By the end of World War II, the 125,000 men of Bomber Command weren’t just forgotten but were shunned. There was a deep sense of shame at the devastation that had been inflicted on Germany and its cities by what is called the indiscriminate area bombing campaign. I can understand the mood as being something like I experienced when the war in Vietnam came to an end.

The brave men and women who served Australia and the United States in the Vietnam War became the objects of disgust and even hatred That was to be the fate of the men and women who had served in Bomber Command during World War 2.

It took people of great courage and conviction to bravely battle to turn this thing around and to have the vital achievements of the men of Bomber Command, which made winning World War 2 possible, recognised.

One of the people who was most dedicated to the cause of erecting a lasting monument to the brilliant achievements of Bomber Command, correcting the mistreatment that those men received at the end of World War 2, was the late Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. He was the president of the memorial’s heritage foundation for many years and a driving force in making the memorial’s realisation happen.

Shortly before his death, Robin Gibb got to visit the nearly complete Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park at the end of Piccadilly near Hyde Park Corner. He scrambled up ladders so he could take the full tour of the 15 metre high Memorial. When he came face to face with the 3 metre high crest emblazoned with the words “Bomber Command Royal Air Force”, the full impact of what he had accomplished hit him. He said:

“This is honestly the proudest thing I’ve ever done. It was so important to finally see the brave airmen who risked their lives every night to fly bombing raids over Germany and shorten the war were finally honoured, and now it is happening. This memorial is bigger than even the Wellington Memorial and will still be here long after we are gone. It will last forever.”

Robin Gibb died from the cancer that had hounded him for many years on 20 May 2012. Just over a month later, on 12 June 2012, the Bomber Command Memorial was formally dedicated by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II commemorating the contribution of the 125,000 aircrew of Bomber Command, including 10,000 Australians and our own Vic Trimble from Mareeba. 57,862 of them died performing this invaluable service, of self sacrifice, as Jesus said no greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for his friends. Just over 46% of all the aircrew died in performing this sacrifice for everyone in the world. Just think of it.

But because of the Christian nation that we live in, forgiveness is at the heart of our values and as the war neared its ends, the people in England and Australia began to see the horrific and extensive damage that Bomber Command inflicted as something to be ashamed of because they were moving to forgiving the Germans for the war.

We need to have a hard look right now at how Bomber Command contributed to winning the war to weigh up for ourselves whether their contribution to the war is a thing to be ashamed of, or to be grateful for.

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