Lack of bomber medal 'national disgrace' – MP

“I'd rather people made more of a fuss about about the shocking treatment meted out to current serving troops who have been issued with redundancy notices just short of their retirement. And the poor equipment/supplies they are expected to fight modern wars with.”

“Eugh, I literally give up, fine, Filton Airfield is obviously absolutely essential to the entire UK economy which will collapse upon it's closure, we should pay 650 people £65,000 per year to discuss roads all day (because we are in debt, and the only way out is to do something or other about Patchway road?), oh, and both of these things are apparently far more important to the people of Filton than the memory of over 55,000 brave young men who lost their lives in the worst and most terrifying circumstances imaginable, and at least one, if not all MPs should lose their jobs for thinking otherwise. Have I got the general idea? Sorry for being so misguided, I'll try to conform in the future.

Forgive me if I don't continue to debate this with you any further filtoninsider, but I fear I may be sick. I'm happy to say 'you win' if you'll agree to just shut up so that this thread can get back on topic, which should be the memory of those who gave their lives for us. I hope everyone here will get behind Mr Lopresti on this and push the Government to finally recognise the brave men and women of Bomber Command. This is an issue where I believe the weight of public opinion can make a real difference.”

“It is a total disgrace that Filton airfield has been brought in to the discussion.

The RAF Bomber crews had possibly the most terrifying job during the whole war and it is nothing short of a national scandal that they have never been properly acknowledged for what they did.

Let us not lose sight of the fact they were ordered to a do job and they were trying to shorten the war and save more allied servicemen from dying.

Heros the lot of them.”

“Andy222:

I would suggest you find out more about the role of MPs.

They have a dual role. One of which is attending parliament, raising questions, scrutinizing legislation etc.

The other, very definitely, is:

REPRESENTING THEIR LOCAL CONSTITUENTS

Don't believe me? No worries. Take a look at this noddy parliamentary website, where you can hear MPs (past and current) explaining to students what MPs are meant to do:

http://tinyurl.com/cgrqh8b

Regardless of all this, I would suggest to you that Aviation/Aerospace/Manufacturing IS a NATIONAL issue.

Why? Because it's a key part in the escape from the total mess the UK is in. You can pretend otherwise, but the UK has a huge debt, and the longer MPs keep playing politics the bigger that debt will get and the more and more trouble it is in. When we reduce the deficit, we don't reduce the debt - we simply reduce the rate at which the debt is (still) growing. Until we find a way of achieving a surplus, we won't reduce the debt. Therefore, to reduce the NATIONAL debt we need the NATIONAL to manufacture NATIONAL surplus. We aren't going to do that when GKN loses A320neo work to South Korea, and we aren't going to do that when Airbus moves wing making work abroad because it's become too expensive to do it in the UK.

If you think that's an issue for local Councillors, then you are deluded. And if you want to walk away from issues because they are so called "commercial decisions", then the UK is in BIG BIG trouble.

I had many conversations with my Grandfather about his days fighting in the war. I can tell you now, he will be turning in his grave as he watches politicians throw away everything he fought for.

I have no doubt **whatsoever** he would be appalled with Lopresti and the way he is supporting the destruction of Filton in favour of cheap, nasty houses.

I would also not be at all surprised to find that if you spoke to many ex-fighter pilots, many of them would feel the same way. Go and ask them. Ask them, "Would you prefer a medal, or a future for the UK's aviation industry?" Personally, I would respect their views a lot more than any politican.”

“I agree it's a disgrace no campaign medal was awarded to those brave men who flew bombers over Germany. They were simply doing their duty as told to do so by their superiors. After all, Germany started area bombing in the Spanish civil war, never mind the Blitz. At the start of the war we could have bombed Germany but Chamberlain felt uncomfortable about destroying private property-so we dropped leaflets instead!. As far as Dresden is concerned the Russians asked us to bomb it as part of their drive into Germany.
I don't feel any guilt should be attached to attacking Germany directly in the only way we could for most of the war. The few remaining veterans deserve their recognition-and the sooner the better-there aren't many left.”

“@FiltonInsider,

Just because you do not like politicians, that's no reason not to inform yourself as to the role of politicians, indeed doing so may help you get over your 'dislike' of so many people you have never met. As was stated below by Stagnate, the airfield decision was a commercial one. There is not a thing our MP could do about it. You say you don't have a political agenda, but you would rather he pay lip service to your campaign (the airfield would close anyway, but at least you would have 'won', right?) than actually do something worthwhile and try to influence what does go on the airfield after it closes?

