Bomber Command Memorial

I see that Bomber Command is to (at last) have a memorial to the memory of the 55,573 aircrew and members of its ranks. This is right and fitting and although some bleeding hearts will doubtless complain that this honours people who acted wrongly - this is merely a demonstration of the paucity of something in them I fear.

The reality is that these young men gave their lives to a cause they believed in and, even when they did not agree with the means, obeyed the orders they were given and took to the air.

All that remains now is that those who served in Bomber Command need to be recognised for their service and awarded the medal they rightly deserve. It's not a making right of things that would be considered wrong in terms of the modern understanding of proportionality, humanity and the like (if you want to know more - look up Laws of Armed Conflict in the internet) but a recognition that they served, as did all who were engaged in the 1939 - 1939 conflict, and gave their lives to doing what was asked of them. An average operational life experience of six weeks meant that every take-off was a game of Russian Roulette - and yet, because of their courage, commitment and determination, they continued to fly. This needs to be recognised for what it is.

I might add that the day after I have done the funeral service of a member of the Pathfinder force, Archie Anson DFC, that the stories of missions flown, crashes survived and Prisoner of War experiences (including the 'long march') only seek to convince me further that the award of a medal should be made.

Take a look at the memorial on the BBC site.

I leave you with the words of Councillor Alastair Moss, chairman of Westminster City Council's planning applications sub committee:

"This new landmark for London is a fitting tribute to the heroes of Bomber Command who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. It is a sign of this country's gratitude to these exceptional people who were brave enough to fight for us and it will stand as an iconic London monument marking how good came to triumph over evil for many generations to come."