The most unappreciated airmen of World War Two.

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In the UK, Coastal Command (whatever they flew). Hated by the rest of the (bomber obsessed) RAF, starved of resources.
Long, very often boring flights, in often horrible weather over the sea (with very little chance of survival if anything went wrong), intermixed with sheer terror.

More often in obsolete planes.

Just 2 squadrons in Iceland (VLR Liberators, Mk 1s) stood before outright victory for the U-Boats in early '43.

Harris hated them, stated that they 'were an obstacle to victory', Portal tolerated them because of politics (though basically he agreed with Harris and begrudged and whinged about any resources spent on them, in between the time he spent on sabotaging a LR day fighter, night fighter, support for bombers and CAS that is).

Forgotten now, but their contribution to the (must win) Battle of the Atlantic was incalculable. In many ways, the best of the best.
 
All of them,

I mean both individuallly and collectively. All sides, all nations. I don't mean compared with other services, just in absolute terms. I'm including the dead ones and (for me this is worse) the ones that are still with us. The more time goes by the worse it gets, or the better? I'm not sure.

The common factor seems bigger than any difference i can think of and, for me, bigger than any mentioned so far.
 

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