What is the deal with Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris?

[Dan W.]

I just read that, at the relative young age of 54, and shortly after the end of WWII, he moved from England and took up residence in South Africa.

The reason for his move, it says, is because he was blamed for the excessive destruction of Dresden.

Who were his critics? Were they military people, were the British or German civilians, or was this some other part of the world community?

Also, he had a statue of himself erected in London in 1992. Seems funny to so recently honor a man who was shunned right after wars end.

Regards,
Dan

[HaEn]

There are some interesting websites dealing with this man.
One of his quotes supposedly was: The war is almost over; let's get rid of all the surplus ordnance"
Anyway, he was the commander of the raids on Dresden.
I don't KNOW enough about the man to give a valid opinion, but am intrigued by what I read on diverse websites about him. HN

[Andreas]

Bomber Command's policy was questioned publicly, and in the military, from at least 1944 (e.g. speech by the Bishop of Berkeley in the Lords; controversy over RAF refusal to continue direct support of Army operations with heavies, e.g. at Walcheren).

Bomber Command was AFAIK the only service not to be awarded a campaign medal. This was quite an unfair treatment IMO for a group of soldiers who had all volunteered and suffered extremely high losses.

As a consequence of this shunning, Marshal Harris retired to South Africa. The 1992 statue was (again, AFAIK) put up after a long campaign by Bomber Command veterans. While it is a statue of Harris, what is often forgotten is that the inscription dedicates it to all soldiers of Bomber Command. It was unveiled by the Queen Mother, which to me seems like a typical British compromise - can't acknowledge Bomber Command, so better not send an important or current Royal, but the old dear maybe able to traipse over to the Strand inbetween the odd G&T to unveil it, and anyway, she has been bombed herself.

[Wm. Harris]

Bomber Command was AFAIK the only service not to be awarded a campaign medal. This was quite an unfair treatment IMO for a group of soldiers who had all volunteered and suffered extremely high losses.

The Air Crew Europe Star was awarded to all aircrew for two months flying from the UK over Europe between the start of the war and D-Day. That applies mostly to Bomber Command.

[Andreas]

Bomber Command was AFAIK the only service not to be awarded a campaign medal. This was quite an unfair treatment IMO for a group of soldiers who had all volunteered and suffered extremely high losses.

The Air Crew Europe Star was awarded to all aircrew for two months flying from the UK over Europe between the start of the war and D-Day. That applies mostly to Bomber Command.

Yes, but would that not also apply to a C47 pilot ferrying supplies from London to Paris or Brussels from October to December 1944?

[Wm. Harris]

Yes, but would that not also apply to a C47 pilot ferrying supplies from London to Paris or Brussels from October to December 1944?

No, since operational flying after D-Day didn't count towards the Air Crew Europe Star. Any flying time logged after June 6 1944 counted towards the France and Germany Star (or in some cases the France and Germany clasp to the Air Crew Europe Star).

Bill

[Andreas]

Thanks for the info and correction. I had the information from a book on Bomber Command crew, IIRC. I'll see which one it was if I still remember in a few months when the books come out of storage.

[Andreas]

Hmm, bit of googling brought these up.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1852580.stm

http://users.tpg.com.au/adsls7ld/entitlement1.html

It seems clear at least some veterans do not see the Aircrew Europe Star as an adequate stand-in for a campaign medal. Then again, Fighter Command did not get one either.

I do not know enough about the British campaign medal system to say much more on this.

[Wm. Harris]

From the BBC article, it looks like the gist of the veterans' complaint is that the qualifying period for the Air Crew Europe Star didn't extend until the end of the war, even though bombing missions over Germany did. I agree with them, it does seem unfair that an airman risking his life over Germany received only the France and Germany Star (the same campaign medal that a British or Canadian army clerk working behind the lines in France or Belgium would have received).

It's interesting to note that back in the '80s an unofficial 'Bomber Command Medal' was struck to fill the perceived void.

[Achtacht]

Sir Arthur " Bomber" Harris started to have his critics shortly after the Fire Bombings of Hamburg in 1943.

These raids where called by several Critics as being " Totally unnescesary", but with Churchills total support and Harris's own belief that Total War ment total War and the need to slow or even stop German production, then these raids where needed.

However when Harris first took over Bomber command, they had no four engined Bombers and had not been able to carry out daylight bombing of Germany due to the Luftwaffe having total daylight Control over Germany and they where unable to even carryout pinpoint bombing either he switched the Early raids to night time.
These bombings however did not produce the results he demanded, even on the introduction of the Sterling, Britians first four engined Bomber, he still did not get the results he needed and so looked at Bomber command as a whole and found it very wanting due to poor navigation and poor Bombaiming etc.
He then thought of ways to combat these problems and thought of the mass raids Eg the 1000 plane raid on Cologne, tied in with his beliefs that it was not just the Factorys that needed to be destroyed but the Work forces as well and to demorolise the population also, Carpet bombing areas would produce the results that was needed and stuck with this polocy through out the war, with the introduction of the Halifax and Lancaster and aids for better navigation these produced these results.

The quote "One of his quotes supposedly was: The war is almost over; let's get rid of all the surplus ordnance" is one of the manny unfounded stories spread by his critics to darken his name and his reputation.

He, also with the Americans, took a lot of critism for the raid on Dresden, but on intelligence information it was reported that Dresden was being used as a Main Marshalling point for the German army, hence the Bombing of Dresden, due to his non plus attitude and that this was War he never thought or said that there had been an error in Bombing Dresden.

There still is and proberbly will be critics of Harris, he retired to South Africa to get away from his critics in Britian and europe and was made to feel welcome as he was looked up on as a Hero in South Africa, as Several Bomber groups where made up from South Africans.

Harris believed until he died that the Bombings where needed and justifiable as it was Total War and never moved from this stance.

The Queen Mother revield the Statue of Harris as she was the Champion of RAFA and personally knew Sir Harris.

Many people will argue over his stance with Bomber Command, hence why people are sometimes fearful of voiceing support and why they amoungst many other Vets are overlooked by the PC few.

Andy
http://www.axis42.co.uk

[Dan W.]

Thanks Andy.

Regards,
Dan

[R-Bob The Great!]

I was wondering why did Bomber Command think that using demoralisation as a weapon through bombing population centres would work when in Britain it only strengthened British resolve. Why would they expect there to be a differnet reaction in Germany?

[WalterS]

Although the morale of the German people, particularly workers in the arms industries, was a target of the "area bombing" campaign which the Air Ministry set out on in Feb 42, it wasn't the only target. One of Harris's principal aims was to attack German war production by attacking the laborers who kept it running. By burning down inner cities, and killing, injuring and making homeless thousands of Germans, he sought to degrade war production. In this aim, the record is a decidedly mixed one. The great raids on Hamburg in 1943 reduced that city's war material output by nearly 50%. The Nuremberg raid was a disaster and did very little damage.

[Englander]

I was wondering why did Bomber Command think that using demoralisation as a weapon through bombing population centres would work when in Britain it only strengthened British resolve. Why would they expect there to be a differnet reaction in Germany?

Maybe because it's a myth? The heavy bombing of Coventry gave credence that bombing large cities can, and does effect civilian moral, and will put enormous pressure on the civilian and political authorities.

Btw, Andreas is correct about the campaign medal.

[Andreas]

I always thought it was the sustained campaign against Hull (or was that Kingston-upon-Hull?), and not Coventry, that gave the British the idea that levelling a place could be done.

I think I read that in some shaky source (either internet or British broadsheet), so if someone could confirm it or tell me that I got that wrong, I would appreciate it.