I AGREE with John Kelly's letter (September 23). Many wartime airfield sites have taken the initiative and installed memorials to those who served and died while at that particular airfield.

Phil Atkinson's reference to the stigma of area bombing may be an old argument. However, I feel it necessary to once again quote a few facts about bombing selected targets.

There were many wartime arenas where similar bombing took place to the one mentioned. A marshalling yard, armaments factory, any sort of main arterial route, would guarantee civilians of all ages would be involved and affected by an assault, by bombs, shells or bullets.

Once a bomb is dropped there is no knowing where it will actually strike. Towns and cities all over the world were destroyed along with their populations including Warsaw, Tokyo and Rotterdam.

In every case civilians suffered. This went on for almost six years.

The point is why single out Bomber Command to be castigated for the wartime efforts against Germany at this time?

There is a saying: "War does not determine who's right, war determine who's left."

John Beisly,

Ex-flight engineer 6 Group Bomber Command,

Osprey Close, York.

Updated: 10:38 Wednesday, September 28, 2005