And yes, whilst we are at it, the road in Patchway and the Health Centre are also very little to do with Parliament, being in the remit of the local Council.

MPs, whilst they have constituencies, have the rather substantial job of addressing every NATIONAL issue which faces our country. That is not to say they can't raise constituency issues, they can and often do. However, if every MP spent all day moaning about a particular road in their own constituency, not a great deal else would get done, would it? So whilst you may think an MP should lose their job for dealing with issues like the defence of the United Kingdom instead of focusing on the road in Patchway, my view is entirely the opposite. I'm glad there are some people left who can look at a bigger picture than the one they can see out the window of their car.

The sort of things you are complaining about are precisely what we have Councillors for. Have you ever contacted your Cllr about these issues? Perhaps you should go along to a Council meeting, it takes a particular sort of person to enjoy them, but I suspect you just might be that guy!”

“Another fairly cheap attempt by the usual Conservatives to bring politics into it.

I don't have any political bias - I dislike the lot of them. With a passion.

Nor did I belittle any war veterans. Mr grandfather was one, and I signed this petition way before this article appeared.

However, Jack Lopresti is an MP for Filton, and as such he should not just represent those causes which interest him. He must listen to his constituents and represent them. After all that's what he was voted in for. And that's probably why he'll be voted out.

I mentioned Filton Airfield because it's clear that Jack has ignored an awful lot of his constituents. But there's nothing knew in MPs doing that. I could have mentioned the road in Patchway, the Health Centre, or any number of things he won't back his contituents on.

It's all very well to live in the past, but we also need to focus on the future.

These men died to secure our **future** and I'm sick and tired of people like Jack Lopresti helping to throw it all away.

What's Jack doing about our future? What's Jack doing about Filton's future? Budiling houses on it?

What's Jack doing in parliament for Filton? Have a look:

http://tinyurl.com/cuftdyh

His record speaks for itself. He's interested in defence and not Filton or Bradley Stoke at all. He's asked far more questions about Israel, Iran and the IRA than anything to do with his constiuency!

And as for Binky, well it seems they are one of the people who create false accounts and post multiple times to try and make it look as though their opinions are popular. Often in defence of Jack Lopresti. Recently the Bradley Stok Journal rumbled this, and you can see for yourself that it was Binky who got particularly upset - towards the bottom, in the comments section.

http://tinyurl.com/bpovhds

So no I'm not trying to belittle war veterans or score political points. But I would like us to focus on having a decent future which is what my grandfather fought and suffered for.”

“First, I should like to respond to 'FiltonInsider' and I accept that his comment has little to do with the Bomber Command issue.

The decision to close Filton Airfield is purely a commercial one by the owners of the airfield and one which like so many commercial decisions is one that we may well come to regret.

----

The bombing of Dresden, so late in the Second World War, is seen by many as a warning to Russia whose forces were fighting their way across Germany and eastern Europe. It has been argued that the industrial areas in the suburbs had been left untouched and that there was no military advantage gained by the raids. Whether I, or any others of my generation, agree with those sentiments is irrelevant to the fact that no campaign medal was ever sanctioned for members of Bomber Command.

The decision not to issue a campaign medal was taken, I believe, as a sop to public opinion at the time and a political move to distance the, then, government from the perceived immorality of bombing civilians. That the Luftwaffe, I hesitate to call them Nazis as many had no choice other than to serve just as our troops had little choice but to serve for the British Empire, had no such qualms is immaterial.

I personally feel that it was, and still is, the wrong decision and one that should be reversed before the last veterans join their fallen comrades. The last Battle of Britain veteran died in the last week and the Bomber Command veterans are falling at an increasing pace.

Some recognition has been given to the 55573 airman who died in Bomber Command by the erection of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park but it remains that all demands for a campaign medal have been denied by successive governments.

It is not often that I agree with a Conservative but in this instance I totally agree with Mr Lopresti that a WW2 Bomber Command Campaign Medal be issued to those veterans who are still with us and to the families of those airman who have died between the end of the war and now.

It is only right and proper that they should be publically recognised for their part in bringing down a regime that threatened everything the free world stood for.”

“A letter addressed, George Rudge (ww11 Bomber command)
Staple Hill, Has been delivered to Staple Hill Royal British Legion, from someone ,I imagine is trying to contact him.
Anyone who knows him please tell him to contact the legion tel 01179568129”

“Bomber Harris was decorated for his services to winning the war, so why shouldn't the pilots?”