Dambusters described as "infamous"

Discussion in 'World War 2' started by Kyt, Nov 23, 2008.

  1. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    Seems that the revisionism of the bomber command campaign has finally taken hold

    Sunday Express | UK News :: Memorial to ‘infamous’ hero

    Me thinks a campaign of letters and emails, via The Express, is in order
     
  2. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    ...but the statue is not in Germany, it's honouring a brilliant inventor and fellow countryman and the Germans respect the raid.

    Effing idiot. Oxygen thief, in fact.
     
  3. John

    John Active Member

    What a bloody idiot the person who worked the inscription. Sounds like the do-gooders have struck again.
     
  4. spidge

    spidge Active Member

    I am lost for words!
     
  5. Brian S

    Brian S Guest

    Dam Busters

    I cannot see the inscription lasting in its present form as feeling is too strong regarding the word infamous!!!
     
  6. rlaughton

    rlaughton http://www.militarian.com/account/avatar

    I suspect the person who made the plaque had no idea of the meaning of the word INFAMOUS versus FAMOUS. There are many here in Canada who are heroes of our nation who may have been infamous in the 1860's but are now famous. Louis Riel comes to mind as one.

    I would suspect many of my cohorts would refer to me as the "Infamous Richard Laughton" which I would take to mean they at least recognize me, even if they did not agree with me!

    I wonder what they call the bombing of the ports in Hamburg, or Dresden? Who are these people?
     
  7. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    I think the plaque maker knew exactly what he meant, as his final remark seems to indicate.

    I wonder why a commissioned sculpter was allowed to choose the wording of the plaque too. I would have that was something to be decidied by the original committee and/or the local Legion. Or at the very least they should have been in control enough to verify and vet the inscription before it was unveiled. So I, personally, think that the committee is at fault too.
     
  8. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Makes you wonder if he "altered" the Wallis statue in some way only known to him but as a silent protest.
     
  9. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    Good news

    Excellent result

    Sunday Express | UK News :: Dambusters insult ditched

     
  10. spidge

    spidge Active Member

    This is really an excellent result. Surely someone's head is hanging by a thread. I would like to know if the person who wrote "infamous" did it on purpose or did not know the difference between the two.

    Also, why does the craftsman even have a say in the wording.
     
  11. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    A good result and the only way it should be.
     
  12. Keith

    Keith New Member

    Mohne Dam

    Hi Kyt,
    A nice little true story.
    Sometime about 1970 we had an Annual Camp near the Mohne Dam, I think it was Soest.
    And on a brilliant sunny day the local RMP C.O derived great pleasure in playing the Dam Buster March at full volume, just to annoy the natives.
    For anyone who may be interested here is a picture of the dam taken half an hour ago by myself via Virtual Earth.
    I brought it up to make sure I got the camp area correct.
    You can still see the damaged dark area on the face of the dam.

    Cheers
    Keith
     
  13. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    I'm sure the locals had heard it many times ;)

    On the subject of visiting the dams I saw a programme a few months ago called Last of The Dambusters which was very moving

    New Series | Last Of The Dambusters | Press releases | Throng

     
  14. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Magic stuff, Kyt. It would be nice if it makes it down here.
     
  15. spidge

    spidge Active Member

    I would love to see the show down here. Hope it does get here Andy. After all the research I had done into the Dams raid, I never realised until a few months ago that the aircraft the three Australians were piloting in the first wave, all hit their target.
     

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