Arthur Harris (RAF officer)

] He retired on 15 September 1945. he went on to write his story of Bomber Command's achievements in "Bomber Offensive". He was the sole commander-in-chief not made a peer in 1946. Bomber Command's crews were denied a separate campaign medal (despite being eligible for the Air Crew Europe Star and France and Germany Star) and, in protest at this establishment snub to his men, Harris refused a peerage. [Probert References pages 346-351] Disappointed by the criticisms of his methods, Harris moved to South Africa in 1948, and was the manager of the South African Marine Corporation from 1946 to 1953. In 1953 Churchill, now Prime Minister again, insisted that Harris accept a baronetcy and he became Baronet. [LondonGazette |issue=39777|linkeddate=1953-02-13 |startpage=906|endpage= |supp= |accessdate=2008-08-08] [Probert References page 374] In the same year he returned to the UK and lived his remaining years in Goring-on-Thames, in Ferry Cottage.

In 1974 Harris appeared in the 12th episode of the acclaimed Thames Television produced documentary series shown on ITV "The World At War" (narrated by Laurence Olivier) entitled "Whirlwind: Bombing Germany (September 1939–April 1944)" in which he discusses at length the area bombing strategy that he had developed when AOC-in-C of Bomber Command. [" [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/95352 Whirlwind: Bombing Germany (September 1939–April 1944)] ",British Film Institute [http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/ftvdb/ bfi Film & TV Database] ]

Legacy

Arthur Harris died on 5 April 1984, aged 91.

In 1989, 5 years after Harris' death, a one-off feature-length drama about Harris' tenure as AOC-in-C of Bomber Command was broadcast under the title "Bomber Harris" [http://open.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/programme/LDPM777X] on BBC Television, with John Thaw portraying Harris in the title role. [" [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/429947 Bomber Harris] ", British Film Institute [http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/ftvdb/ bfi Film & TV Database] ]

Despite protests from Germany as well as some in Britain, the Bomber Harris Trust (an RAF veterans organisation formed to defend the good name of their commander) erected a statue of him outside the RAF Church of St. Clement Danes, London in 1992. It was unveiled by the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother who looked surprised when she was jeered by protesters. The line on the statue reads "The Nation owes them all an immense debt." The statue had to be guarded by policemen day and night for some time as it was frequently sprayed with graffiti.

Bibliography

* Sir Arthur Harris: "Bomber Offensive", Reprinted 2005, First published 1947. ISBN 1-84415-210-3 Harris’s account in his own words

References

* Cross, Robin; "Fallen Eagle"; London: John Wiley and Sons Inc; 1995
* Longmate, Norman; "The Bombers: The RAF offensive against Germany 1939-1945"; Pub. Hutchinson; 1983; ISBN 0-09-151580-7
* Probert, Henry; "Bomber" Harris: His Life and Times"; Published; 2003; ISBN 1-85367-555-5; A good rounded modern biography, neither defending or condemning Harris.
* Shores, Christopher; "Above the Trenches"; Grub Street; 1990
* Taylor, Fredrick; "Dresden:Tuesday 13 February 1945"; Pub (NY): HarperCollins; ISBN 0-06-000676-5; Pub (Lon): Bloomsbury; ISBN 0-7475-7078-7.

Footnotes

Further reading

*cite book
last = Grayling
first = A. C.
authorlink = A. C. Grayling
year = 2006
chapter =
title = Among the Dead Cities
publisher = Walker Publishing Company Inc.
location = New York
id = ISBN 0-8027-1471-4 Extensively discusses, in philosophical terms, Harris' rationale behind the area bombardment of German cities.
* [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWharris.htm Biography at spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk]
* [http://mindef.gov.sg/safti/pointer/back/journals/2001/Vol27_1/10.htm Personality Profile: Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris]
* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/mar45.html Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary, Campaign Diary, March 1945]
* [http://www.bible-researcher.com/dresden/ The Destruction of Dresden - Die Zerstörung Dresdens]
* [http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Harris.htm Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - MRAF Harris]