Bring Back my Bomber and Me

[wuzak]

I have just finished watching the old TV series The World at War, narrated by Laurence Olivier. In the episode about the strategic bombing campaign there was a song playing in the background as the early RAF bombing efforts were discussed. It was called "Bring Back my Bomber and Me". I found it at the Imperial War Museum's site, with two versions of the song and another titled "A Young Aviator Lay Dying".

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80024809

 

[GregP]

Pretty good, Wayne. Thanks!

 

[syscom3]

Deleted. It caused to much of a ruckus.

 

[pbehn]

Bomber's Moon


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiiKfB1-DcU

Sorry ....I dont agree at all but we are all different

 

[GregP]

You don't agree it is a WWII song or what?

I think it definitely was a WWII song.

 

[mhuxt]

.

 

[pbehn]

You don't agree it is a WWII song or what?

I think it definitely was a WWII song.

GregP my Uncle was in BC it doesnt express the way he felt about Bomber Command or indeed the way I perceive the nation felt about it. Mike Harding was the son of a BC Navigator born a few weeks after his father died on a mission, he wrote the song as a lament to his father who he never knew. I have great respect for his loss (my wifes father died before she ever knew him in 1962 as a result of 3 years in wartime submarines) but the young men of BC were volunteers doing what Churchill had promised we would.

The men and boys of BC were acting out this promise :-
We ask no favours of the enemy. We seek from them no compunction. On the contrary, if tonight the people of London were asked to cast their votes as to whether a convention should be entered into to stop the bombing of all cities, an overwhelming majority would cry, "No, we will mete out to the Germans the measure, and more than the measure, they have meted out to us." The people of London with one voice would say to Hitler: "You have committed every crime under the sun. Where you have been the least resisted there you have been the most brutal. It was you who began the indiscriminate bombing. We remember Warsaw! In the first few days of the war. We remember Rotterdam. We have been newly reminded of your habits by the hideous massacre in Belgrade. We know too well the bestial assaults you're making upon the Russian people, to whom our hearts go out in their valiant struggle! We will have no truce or parley with you, or the grisly gang who work your wicked will! You do your worst! - and we will do our best! Perhaps it may be our turn soon. Perhaps it may be our turn now."

The veterans of BC were treated shamefully in the post war period but not by anyone who had anything to do with them. They were not young men lead by the nose to do corrupt politicians bidding, they were volunteer heros doing what the British nation and its commonwealth and any right minded person demanded, they should not have a lament they should have an hallelujah chorus. I feel for Mike Hardings loss but I also feel his father would have words to say. Greg its hard to express a confusion of emotions, I hope you understand this, my uncle was invalided out of the RAF as a navigator, too many opps with no heated suit and he got pneumonia.

from wiki on Mike Harding

Biography[edit]
Harding's father, Louis Arthur "Curly" Harding, was a navigator in the RAF,[2][3] who was killed during World War II, a few weeks before his son's birth.[4] Harding is of Irish ancestry on his mother's side.[5]

and

He has had many albums and singles released, whilst the latter included "Man 'nited Song". As well as comedy, he has released albums of serious songs, most notably Bombers' Moon, the title track of which tells of his father's death.[4]

 

[GregP]

OK, you don't agree with the song or like it. That's clear. Just wondered ... hrd to tell from your words in your reply.

There are songs out there I donl;t like either and In daresay NOBODY likes or agrees with ALL of them.

Cheers and no comment.

 

[pbehn]

OK, you don't agree with the song or like it. That's clear. Just wondered ... hrd to tell from your words in your reply.

There are songs out there I donl;t like either and In daresay NOBODY likes or agrees with ALL of them.

Cheers and no comment.

Greg it isnt a war song, it is a post war and anti war song by a guy who was/is anti war, he has no idea if his father agreed and he wasnt there was my point
BC vets were treated like Vietnam vets in UK ..........................lets move on

 

[GregP]

I think I said "Cheers and no comment."

I THOUGHT that was moving on ... and still have no comment.

Cheers again to you.

 

[gjs238]

BC vets were treated like Vietnam vets in UK ..........................lets move on

pbehn, I had no idea.

Thanks for sharing,
George

 

[fastmongrel]

BC vets were treated like Vietnam vets in UK ..........................lets move on

I am sorry but no they were not. They were treated like any other veteran of the RAF who took part in the campaigns of WWII the only RAF vets who were treated in a different way were Battle of Britain vets who were feted almost like film stars.

Arthur Harris was arguably treated shabbily but no one else was treated in any other way different to the rest of the RAF.