A C Grayling's description of the Allied aerial bombing of civilian populations in the Second World War as a "war crime" (Essay, 27 February) is ill-conceived in nature. All wars, by definition, are horrific, and ultimately a confession of human failure. But sometimes decisions have to be made to combat tyranny - and this country finally made that decision in September 1939, and still more notably in 1940 when Winston Churchill became prime minister. That decision was to wage total war against Nazi Germany after Hitler had already committed his people to total war.

Total war inescapably involves war against civilian populations and everyone suffers, as did British and other countries' civilian populations from Luftwaffe bombing well before the RAF bombing raids on German cities. Grayling appears to ignore what might be described as a public demand for "revenge bombing".

He is also wrong on numerous specific points. The RAF always did its best to concentrate on military targets - although inevitably civilians become involved in such targets. The reason the USAAF concentrated largely on daylight bombing was that RAF night navigational training was superior and, at least initially, RAF aircraft and crews were technically better-equipped for night bombing. Even so, it is absurd to suggest that the RAF was not considerably involved in daytime bombing as well - and suffered heavy casualties in daylight raids on major military targets in the heart of Germany.

The assumption Grayling appears to make is that, somehow, aerial bombing of civilians is more of a war crime, and therefore more immoral, than massive artillery shelling of towns and cities. This is an absurd claim. Of course there were serious errors of judgement and practice in Bomber Command's campaign, as with all wartime tactics. But to so condemn the entire bombing operation as a "war crime" is to overlook the exceptional courage and sacrifices of RAF Bomber Command and shamefully dishonour the memory of the 55,888 men killed in that command between 3 September 1939 and 14 August 1945.

Geoffrey Goodman
London NW7

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