Why is Arthur Harris controversial?
In 1992 the Queen Mother unveiled a bronze statue of Arthur Harris, the head of Bomber Command during World War 2. The event caused international criticism and people attacked the statue. They were protesting against the deaths and destruction caused by the bombing of Dresden.
What happened to Arthur Harris?
Harris died on 5 April 1984, eight days before his 92nd birthday, at his home in Goring. He is buried in Burntwood Cemetery at Goring.
What did Sir Arthur Harris do?
Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet, byname Bomber Harris, (born April 13, 1892, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England—died April 5, 1984, Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire), British air officer who initiated and directed the “saturation bombing” that the Royal Air Force inflicted on Germany during World War II.
Why is Bomber Harris famous?
Arthur Travers Harris, known as “Bomber” Harris, became commander of RAF Bomber Command in early 1942. Until then, Bomber Command hadn’t done much, but the energetic and controversial Harris soon changed all that. He became the architect and chief proponent of nighttime “area bombing” of major German cities.
Was Bomber Harris a war hero?
A hero in 1945, Harris’s reputation steadily declined after the war. Identified as the key architect of Bomber Command’s area bombing policy that resulted in the devastation of German cities and the deaths of thousands of German civilians, he was vilified as a mass murderer and a war criminal.
Is there a statue of Bomber Harris?
Faith Winter’s statue of Harris was erected outside St Clement Danes Church in 1992 as a memorial to him and over 55,000 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives in the war.
Was Arthur Harris a war hero?
The drama explored one of the most controversial figures of the Second World War, Sir Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris, commander-in-chief of RAF Bomber Command between 1942 and 1945. A hero in 1945, Harris’s reputation steadily declined after the war.
Why do you think the bombing of Dresden is controversial?
The bombing was controversial because Dresden was neither important to German wartime production nor a major industrial center, and before the massive air raid of February 1945 it had not suffered a major Allied attack.
When was Arthur Harris knighted?
Arthur Travers Harris (1892-1984), a Royal Flying Corps and RAF officer since 1915,3 took command of 5 Group’s bombers in 1939, becoming an air marshal when he was promoted to head Bomber Command in February 1942. He was knighted shortly thereafter.
When did Arthur Harris take over Bomber Command?
1942
In 1918, Harris became a squadron leader in the newly formed RAF, and during the following two decades served in India and the Middle East. He returned to England at the outbreak of war and in early 1942, he took over as commander-in-chief of Bomber Command and was promoted to air chief marshal.
