The exchange in the first few seconds establishes Bernie's great wit and humour. The more of these interviews I watch the clearer it becomes that these are an important record. A bit like the Forgotten Voices series.
Thank you Thomas . I hope all is well with you . I’ve watched this in the past and again today and find Bernie’s opinion on current affairs as they were then very insightful and bear relevance today . Great thanks to both of you .
No, to start with it's important to ask everyday questions as most young people listening to this would not know much historical context, prior to the main questions on his RAF experience.
@@Okton3 I was thinking that. The interviewer asked a really broad range of questions throughout, was courteous, patient, gave the man plenty of time to answer, most importantly gave us this valuable document...what the problem?
Just want to say, thanks for this interview and hard work on all your videos bud, a lot of people didn't and never will contribute anything to the memory of these incredible men. you however have, and it will outlive the haters, me and yourself. you've done a great service in finding and interviewing these chaps in time to collect their stories for the history books. Thank you,
Thank you very much. It was a wonderful experience to meet these people and listen to their stories. After each interview, I offer to send the veterans DVDs of the footage, and they almost always accept this offer. When Lance Rooke received his DVD, he emailed me and said, "It is very nice to know that when we have gone there is a record of our exploits in the forces for those who follow us to see."
I am immensely grateful that any volunteer made the effort to record the last of these men and women. Feel free to contribute your hours of patient interviews and driving all over the country. I know I should have done much more. I feel like crying at all the decades nothing was done.
01:52:54 - 1:54:30 Holy crap! A rather significant history lesson in just about 2 minutes. I can't get enough of these guys...no matter which service they were in (US, UK, Canada, Aust, Russia, Germany, etc.).
I enjoyed listening to Bernie Harris's interview. :D My uncle Frances Doyle was also a rear gunner at the latter end of ww2.. He was also a colourful and strong character. (We loved him ) I don't know which squadron he in but I know he spent some time in the desert somewhere... If anyone out there recognizes his name and may have served with him, please state it here :)
As people have said, the interviewer isnt the best, but kudos to him for getting the interview. It might be worth re editing to remove the silences and repeated questions.. and even using titles instead of questions
thsnks for your service! my harris ancesters were from essex england! creaksea place, and before that, prittlewell, and maybe even before that the anglo saxon era
It’s a well known fact that Bomber Command Aircrew suffered from hearing loss, mainly due to the noise of the four engines that they sat alongside....so does the interviewer speak up, despite repeated requests for him to repeat a question....no, no he doesn’t! That frustrated me from the off....nearly put me off watching this at all!
The tail gunner had the shortest life expectancy of any crew member. Shut off in his turrret in the night, he often never even saw any of the other crew during a night mission and he was always cold. IRL the gunner worked moire like armed lookouts than gunners. When they spotted a German night fighter, they would fire a few burst at the fighter. While the hoped to hit the enemy, night visibility made it very hard to aim accurately. But as one former tail gunner put it: "We knew, that they [the German fighters] wanted a "sitting duck". By firing first, the German would usually withdraw into the night, hoping for a better, unalerted, target." In case of an emergency, if the intercom broke down, or if the tail gunner didn't respond, it was the radio operator's job to go back to the aft turret. Being alone in the tail turret was very dangerous as the gunner was a primary target for nightfighters. Take out the gunner, the strafe the bomber. If the tail gunner even saw another crew member, it would most likely be the radio operator (or wireless operator) coming to check on him. Sometimes to find the plug for the intercom has come unplugged, some times to find his comrade dead. Shot, frozen or even slowly choked to death if his air supply had been cut or stuck with frozen saliva. I read a book by a Danish man serving in the Canadian Airforce as a tail gunner on a Lancaster. He once passed out from lack of oxygen, and was saved in the nick of time. In 30 missions he shot down ONE German figher, a Me410. Otherwise he would scare of the fighter with fire, while instructing the pilot to "corkscrew left" or "right", to get out of the way of the fighter. His "duel" with the Me410 lasted a few seconds. The fighter came out of night at full speed, guns blazing. Such an attack was often a rookie mistake, and the first salvo overshot the Lancaster, giving the gunner times to fire straight into the enemy for 2 or 3 seconds. It was enough, and the Messerschmitt spiralled down in flames. His own plane, a Lancaster with the callsign "I for ITEM", was shot down with a new crew - just a few weeks after his and the rest of his crew had completed their 30th and last mission, andreturned to Canada.
