Anyone see it? BBC the other night. If you can get BBC iPlayer it's still on. It's a very well done piece about Bomber Command during the war. It brought it home to me just how heroic those crews were. Puts 'warbirds' in a different light. Watch it if you can.

I did, and wasn't impressed, I'm afraid.I thought it lightweight and superficial. The subject is far too complex for that style of program really. But that's what you get these days. Get a celebrity to 'have a go', wheel in a few veterans to add a bit of gravitas, and make sure it's written by someone with only a tenuous grasp of the subject matter. The 'World at War' did it much better, so many years ago.. Ian

I've always thought that 'World at War' should be compulsory viewing (well, almost).

Oh well, just me then.The World at War was compulsory for me. I watched it the first time round and I've got the complete set that went out with the Daily Mail not so long ago.The point I was trying to make was that the programme served as a reminder.The comparison between a modern day bomber pilot and a WWII pilot made it look as though they've got it cushy today.Lightweight? Well, the whole bloody world is lightweight isn't it. By the standards of today's TV this was gravitas. Besides, the WaW comprised of 20 hours of TV!

I did watch it, and was fascinated by the colour film from the era, which I assume had been digitally cleaned up. I don't wholly agree with oldbear about 'lightweight & superficial' but I do deplore the insertion of celebrity into everything, however inappropriate.I gave up watching when it got onto Hamburg and incendiary terror-bombing though. I know enough about all that from other sources not to wish to read or view anything about those historical horrors again.

Oh well, just me then.The World at War was compulsory for me. I watched it the first time round and I've got the complete set that went out with the Daily Mail not so long ago.The point I was trying to make was that the programme served as a reminder.The comparison between a modern day bomber pilot and a WWII pilot made it look as though they've got it cushy today.Lightweight? Well, the whole bloody world is lightweight isn't it. By the standards of today's TV this was gravitas. Besides, the WaW comprised of 20 hours of TV!

You're absolutely right Ron. The programme does serve as a reminder, which has to be good.But I think that if you're going to bother to produce a programme on Bomber Command's war, at great expense, why not attempt to provide a bit more substance, so that people are educated and informed as well as entertained? Why not make it a little more comprehensive, wide-ranging and accurate?For example, I'd have explained when and why Bomber Command switched to night bombing. I'd have had a bit of background on how important navigation and blind bombing aids like Oboe and H2S were. I'd have actually mentioned 'Window' in the piece about Hamburg etc etc. Like I say - just a wee bit more relevant information. But I suppose this would have cut into the time showing Ewan firing a Bren gun and reading poetry written by someone in the USAAF! And did they manage to get through the entire programme without mentioning any of the other aircraft types? I missed some of it, so correct me if I'm wrong.Yes, it's always nice to see the BBMF Lanc in flight, and it would be churlish to complain about anything that serves to remind current generations of the sacrifice made by the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command. But personally, I think we do them a disservice if we don't occasionally at least attempt to tell the story more fully and intelligently. And on the subject of World at War, I was referring to the single episode on strategic bombing, which I think shone out particularly... Ian

Hi.No television... but I know a lot of members read widely. This has a considerably narrower scope than the whole of Bomber Command but Ron, if you like a good book try Paul Brickhill's The Dam Busters. It was recommended to me last year while I was searching for aviation literature. I believe it's never been out of print since it was first published fifty or so years ago. Obviously it is about one small part of the war but reading it gives one a very clear and beautifully understated picture of the real heroism shown by pilots from all countries at night over western Europe. (The author also has some interesting information regarding Oboe, Pathfinders and precision).Also, it's very difficult to put down.If anyone has read one and watched the other, a comparison would be interesting.Kind regards,Dave

Edited February 7, 201214 yr by Dave_Morgan

Ian, the programme stayed, I believe, within it's remit. In that it was about the Lancaster and the people that flew in them. I thought they did it proud. The McEwan brothers displayed an enthusiasm for a British iconic aircraft, pretty close to awe of the conditions in which men fought, not to mention respect for those men.IMHO :(

I thought it lightweight and superficial.

I agree. This type of programme is almost invariably too much of an ego-trip for the presenters.

Well I guess people who enjoy Flight Sim will have found it light weight. I know I did but the BBC makes it's programmes for a far wider audience and taking that into account I think the programme was OK. It was better than the one they did a year or so ago with the McEwan brothers on the Spitfire.

... and in case anyone wants to read a heavyweight book.. I would recommend "Bomber" by Len Deighton.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bomber_%28novel%29