I will go and visit them this year

They say that aircrews, the bond between them is stronger than the bond between brothers. And I think that, that's true because you lived together, you played together, you drank together, you fought together and they died together. So it's a bond that, crews that, that were not dealt with in this way. Their, their friendship today, is as strong as it ever was, stronger perhaps. You know when you think back, and I can only really speak of Bomber Command, because I was with bomber command. There were 55 thousand people, aircrew, from Bomber Command that were killed, 55 thousand and that's about 50 percent of all aircrew, all Bomber Command aircrew. You know, I've known where they have been now for many, many years and I've avoided it. I was in, in the British Air Forces of Occupation for three years after the war, in Germany. And I used to travel to the American zone quite often, where this was, I always avoided it. I, I visited other concentration camps at, Dachau for example and at Belson. And I saw that sort of it and saw the gas ovens and so on but I, for whatever reason, I have avoided going there. Even though, I've been to Munich, I didn't go down to Dimbach, which is 17 kilometres away. But I will, this coming year.
It's interesting you know, each February down at the United States Air Force Base, Minot, they have a ball, a military ball, and together with other people from the Royal United Services Institute here. I've attended two or three of those. And the last two I've attended, have taken place on the anniversary of the day we were shot down. And somehow, the one that took place this year, February the 25th this year, they had got wind of this. And while I was sitting down to dinner, it was the 63rd anniversary, the 61st anniversary of . . . no I'm sorry, the 63rd anniversary. No I'll get it right, the 61st anniversary of the day we were shot down. And they shone a spotlight on me and I had to stand up and people were applauding there, as to someone who had experienced this and this is the 61st anniversary of that occasion. And that brought these guys back to mind, so much so, I said "I will go and visit them this year, this coming year."