whatilearned
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bomber_Command_aircrew_of_World_War_II
TIL British and Commonwealth Bomber Aircrew suffered a 44% fatality rate in WWII. By 1943, only 1 in 40 would survive two tours (30 missions per tour).
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Sounds like a catch 22 to me.
*46% fatality rate actually, and the survival rate for one tour was 1 in 6. More info at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bomber_Command
Also average age of aircrew members was 21
Makes you kinda reevaluate the morality of kamikazes
Many line soldiers think pilots have it easy. I never did, I was a Stinger officer and I knew how easy a plane was to take down.
Between other planes and ground based anti-aircraft artillery (basically synchronized machine guns) – you could pay me enough to fly. Hell, the Soviets shot down a U2, they could see or hear.
I used to go for a drink with a tail end charlie at the turn of the century.
My grandad was a flight engineer aboard a Short Stirling bomber during the war. He was shot down in 1943 but managed to bail out of the plane and survived. The rest of the crew all died. He is still going strong to this day thankfully.