Bernie's friend Harry Irons survived 60 raids as a Rear Gunner over Europe. Like the Dane you mentioned, he only shot down one fighter during the war. This was a Ju-88, which had followed their Lancaster through heavy cloud. You can hear him tell this story about 58 minutes into this documentary: ua-cam.com/video/rVnXHfDfDBk/v-deo.html
And to add neither the top or tail gunner had parachutes on as they couldn't fit into the tail or turret. So if the plane got hit you would have to exit the position then clamber through and try and put your parachute on and then get out. Such hero's.
I salute you Bernie, a legend and a hero, the comments regarding the commentator are correct, sadly, but takes nothing away from the genuine experiences of total war, I applaud his comments re: Obama and Syria, If mistakes are not leaned from history...the past will repeat itself.
If you enjoyed this interview, you might be interested in the International Bomber Command Centre's Digital Archive. It contains audio versions of my interviews with Bomber Command veterans, as well as interviews they did with other people. Here is Bernie Harris's other interview: ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/3418
One thing a lot of these interviewees mention about facism is just how big it was in the UK at the time. Everyone thinks of it as a fight vs Germany but it's always been a struggle in each country.
It's possible he was 17 he may have lied about his age. One of my great uncles lied about his age to get into WW1. He was also in WW2. My father lied about his age to get into the navy.
OK, so the interviewer appears to have somewhat of a speech impediment, however, he has spent his time preparing and doing the interview. So what? He is doing something worthwhile and by listening you are being given the privilege of learning.
Des. I know what you mean but don't agree. It's brilliant that some much time was given to this fascinating interview, therefore as many questions and answers as possible the better, however odd they might appear so some! This is an incredible asset, given Bernie's age and health, apart from some hearing difficulties his mind is perfectly sharp, informative and alert. There is so much valuable information here to reflect on. I am extremely impressed just how much Bernie's knows and remembers from those dark days of long ago. He comes across as highly intelligent, absolutely on top of his job and thoroughly articulate, as well as being a nice bloke! My own father served in the RAF and like many was reluctant, or too humble to discuss his experiences, sometimes thinking it unnecessary, unimportant, or simply too traumatic. This stuff is priceless, but it's the small indirect things that are so valuable too, and there is much of it here. Great credit and thanks to Bernie and the interviewer.
2:05:18 The Japanese & the Germans come together. I don't think this was the case. Japan fought an entirely separate war in the Pacific to expand Japanese Imperialism. They weren't interested in Hitler or Naziism.
Please get an experienced video editor next time. Even experts seek peer review. You could deliver the most intetesting information in half the time. ♤◇
If you would prefer an edited compilation of my interviews, then you might be interested in this documentary that I made about RAF Bomber Command: m.ua-cam.com/video/rVnXHfDfDBk/v-deo.html m.ua-cam.com/video/szVGb72HmXA/v-deo.html
None of this was not vauable to record. You may want specific info about his position in a Lanc, but it is extremely valuable to hear what these lads were thinking, hearing, at the time. I would be horrified if this was edited into a brief characterless Q & A. I am very glad this ranged. I wish it had been 5 hours - 10 hours, with adequate days to interview and not exhaust. I just wish I could have submitted extra questions, myself, see what jewels popped up.
Sadly Bernie died in December 2017. However, if you know which squadron your relative served in, it might be worth seeing if there are any associations or Facebook groups that could you find out more about him. It might also be worth contacting the International Bomber Command Centre.
