surrounded Bomber Command. BBC News quotes Harry Pugh, 88, from County Durham, a bomb aimer, as saying: "It's right it's been done now but it's a great pity its been delayed. I would have preferred it much more if it had been done in the past rather than as ancient history." The article continues to emphasize that the veterans are pleased to see the memorial realized at last.

The Bomber Command Memorial located at Green Park in London, England.

     The memorial will be maintained by the RAF Benevolent Fund, an organization which supports RAF personnel, their partners, and their children. One inscription that's present on the memorial commemorates people "of all nations who lost their lives in the bombing". For a detailed look at Bomber Command be sure to visit BBC News here.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip talk to WWII veteran Ed Carter Edwards, a former member of Bomber Command from Canada, after unveiling the Bomber Command Memorial in London, England.