What do you think?
Rate this book
Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph
Roddy MacKenzie’s father served in Bomber Command during the Second World War, but like so many brave veterans who had survived the war, he spoke little of his exploits. So, when Roddy started on his personal journey to discover something of what his father had achieved, he uncovered a great deal about the devastating effectiveness of Bomber Command and the vital role it played in the defeat of Third Reich. He realised that the true story of Bomber Command’s achievements has never been told nor fully acknowledged.
Roddy became a man on a mission, and this startlingly revealing, and often personal study, is the result. Bomber Churchill's Greatest Triumph takes the reader through the early days of the Second World War and introduces all the key individuals who turned the Command into the war-winning weapon it eventually became, as well as detailing the men and machines which flew night after night into the heart of Hitler’s Germany.
The main focus of his book is the destruction and dislocation wrought by the bombing to reduce, and ultimately destroy, Germany’s ability to make war. In his analysis, Roddy dug deep into German archival material to uncover facts rarely presented to either German or English language readers. These demonstrate that Bomber Command’s continual efforts, at appalling cost in aircrew casualties and aircraft losses, did far more damage to the Reich than the Allies knew.
Roddy’s father served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Roddy naturally highlights its contribution to Bomber Command’s successes, another aspect of this fascinating story which the author believes has not been duly recognized.
Bomber Churchill's Greatest Triumph will certainly raise the debate on the controversial strategy adopted by ‘Bomber’ Harris and how he was perceived by many to have over-stepped his remit. But most of all, this book will revise people’s understanding of just how important the endeavours were of those men who flew through the dark and through the searchlights, the flak, and the enemy night fighters, to bring the Second World War in Europe to its crushing conclusion.
Roddy became a man on a mission, and this startlingly revealing, and often personal study, is the result. Bomber Churchill's Greatest Triumph takes the reader through the early days of the Second World War and introduces all the key individuals who turned the Command into the war-winning weapon it eventually became, as well as detailing the men and machines which flew night after night into the heart of Hitler’s Germany.
The main focus of his book is the destruction and dislocation wrought by the bombing to reduce, and ultimately destroy, Germany’s ability to make war. In his analysis, Roddy dug deep into German archival material to uncover facts rarely presented to either German or English language readers. These demonstrate that Bomber Command’s continual efforts, at appalling cost in aircrew casualties and aircraft losses, did far more damage to the Reich than the Allies knew.
Roddy’s father served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Roddy naturally highlights its contribution to Bomber Command’s successes, another aspect of this fascinating story which the author believes has not been duly recognized.
Bomber Churchill's Greatest Triumph will certainly raise the debate on the controversial strategy adopted by ‘Bomber’ Harris and how he was perceived by many to have over-stepped his remit. But most of all, this book will revise people’s understanding of just how important the endeavours were of those men who flew through the dark and through the searchlights, the flak, and the enemy night fighters, to bring the Second World War in Europe to its crushing conclusion.
- GenresMilitary History
351 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 16, 2023
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 20, 2024
Something of a mixed bag, I have to say... I appreciated the author's defence of Bomber Command's activities, and found the comparison of the other Commonwealth nation's treatment of their Bomber Command veterans to be interesting, if (perhaps not surprisingly) quite samey to start with. Equally, the inclusion of information relating to the damage done by Bomber Command from the German side was interesting, but rested solely on testimony from German's two most reliable liars, Speer and Goebels which, while persuasive, left cynical old me wondering quite how thorough Mr Mackenzie's research had been.
That said, Bomber Command is finally given it's due, and it's good to see some objective views on the night bomber offensive. Not, by any means, a history of the Lancaster units of Bomber Command but certainly an objective history of the bomber offensive.
That said, Bomber Command is finally given it's due, and it's good to see some objective views on the night bomber offensive. Not, by any means, a history of the Lancaster units of Bomber Command but certainly an objective history of the bomber offensive.
September 2, 2023
In many respects history has not been kind to those who served with Bomber command during the Second World War. Unlike those who fought in other theatres, the men and women who fought under the leadership of Air Chief Marshall Arthur 'Butch' Harris received no campaign medal. Indeed, after the end of the conflict they were assiduously ignored by political leaders and vilified by many writers. Tainted by misconceptions, oft repeated by influential commentators (usually centred on the controversial Dresden raid in February 1945) their monumental contribution to Allied victory in 1945 has often been ignored, understated or heavily caveated. In this highly personal account, retired barrister Roddy Mackenzie (the son of a Bomber Command veteran) seeks to uncover the truth. Using forensic skills honed in various Canadian courtrooms, the author makes a cogent argument that Bomber Command was vital to victory, that the failure of Remembrance is unworthy of the generations that followed and that the Allied bombing campaign was indeed Churchill's greatest triumph. In doing so he undergoes a paradigm shift in how he perceives his late father - a man who 'endured the unendurable' and was deeply affected by his experiences.
