Lancaster JB314 - EA-Q

Here is a picture of a young man. At the time he was about 17 years old. He never saw 22.

This is my uncle (1st cousin once removed), Sgt. David Rowcliffe RAFVR, pictured shortly before the outbreak of WWII. He was, when this picture was taken, just plain David Rowcliffe.

I want to use the story of David's brief life to illustrate some points about our country, and how it conducts itself today.

Most of the information this post is based on was provided by two sources. One is http://www.bomberhistory.co.uk .

The other was from the kindness of a German researcher named Eberhard Michel, to whom I will always be indebted.

Why am I posting this here tonight?

There are several reasons.

The first is that on this day, 67 years ago, David lost his life in a bombing raid over Germany. That was ten years to the day before I was born.

David  trained as a Navigator. After training in South Africa, he and his crew were assigned to 49 squadron operating out of Fiskerton in Lincolnshire. Their aircaft was Lancaster JB314 call-sign EA-Q They were a mix of Brits and Canadians.

The night of 30th March 1944 49 Squadron was allocated for a large raid on Nuremberg. This was David's first (and last) mission.

The night was clear with a full moon. but the target was obscured by cloud. Pathfinders recommended that the raid be aborted. This advice was directly over-ruled by "Bomber" Harris. Even by Harris' dismal standards this was an insanely poor decision. Harris was supremely careless with the lives of the men under his command, although he claimed otherwise. As for the lives of German civilians he was openly dismissive.

David's aircraft  was one of the 12% of the aircraft that did not return. JB314 was shot down by Fw Reitmayer from I/NJG5 based at Stendal. The plane fell in pieces near a small village called Quotshausen. Only two of the crew bailed out of the burning bomber. The mid upper gunner Sgt. A.J. McAvoy and my Uncle, Sgt. D. Rowcliffe. Both were heavily burned.

Sgt A.J. McAvoy was found wandering in a state of shock. His wounds were so severe he was repatriated before the war ended. David crashed into a tree and was left suspended until rescued by the villagers. However, his burns were even worse than those suffered by Sgt A.J. McAvoy. Little medical help was available.

But both men were treated by a local German girl only known now as  "Sister Annie". She probably saved Sgt McAvoys life (God bless her heart).

Regrettably though David died of his wounds. The rest of the crew, P/O L.G. Kellow, Sgt S.G. Silver, Sgt L.E.Walford, Sgt T.C.Baker, P/O J. Latham perished in the aircraft.

Just another tragedy in a world drowning in tears and grief. 67 years ago.

So what? What is my message? What am I trying to say here?

I know (and you know) much more about this tragedy than Davids parents and friends ever knew. They didn't actually even know which raid he was killed on.  After he was killed the bureaucrats could not be bothered, his parents never even knew where he was buried.

In the past our country has been extremely careless with the lives of our young men and women. I fear today we are still ever being pulled into gung-ho self righteous campaigns on behalf of the world, while the world looks on. Sometimes they cheer, sometimes they curse. But always from the sidelines.

Our country haemorrhages its wealth into the pockets of foreign gangster elites in what is farcically called Foreign Aid. Meanwhile our young hemorrhage their blood into the sands of Iraq, Afghanistan and 21 other wars since WWII. Always fighting somebody else's war. Paying for somebody else's excess.

At least David died fighting a war defending his own country, even through he was led by a megalomaniac Air Marshal.

Perhaps what I need to say on this black anniversary is that we need to be more careful with those we put in harms way.

Today it is Libya. Another righteous war, but one waged for somebody else.

We owe the likes of David a huge debt. Today we need to make sure there are no more tragedies like JB314.

The only way we can do that is to stop the Ship Of Fools in Westminster from grandstanding on the world stage and using our soldiers as some blood sacrifice to their beloved "World Role".

There are times when regrettably war is an ugly fact of life. David, and his crew paid the ultimate price in such a time.

Today we must get our politicians to understand that war should always be the last resort of the incompetent, not the first resort in international diplomacy.

