Sir Arthur Harris Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bomber

He became famous or infamous as the man in charge of 'Bomber Command'

Answer: England

Arthur T. Harris was born in England on 13th April, 1892. He left school at 16 and emigrated to Rhodesia. Although I have read he was born in South Africa ? He certainly spent his younger adult life in Rhodesia.

Answer: Major

On the outbreak of World War I, he first served in the 1st Rhodesian Regiment in German South-West Africa, before returning to Britain to join the RFC (Royal Flying Corps, one of the predecessors to the RAF). Service on the western front followed, Harris attained the rank of Major by the end of the war after which he stayed on in the newly formed RAF as a Squadron Leader.

Answer: Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt

Ludlow-Hewitt became C-in-C in September 1937, and served until April 1940. He was succeeded by Sir Charles Portal (April-October 1940), Sir Richard Peirse (October 1940-January 1942), Jack Baldwin (Acting C-in-C, January-February 1942). During the early years of the war, Bomber Command struggled to contain the heavy losses sustained by its thinly-spread resources in what began as a daylight campaign. Once night bombing commenced in earnest, attacks were very inaccurate. Changes would be needed if Bomber Command was going to succeed over Germany and in the competition for scarce resources with other RAF Commands.

Answer: First 'Thousand Bomber' Raid

His policy of area bombing, culminating in the devastating 'Thousand Bomber' raid on Cologne on 30 May 1942. Only 40 aircraft were lost and, though later massed raids were not as successful, the Command's morale, and that of the British public received a much needed boost.

Answer: Dresden

One RAF Flight Engineer recalled that the brightness of the fires below allowed him to fill in his log sheet by the light that shot skyward. A crewman of another plane wrote: 'I confess to taking a glance downward as the bombs fell, and I witnessed the shocking sight of a city on fire from end to end. Dense smoke could be seen drifting away from Dresden, leaving a brilliantly illuminated view of the town. My immediate reaction was a stunned reflection.' Harris was infamous for the attacks of 13 and 15th February on Dresden by Bomber Command and the American 8th Air force which destroyed the city and killed a minimum of 30000 perhaps as many as 100000 people, causing a revulsion even in the dying days of the war, which has not diminished since then.

The city became a firestorm a true hell on earth.

Answer: Conviction that strategic bombing alone could bring Germany to its knees

Harris' conviction that strategic bombing alone could bring Nazi Germany to its knees and his reluctance to allow his aircraft to be diverted from this role, brought Harris into conflict with fellow Allied commanders. After D-Day, when Allied bombers began attacking precision targets, Harris' insistence that raids on major cities continue brought him into conflict with the Chief of the Air Staff and Prime Minister Churchill.

Answer: Victory honors list

Ignored in the January 1946 victory honors list, Harris resigned later that year

Answer: 1984

Harris died in 1984 and a statue was unveiled outside St Clement Danes, the RAF church, in 1992.

Answer: False

Whilst he was ignored in the January 1946 victory honours list and it is often said that he was the only wartime commander not to be honoured by the nation, he was in fact created baronet in 1953.