Thomas Ozel Already have. I started researching in 1997 and even though I am happy with the information I've gathered in that time, bits occasionally suffice. My only gap is the relatives of two of the crew members kia. At the moment I'm awaiting for any information on the Luftwaffe pilot who shot them down. Via Messenger I asked the Air museum in Berlin. When I started I wrote all enquires by letter! My trips down to the National Archives in London cost a fair bit of my small earnings. I was only 17 at the time. Today i can download the same information from my kichen table whilst eating my lunch! Researching has become so much quicker now.
@@duggiebader1798 I find the records are shut in UK, for almost everything personal. You have to prove direct kinship. I gather, to protect any men who served who had disciplinary problems. But even if they died in the war, with no wife or children, the records are closed - and STILL closed! At this point their closest relative would be ancient cousins. In Oz, a lot of records that were freely available, are now only available if you personally turn up at records. Even then, you have to book long in advance. Only occasional joy, in Oz, is if some personal records are ordered and paid for, by someone else. Then you can see a lot of extra stuff online. Otherwise, costs a lot.
are we related good sir? my last name is harris I think my harris name is full on english, maybe didnt even come from the norman conquest but instead was english born, and english bred, and for my ancestors english dead
1:55:55 The idea of the EU was to prevent another war in Europe. Well said! But this fact never ONCE came up in all the Brexit discussions. Only money & sovereignty. (& cherry picking).
Totally agree and if you look at the most powerful people in power who lead the EU - they're German!!! The EU flag is a silent replacement of rhe German flag and in time our heritage will be deliberately faded away....... Brexit might not be a great thing for the UK but in years to come we'll realise why it happened and wished the others followed suit.
The last time I heard someone speaking like this interviewer was in the two ronnies scetch where they 'couldnt spray their worms properly'! Good story. Crap production, left after 9 mins
I wasn't impressed with the interviewer. Mr. Harris asks, "Can I tell you an interesting story?" and gets no response. So, he launches into the story where he discovers his long-lost mate Hallam works right around the corner. He says, "What do ya think about that." There is an awkward 2 or 3 second silence and the interviewer continues with no acknowledgement and asks the next banal question, "when you fired the guns did it leave the smell of cordite in the air?" That was painful to listen to. The interviewer seems to have no genuine interest in the man. He mailed it in.
When I first started interviewing veterans, I soon learned that non-verbal responses to an interviewee's statements can be just as effective as audible ones. During most of the silent moments that follow Bernie's answers, I was smiling, nodding and conveying through my facial expressions that I found his stories fascinating. These silent periods also allow veterans to add further details to their statements or sometimes recall a related event, which they then share. The pauses also make the videos easier to edit, since they indicate when a story is complete. I try to avoid verbal comments about what an interviewee has said, since I prefer to let the viewers make their own decisions about it. I can assure you that I was genuinely interested in Bernie. He was very pleased when I sent him DVDs of a documentary that consisted of my interviews with him and other Bomber Command veterans. We stayed in contact via email, chatted at the Bomber Command Memorial in June 2017 and I attended his funeral several months later.
@@thomasozel4889 You can see what I mean though right? This is a video. We can't see *your* facial expressions. That would seem to not be a good interviewing tactic if you intend to publish the result because it conveys an entirely incorrect portrayal of your interactions. Without seeing your face it comes off as entirely disrespectful which you have addressed in your response (appreciate it). You are the person engaging with the veteran *on our behalf* and its weird to see a courtroom style interview in which the lawyer only cares about eliciting the desired response.
Interviewer is atrocious. Doesn’t seem interested in what this gentleman is actually saying, could ask loads of interesting questions based on what he’s saying but just flips his notepad to his next yes or no question. Awful interviewing technique. It slows this down and spoils it quite frankly. Would love to see an edited version with the questions removed.
..... is the interviewer even listening to this fantastic gentlemans answers?
