Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

Simply stated - who cares. How many extermination camps did your Luftwaffe pilot family members make visits to - and what were ther reactions to THAT?

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

no comment.

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

Unfortunately, war being what it was, Nick Beale is correct in that EVERY nation shot up innocent targets, be it, airmen hanging in parachutes, individual enemy soldiers, ambulances, cows, children, what have you.
I have book on the 357th FG where a pilot who was subsequently KIA wrote the following:"However, in the short time I've been flying I have been given the chance to see that in our aerial warfare against Germany we have brought ourselves down to their level and have murdered women and children of Germany. If this is a total war and has to be may God have mercy on us...Within this group with which I am flying we strafed houses,villages, and even though I didn't do it myself,I'm as guilty for I do not have the courage to quit before I do kill innocent people."

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

" The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

But plagiarism no

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

I think the OP asks a fair question that should not be met by emotional trench warfare, but honest research.

In this context, German war crimes or other "two wrongs make a right"-fallacies have nothing to do with the OP's question. I am sure you will find many other threads dealing with German war crimes, but it really has no relevance in this thread.

Remember that the war is over. Let's try to act like it as well. :)

Just my two cents.

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

If this is answer to my post Larry, yes you have misunderstood. My memories of the previous rehearsals of this argument are that heat was generated but little light and I'd simply hoped that we needn't go through it all again. Better to let evident BS speak for itself, don't you think?

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

Yes, this is a shop-worn subject that does not need periodic rehashing on this site. People who want to pursue this aspect of the war can do so over on Axis History Forum where a special section (Holocaust & 20th Century War Crimes) and moderator (David Thompson) have been set aside for it. However, we must recognize that new members are constantly joining this Forum who are unaware of the subject's earlier history on 12 O'Clock High and how inflamable it is. If their interest appears genuine, then I think they deserve some directions on where to find the primary documentation.

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

Ha! missed this one completely.

Some of my family were simple farmers during WWII. They had no Idea about the extermination camps until AFTER the war. They were not privy to secret NAZI goverment activities nor were they members of the Waffen SS. My Great Uncle did fly a 109 for the Defence of the German Homeland & Her people, not for NAZI ideology.

Perhaps you can include that in your next book.

Kindest Regards

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

Good sentiments - what triggered my response was an unfounded, undocumented reference to an 'instruction' from FDR to Doolittle. Doolittle is not alive to rebut Oberst and Oberst is not forthcoming with his documentation for such character assasination.

Re: Shooting pilots in their parachutes
 

One will never ever find official USAAF documents pertaining to shooting pilots hanging from there chutes (aside from the FDR letter), Winston Churchill however publically stated it. Therefore you must reley on witness accounts. Sorry Bill if its not on a official USAAF document.

Kindest Regards.