So Lucky to have him. He sounds very kind and sweet and gentle. If I were an envious person, I would be envious, but I am just so happy he had a lovely long life. I feel about bomber crew, the way some people feel about singers and movie stars. But my heroes are real heroes! Hugs from Oz. You will be 11, now, I guess!
Reg said that his wonderful Canadian Navigator gave a positional update every six minutes. Possibly what he was trained to do. Which makes me ask the question . what were USAAF 8th AF Navigators trained to do , serve coffee to the rest of the crew. I ask this in bewilderment as to how so many American bomber groups not only bombed the wrong targets , but the wrong countries . Switzerland at least on four occasions , Holland , Czechoslovakia . This could be excused if done by a single bomber getting lost , but by groups of 40 aircraft , something very wrong.
We must remember that these men although brave and dedicated airmen were killing women, children and older Germans and destroying houses and cities on a massive scale. Surely while they were heroes there was nothing heroic in what they did.
They were only fighting back to stop Hitler. Those old people and women had probably voted IN Hitler, a number of them probably reported Jewish people, to be rounded up. Possibly stole the things left behind when the Jews were sent off to die in camps. If there were no fightback, you would whine because nobody tried to stop Hitler. Maybe you should blame the parents of the dead children for supporting Hitler and his goals. Civilians often turned on old Jews, in streets, shoving them, kicking them, spitting on them. Who are you mourning? Only children are innocent, but many at 12, were viciously anti Jew, etc. Why do you ignore the innocent Jewish parents and children, old people being killed. Only Aryan deaths upset you? Consider how deeply insulting your voiced concerns are, given what the Germans were doing to other children and people. Many German boys, within 2 years, had volunteered for the front line - and been accepted, even though it was quite clear that if you had to take 15 year olds for the frontline, your war is lost. How many Germans sent their neighbour's 15 year olds to their death, on the front line? Why are you not protesting that? How many German kids killed by their own side, knowing these kids were unlikely to survive, if put into the army and put on front lines? And the war was unwinnable. It was totally useless to send the children into the frontline. In fact, the fast moving allies prevented many last minute doomed attempts to stop a far superior side, and saved many German lives.
We must remember that the German people put the Nazis in power in the belief that they were racially superior and that they had the right to enslave the peoples of Europe and beyond and systematically murder those they thought racially inferior to the point of extinction on an industrial scale. At the time of Reg Barker's capture the war was to last another 8 months. On average over 800,000 where dieing prematurely every month as result of the war. The Nazis were by then employing their V1 terror weapon indiscriminately against civilian targets and were about to launch the V2 and were planning the use of a V3 and V4 terror weapons, in the insane belief that they would miraculously bring them victory. It was essential that the war was brought to a conclusion as soon as possible. Reg Barker like all other air crew in the RAF were volunteers and those in Bomber Command had barely a 50:50 chance of survival. The debt the free peoples of Europe owe him and those who laid down or risked their lives in pursuit of freedom, democracy and peace an incalculable debt.
Reg was my Great Grandpa and I loved hearing him tell his story! Thank you Steve. Lucy (age 9)
So Lucky to have him. He sounds very kind and sweet and gentle. If I were an envious person, I would be envious, but I am just so happy he had a lovely long life.
I feel about bomber crew, the way some people feel about singers and movie stars. But my heroes are real heroes!
Hugs from Oz.
You will be 11, now, I guess!
He was a terrorist.
This is my Dad's Cousin so it was so lovely to see this - thank you for sharing.
What a privilege to listen to this man tell his story, amazing 🇬🇧.
A great interview. Reg was such a lovely gentleman. Thank you.
Superb, thanks for uploading this. Every FH book I own is great, so please keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for ensuring these guys' stories are told.
Reg said that his wonderful Canadian Navigator gave a positional update every six minutes. Possibly what he was trained to do. Which makes me ask the question . what were USAAF 8th AF Navigators trained to do , serve coffee to the rest of the crew. I ask this in bewilderment as to how so many American bomber groups not only bombed the wrong targets , but the wrong countries . Switzerland at least on four occasions , Holland , Czechoslovakia . This could be excused if done by a single bomber getting lost , but by groups of 40 aircraft , something very wrong.
Wonderful!
You can just tell this guy's told told the tale 1000 times. He's got it down to a fine art now.
We must remember that these men although brave and dedicated airmen were killing women, children and older Germans and destroying houses and cities on a massive scale. Surely while they were heroes there was nothing heroic in what they did.
They were only fighting back to stop Hitler. Those old people and women had probably voted IN Hitler, a number of them probably reported Jewish people, to be rounded up. Possibly stole the things left behind when the Jews were sent off to die in camps.
If there were no fightback, you would whine because nobody tried to stop Hitler.
Maybe you should blame the parents of the dead children for supporting Hitler and his goals.
Civilians often turned on old Jews, in streets, shoving them, kicking them, spitting on them. Who are you mourning? Only children are innocent, but many at 12, were viciously anti Jew, etc. Why do you ignore the innocent Jewish parents and children, old people being killed. Only Aryan deaths upset you?
Consider how deeply insulting your voiced concerns are, given what the Germans were doing to other children and people.
Many German boys, within 2 years, had volunteered for the front line - and been accepted, even though it was quite clear that if you had to take 15 year olds for the frontline, your war is lost.
How many Germans sent their neighbour's 15 year olds to their death, on the front line? Why are you not protesting that? How many German kids killed by their own side, knowing these kids were unlikely to survive, if put into the army and put on front lines? And the war was unwinnable. It was totally useless to send the children into the frontline.
In fact, the fast moving allies prevented many last minute doomed attempts to stop a far superior side, and saved many German lives.
@@georgielancaster1356 Hitler was never elected. The Allies persecuted and killed Jews during and after World War II.
We must remember that the German people put the Nazis in power in the belief that they were racially superior and that they had the right to enslave the peoples of Europe and beyond and systematically murder those they thought racially inferior to the point of extinction on an industrial scale. At the time of Reg Barker's capture the war was to last another 8 months. On average over 800,000 where dieing prematurely every month as result of the war. The Nazis were by then employing their V1 terror weapon indiscriminately against civilian targets and were about to launch the V2 and were planning the use of a V3 and V4 terror weapons, in the insane belief that they would miraculously bring them victory. It was essential that the war was brought to a conclusion as soon as possible. Reg Barker like all other air crew in the RAF were volunteers and those in Bomber Command had barely a 50:50 chance of survival. The debt the free peoples of Europe owe him and those who laid down or risked their lives in pursuit of freedom, democracy and peace an incalculable debt.
That’s war chap...
Great could have listened all morning.