Indeed, it is the story of Flight Lieutenant Roland W MacKenzie DFC, a veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) which provides continuity in this narrative. Using his father's wartime service as a reference point, the author examines a wide range of sources to build a picture of Bomber Command's wartime contribution. The result is a compelling 'case for the defence' supported by a substantial body of evidence. The argument is developed piece by piece and aside from the points in question, the book provides fascinating insights into how the author went about his research. Original documents in the German Research Institute for Military History and the Churchill Archive are cross-referenced with the memoirs and diaries of those involved in the campaign. The picture that emerges is that Bomber Command played a decisive role in degrading German war production, assisting the Allied Armies on the ground and in disrupting Axis shipping (including the U-Boat effort). A similar approach is taken on the topic of Remembrance where the relatively recent efforts to recognise the sacrifices made by the 'Bomber Boys' contrast sharply with what went before. The author is particularly scathing about the way in which the wartime contribution of the RCAF is remembered and acknowledged in Canada. The scale of effort measured by the number serving (and the numbers lost) was phenomenal and yet this unique component of the Allied bombing campaign is often invisible to all but the most dedicated researcher.
This is a book which seeks to rehabilitate the reputation of Bomber Command. The author is not the first to attempt this, indeed other authors have successfully done so. However, by uncovering the facts as part of a personal journey of family exploration this book provides an intimate picture of how the shoddy treatment of those who served generated such disappointment and anger amongst the veterans - and distorted the perceptions of the generation that followed. It is ironic that despite Churchill publicly snubbing Harris, in private his praise for the achievements of Bomber Command was fulsome and his respect for the man who lead the campaign was very evident. During his research, the author uncovered a memo from Prime Minister Churchill to Air Chief Marshall Harris sent on 15 May 1945, which spoke of 'the glorious part played by Bomber command in forging the Allied victory'. Churchill went on to write that 'the massive achievements of Bomber Command will long be remembered as an example of duty nobly done'. Political expediency stifled a public articulation of these sentiments, so the author of this captivating book does the veterans and their families a great service in putting the record straight.
Indeed, it is the story of Flight Lieutenant Roland W MacKenzie DFC, a veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) which provides continuity in this narrative. Using his father's wartime service as a reference point, the author examines a wide range of sources to build a picture of Bomber Command's wartime contribution. The result is a compelling 'case for the defence' supported by a substantial body of evidence. The argument is developed piece by piece and aside from the points in question, the book provides fascinating insights into how the author went about his research. Original documents in the German Research Institute for Military History and the Churchill Archive are cross-referenced with the memoirs and diaries of those involved in the campaign. The picture that emerges is that Bomber Command played a decisive role in degrading German war production, assisting the Allied Armies on the ground and in disrupting Axis shipping (including the U-Boat effort). A similar approach is taken on the topic of Remembrance where the relatively recent efforts to recognise the sacrifices made by the 'Bomber Boys' contrast sharply with what went before. The author is particularly scathing about the way in which the wartime contribution of the RCAF is remembered and acknowledged in Canada. The scale of effort measured by the number serving (and the numbers lost) was phenomenal and yet this unique component of the Allied bombing campaign is often invisible to all but the most dedicated researcher.
This is a book which seeks to rehabilitate the reputation of Bomber Command. The author is not the first to attempt this, indeed other authors have successfully done so. However, by uncovering the facts as part of a personal journey of family exploration this book provides an intimate picture of how the shoddy treatment of those who served generated such disappointment and anger amongst the veterans - and distorted the perceptions of the generation that followed. It is ironic that despite Churchill publicly snubbing Harris, in private his praise for the achievements of Bomber Command was fulsome and his respect for the man who lead the campaign was very evident. During his research, the author uncovered a memo from Prime Minister Churchill to Air Chief Marshall Harris sent on 15 May 1945, which spoke of 'the glorious part played by Bomber command in forging the Allied victory'. Churchill went on to write that 'the massive achievements of Bomber Command will long be remembered as an example of duty nobly done'. Political expediency stifled a public articulation of these sentiments, so the author of this captivating book does the veterans and their families a great service in putting the record straight.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews