Arthur "Bomber" Harris

Arthur "Bomber" Harris
Fg Off Stannus, Royal Air Force official photographer · Public domain · source
Name	Arthur "Bomber" Harris
Birth date	13 April 1892
Death date	5 April 1984
Birth place	Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Serviceyears	1914–1946
Rank	Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Battles	First World War, Second World War

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Arthur "Bomber" Harris was a senior Royal Air Force commander whose tenure as head of RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War shaped Allied strategic bombing doctrine and operations. Born in Cheltenham and a veteran of the First World War, he rose through ranks to become Marshal of the Royal Air Force and central figure in bombing campaigns against Nazi Germany, notably during the Combined Bomber Offensive and the Battle of the Ruhr.

Early life and education

Harris was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and educated at Hurstpierpoint College and King's School, Bruton, where studies preceded attendance at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and initial commission into the Green Howards before transfer to the Royal Flying Corps in the context of the First World War. Early exposure to aviation at Biggleswade and postings to Western Front squadrons informed his familiarity with air power issues amid debates at institutions like the Air Ministry and theories associated with figures such as John A. W. Bishop and contemporaries from the Interwar period.

Harris served in the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front during the First World War and later held staff positions at the Air Ministry and headquarters roles at RAF Bomber Command during the Interwar period. Promotions brought him into contact with leaders including Hugh Trenchard, Sir John Salmond, and Charles Portal, and assignments connected him with policy forums like the Imperial Defence College and the Committee of Imperial Defence. In the late 1930s and early 1940s Harris commanded groups associated with operations in the European Theatre and liaised with allied planners from United States Army Air Forces and Soviet Air Forces through mechanisms such as the Anglo-American Combined Chiefs of Staff.

Appointed Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command in 1942, Harris coordinated with figures including Sir Arthur Tedder, Alan Brooke, and Sir Winston Churchill on implementation of the Combined Bomber Offensive. Harris organized force structure drawing on units like No. 5 Group RAF, No. 1 Group RAF, No. 3 Group RAF, and bomber types such as the Avro Lancaster, Handley Page Halifax, Short Stirling, and Vickers Wellington. Operational planning involved campaigns like the Battle of the Ruhr, the Operation Chastise raid on Möhne Dam, and coordination with naval forces during actions affecting targets in the Baltic Sea and the Kiel area.

Harris advocated area bombing approaches influenced by theories from proponents such as Sir Arthur Harris's contemporaries in discussions with Sir Charles Portal and adopted tactics exemplified by the Area bombing directive and the use of navigational aids like Gee, Oboe, and H2S radar. Operations under his command targeted industrial complexes in Ruhr, transportation hubs in Berlin, and cities including Hamburg (see Operation Gomorrah), Dresden (see Bombing of Dresden in World War II), and Kassel, employing incendiary mixtures like napalm and coordinated night raids alongside daytime operations by the United States Army Air Forces. Harris emphasized concentration of force, bomber stream tactics developed from lessons at Bomber Command bases such as RAF Scampton and RAF Waddington, and integration with intelligence from Ultra and reconnaissance by units from Photographic Reconnaissance Unit.

Harris's strategies provoked controversy among political leaders including members of British Cabinet and international figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and postwar critics including Albert Einstein-era commentators; debates invoked legal and moral issues framed by documents like the Hague Conventions and discussions at venues like the United Nations after 1945. Critics pointed to civilian casualties in Hamburg, Dresden, and other urban centers and raised questions that involved historians such as A. C. Grayling and Richard Overy and journalists from outlets including The Times and The Observer. Supporters referenced strategic analyses by commanders including Arthur Tedder and statistical assessments from studies conducted at institutions like Imperial War Museum and Royal United Services Institute; the controversy continued in biographies by authors such as Max Hastings and revisionist works by Frederick Taylor.

After retirement in 1946, Harris received honours including appointment as Marshal of the Royal Air Force and involvement with veterans' groups, and his papers were acquired by repositories like the Imperial War Museum and archival collections at Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Debates over his legacy have persisted in scholarship by Richard Overy, James S. Corum, Michael S. Neiberg, and public history at institutions such as RAF Museum and National Archives (United Kingdom), influencing portrayals in media including documentaries by the BBC and films referencing Bomber Command. Harris died in 1984; his impact on air strategy is cited in academic courses at King's College London and commemorated in discussions at memorials such as the Bomber Command Memorial.

Category:Royal Air Force air marshals Category:1892 births Category:1984 deaths