LANCASTER: THE FORGING OF A VERY BRITISH LEGEND

Sir Arthur Harris, the controversial chief of Royal Air Force Bomber Command, described the Lancaster as his 'shining sword' and the 'greatest single factor in winning the war'. RAF bomber squadrons flew nearly 300,000 sorties and dropped around a million tons of explosives, as well as life-saving supplies. The human cost was staggering. Of the 125,000 men who served, over 55,000 were killed and another 8,400 were wounded. Some 10,000 survived being shot down, only to become prisoners of war. In brutal terms, Harris's aircrew had only a 40 per cent chance of surviving the war unscathed.