Air Chief Marshall Arthur Harris

research by Joan West. Much of this history of Arthur Harris was taken from Wikipedia. Local research has been added.

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Air Vice Marshall Arthur Harris, chief of Bomber Command in WW2 was commonly known as 'Bomber Harris'.

AIR CHIEF MARSHAL ARTHUR HARRIS, 1st BARONET STATIONED AT BOMBER COMMAND, WALTERS ASH, WW2

Researcher’s note.   Born 1892, being inspired by stories of Southern Rhodesia, he ducked out of boarding school aged 17 and in 1910 emigrated to UMTALI, S. RHODESIA, eventually establishing his own farm.    Being in the bush at the time, he only learned about WW1 a month after it was declared.

1914. Arthur Harris joined the 1st Regiment of the Rhodesian army, serving with South African Forces in South West Africa, where Germany was inflicting heavy bombing.

1915. He sailed for England with 300 South African volunteers. He applied for the Cavalry and Royal Artillery with no luck, but was accepted for The Royal Flying Corps in November. After learning to fly he became a second lieutenant.

1917 He was promoted to Flight Commander serving on the Home Front and in France.

In November 1918 he was awarded the Air Force Cross for Distinguished Service.

POST WW1

Having married in 1916 to Barbara Money and now with a child, Harris, although he now thought of himself as a Rhodesian, decided to stay in England and remained in the RAF, newly formed from the Royal Flying Corps.

1920  Commander Arthur Harris was head of RAF Digby no.3 Flying Training School. Service followed in the North-West Frontier in India and bombing uprisings in Mesopotamia (under British occupation) and Persia.

MAY 1922 He offered his resignation, wanting to go back to Rhodesia, but was persuaded to stay.                                                                                                      1923  He helped devise area bombing in Iraq.

1924 Air Commanding Squadron no.58, the first post-war Heavy Bombing Squadron developing night training.

In JUNE 1927 he was awarded the OBE (order of the British Empire).

JULY 1927  He was promoted to Wing Commander of a Flying Boat Squadron, also developing night flying operation techniques.

JUNE 1933  He was promoted to Group Captain.

1934-1937  He was Deputy Director of plans in the Air Ministry, with postings to Middle East Command, Egypt as Senior Staff Officer.

1936 He helped Southern Rhodesia set up its own Air Force.

JULY 1937   He was promoted to Air Commodore.

1938 He was Air Commanding no.4 Bomber Group, going on a purchasing mission in the U.S.A. Then was Officer Commanding the RAF in Palestine and Trans-Jourdan.

JULY 1939 He was promoted to Air Vice Marshall and with others pressured for large strategic bombers.

WW2

SEPT 1939 In command of no.5 Group

NOV 1940 He was made Deputy Chief Air of Staff.

FEB 1942   He was appointed Commander-in-chief of Bomber Command. Research Note. The Air Ministry first rented and then purchased a comfortable old farmhouse called 'Springfield' at Great Kingshill where Arthur Harris was quartered. From there he commuted at high speed down the narrow country lanes to Walters Ash in a green sports Bentley.

JUNE 1942 He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

1942  THE WAR CABINET PASSED “THE AREA BOMBING DIRECTIVE” WHICH  ADVOCATED THE AREA BOMBING OF GERMAN CITIES.   Harris was directed to CARRY OUT THIS TASK.   IT BECAME AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE TOTAL WAR WAGED AGAINST GERMANY.

Note. Maybe because it was not wholly endorsed by all in Government, including Churchill, who considered the policy distasteful, it appears that the general public were not told the full extent of the targets and official statements maintained they were only industrial and economic with civilian casualties being unintentional but unavoidable.  Harris urged the Government to be more honest with the public, although he himself did believe in the area bombing policy.

AUG 1944   He was promoted to Air Chief Marshall.

FEB 1944   He was awarded the Russian Order of Surorov, First Class.

JAN 1945   He was awarded the American Legion of Merit. JUN 1945   He was awarded the Polish Order of Polonia Restituta, First Class.

JUNE 1945 He was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. NOV 1945  He was appointed Knight of the Southern Cross of Brazil.

JUNE 1946  He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the U.S.A.

SEPT 1946 RETIRED                

NOTE. BOMBER COMMAND’S CREWS were eligible for the AIR CREW EUROPE STAR, FRANCE STAR and GERMANY STAR, but because the late bombing of Dresden was considered by many unnecessary, they were DENIED A SEPARATE CAMPAIGN MEDAL. In PROTEST at this SNUB to his MEN, HARRIS REFUSED A PEERAGE in 1946.

HE WAS THE SOLE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF NOT TO BECOME A PEER.

POST WW2

IN 1948 Arthur Harris moved to South Africa to manage the South African Marine Corporation from 1946 to 1953.  In 1953 He returned to live in England.

FEB 1953  WINSTON CHURCHILL, once again prime minister, INSISTED HE ACCEPT A BARONETCY.