RAAF Vickers Wellington, Operation Gomorra, the firestorm of Hamburg

[Nils]

Thank you for sharing your bit to this story, an very emotional too. I was a bit reluctant whether to post that picture or not, as I knew it would most likely stir up someone.

Killing civillians in war can never be justified, regardless which side they're on.

[Michael Leek]

On 18/03/2022 at 15:16, Nils said:

Thank you for sharing your bit to this story, an very emotional too. I was a bit reluctant whether to post that picture or not, as I knew it would most likely stir up someone.

Killing civillians in war can never be justified, regardless which side they're on.

No problem Nils; I was not offended at all. One thing we should never do is rewrite history. If we did, we would never learn from it; and history has much to teach us all.

[Col Walter E Kurtz]

An interesting and emotive subject for sure. I've just read a book by John Nichol titled Tail End Charlies. A history of the bombing campaign in the latter stages of the war. I found this book to be insightful, balanced and very much an education. It has many direct words from those who participated. The book also deals with the same points raised in this discussion. I urge anyone with an interest in the subject to read it. 

My own mother suffered terribly during the war being bombed out 3 times and experienced a very near miss from a flying bomb. She never recovered from her experiences totally. In the early 1990s I took up with a German girl from Nuremberg. Her mother was the same age as my own mother. I got to speak at length with her about her own childhood experiences in Nuremberg. Their two lives were almost parallel. This realisation made a deep impression on me then and since. I'm not ashamed to recount that I was moved to tears. 

 

I think the picture Nils produced is powerful, thought provoking and shows a moment in history - right or wrong.It's art for sure. It reminds me of the box art of the HK Models 1:32 Lancaster too.