Bomber Command commemorative service
17-June-2011
Mr BURGESS -- On Saturday, 5 June, together with Hastings RSL representatives and members of my local community, I attended a commemorative service for Bomber Command at the Hastings cenotaph. Bomber Command was formed by the Royal Air Force and was a vital force in World War II. The command was made up of pilots and aircrew from Allied nations. Of the 10 000 men Australia sent, 3486 were sadly lost. During the service we heard that during the Bomber Command campaign a pilot of a Lancaster bomber was far more likely to die than a soldier had been rushing the beach at Gallipoli in World War I. It was a solemn and respectful service that paid tribute to those who lost their lives fighting for our great nation.