Lancaster JB314 (EA-Q)
P/O L.G. Kellow Pilot (Killed)
Sgt S.G. Silver F/E (Killed)
Sgt D. Rowcliffe NAV (Killed)
Sgt L.E. Walford W/OP (Killed)
Sgt A.J. McAvoy A/G (P.o.W.)
Sgt T.C. Baker B/A (Killed)
P/O J. Latham RCAF A/G (Killed)

R.I.P.

Charismatic Politicians

Tony Blair is doing very well in handling the Chilcott inquiry and getting his point across. It has to be said that he is a masterful performer and of course an extremely charismatic politician.

Over time there have been many Blair-like leaders who stand out from the pages of history. Some were for good. But most, in the end, were for evil.

The constant trend through all of them is how the leader's charisma ensured they gained more and more personal power. The throngs of adoring, unquestioning fans have always pumped up the already substantial ego and launched the leader into quest after quest for power and glory.

Blair's foray into Iraq was such an example. No doubt, he legitimately thought that this was the best course of action. His forceful character and charisma ensured everyone else in a position to query his judgement went along with him.

He had the big idea, then all the adoring fans and yes men surrounding him agreed.

Tony Blair is not Hitler or Trotsky, but like them he easily commands loyalty and support. Like other charismatic leaders from the past he totally outshone his peer group. The net result was that the yes men (including Gordon Brown and the cabinet) not only buckled to his will but actively sought to support and justify anything he did.

Blair is not a political monster. But his intelligence, strength of character and charisma show that he could have become one.

Both he and we are lucky he left office when he did

The Year No soldiers Died

BilloTheWisp listens obediently to our gracious, good, benevolent and extremely well fed leaders. He wonders at the marvels they say they shall accomplish in order to win our humble votes and patronage.

But Billothewisp recalls an achievement from another age. The Prime Minister at that long ago time was the somewhat lack-lustre Harold Wilson. He was the PM who oversaw the country during the great winding down of Britain's technological prowess and wealth in the 1960’s. Famously, he was the one who devalued the pound by a mere 20 % (Gordon take note) and then told us the pound in our pocket was still worth the same. Quite reassuring at the time

But what of this accidental though great achievement of the Harold Wilson era?

Quite simply, in 1968 no British soldiers were killed in action, either fighting our wars, or other people's. It is the only time in the whole of the history of the British army that there has been a year with no such deaths. ( see wikipedia here )

So Billothewisp, being a nostalgic, though hairy voter, would be really interested in any political party that adopted a policy that would endevour to try and emulate the 1968 achievement of Harold Wilson.

This could well entail the government deciding that fighting other people's wars, especially when there is little or no thanks at the end (like Iraq), is primarily a bad idea. It would mean the great and good would not be able to large it about on the world stage offering our soldiers as a blood sacrifice in order to get approval and applause from the other great, good and extremely well fed of the world.

The policy may also regrettably cost some money.

Particularly, the following activities are not compatible with repeating Harold Wilsons 1968 achievement.

1. Sending our airman to war in antique aircraft that spontaneously explode.
2. Arming our infantry with rifles that jam.
3. Saving a few quid by buying economy sub standard East European ammunition
4. Encouraging community amongst our soldiers by getting them to share body armour.
5. Sending soldiers out on patrol in vehicles designed in the 1950’s
6. Being economical and penny-pinching on buying and using helicopters.

It is highly likely that after the next election, the provision of decent equipment for our armed forces will be seriously curtailed and the current defence budget will be cut even below the historically low level of less than 2.5% GDP.

There does not appear to be any wish by any political party to reduce commitments.

So it seems likely that in order to maintain the applause and approval from the other great, good, powerful and extremely well fed, our leaders will continue to commit British soldiers to fighting othe peoples wars. Inevitably they will still be armed with vintage or economy kit.

It looks like Harold Wilsons achievement from the 1960’s will not be repeated anytime soon.