D-Day Bomber Command: Failed to Return

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On 6 June 1944 the Allies launched one of the greatest military feats of all time, forcing a re-entry in to 'Fortress Europe' - the sea borne and airborne assault upon the coastline of Normandy. Key to the success of the D-Day campaign was the contribution of the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command, who waged an unrelenting campaign in the run-up to D-Day, on the day itself, and in the months subsequent. Bomber Command aircrew attacked rail yards and communications targets to isolate the battle area from enemy reinforcement, bombarded enemy positions, supplied the French Resistance, and deceived the enemy as to the true whereabouts of the beach landings. The cost in young lives was, however, enormous. Thousands of young Bomber Command aircrew sacrificed their lives attacking invasion targets in the three months prior to the beach landings. More airmen failed to return on D-Day itself. Thousands more now either rest in French or Belgian cemeteries or are listed as missing as a result of further raids in support of the Normandy land campaign.

On 1 July 1944 Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris wrote to Chief of Air Staff Sir Charles Portal expressing his concern over the lack of recognition in respect of his command's support to the invasion. 'There are 10,500 aircrew in my operational squadrons. In three months we have lost over half that number. They have a right that their story should be adequately told, and it is a military necessity that it should be.' On the 70th anniversary of D-Day Fighting High Publishing brings together acclaimed historians to tell the story of some of those who became casualties serving with Bomber Command. Illustrated throughout with color and black and white photographs, the vast majority previously unpublished, D-Day Bomber Command: Failed to Return ensures the memory of the D-Day bomber boys, who sacrificed all, is kept alive. 'Lest we forget'.