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.