Bernie has huge patience as well as balls.
The exchange in the first few seconds establishes Bernie's great wit and humour. The more of these interviews I watch the clearer it becomes that these are an important record. A bit like the Forgotten Voices series.
Indeed. Even at his age, the guy's sharp as a knife.
Thank you Thomas . I hope all is well with you .
I’ve watched this in the past and again today and find Bernie’s opinion on current affairs as they were then very insightful and bear relevance today .
Great thanks to both of you .
Mr Harris an Inspiration. The interviewer, naive an Insult to his Life & integrity.
No, to start with it's important to ask everyday questions as most young people listening to this would not know much historical context, prior to the main questions on his RAF experience.
and your contribution is?
@@Okton3 I was thinking that. The interviewer asked a really broad range of questions throughout, was courteous, patient, gave the man plenty of time to answer, most importantly gave us this valuable document...what the problem?
I could sit all day and listen to his history.
These men were unbelievably brave , god bless them all
Just want to say, thanks for this interview and hard work on all your videos bud, a lot of people didn't and never will contribute anything to the memory of these incredible men. you however have, and it will outlive the haters, me and yourself. you've done a great service in finding and interviewing these chaps in time to collect their stories for the history books. Thank you,
Thank you very much. It was a wonderful experience to meet these people and listen to their stories. After each interview, I offer to send the veterans DVDs of the footage, and they almost always accept this offer. When Lance Rooke received his DVD, he emailed me and said, "It is very nice to know that when we have gone there is a record of our exploits in the forces for those who follow us to see."
My Dad was in 622 as a tail end Charlie too. Did his 30 ops and made WO1. What a small world.
This gallant man does not deserve this crass interviewer.
and you've contributed what pal? nothing.
I am immensely grateful that any volunteer made the effort to record the last of these men and women. Feel free to contribute your hours of patient interviews and driving all over the country.
I know I should have done much more. I feel like crying at all the decades nothing was done.
01:52:54 - 1:54:30
Holy crap! A rather significant history lesson in just about 2 minutes.
I can't get enough of these guys...no matter which service they were in (US, UK, Canada, Aust, Russia, Germany, etc.).
Many many thanks Bernie !
I enjoyed listening to Bernie Harris's interview. :D My uncle Frances Doyle was also a rear gunner at the latter end of ww2.. He was also a colourful and strong character. (We loved him ) I don't know which squadron he in but I know he spent some time in the desert somewhere... If anyone out there recognizes his name and may have served with him, please state it here :)
As people have said, the interviewer isnt the best, but kudos to him for getting the interview. It might be worth re editing to remove the silences and repeated questions.. and even using titles instead of questions
Lest We Forget. Respect for them all.
thsnks for your service!
my harris ancesters were from essex
england!
creaksea place, and before that,
prittlewell, and maybe even before that the anglo saxon era
It’s a well known fact that Bomber Command Aircrew suffered from hearing loss, mainly due to the noise of the four engines that they sat alongside....so does the interviewer speak up, despite repeated requests for him to repeat a question....no, no he doesn’t! That frustrated me from the off....nearly put me off watching this at all!
😎
The tail gunner had the shortest life expectancy of any crew member. Shut off in his turrret in the night, he often never even saw any of the other crew during a night mission and he was always cold. IRL the gunner worked moire like armed lookouts than gunners. When they spotted a German night fighter, they would fire a few burst at the fighter. While the hoped to hit the enemy, night visibility made it very hard to aim accurately. But as one former tail gunner put it: "We knew, that they [the German fighters] wanted a "sitting duck". By firing first, the German would usually withdraw into the night, hoping for a better, unalerted, target."
In case of an emergency, if the intercom broke down, or if the tail gunner didn't respond, it was the radio operator's job to go back to the aft turret. Being alone in the tail turret was very dangerous as the gunner was a primary target for nightfighters. Take out the gunner, the strafe the bomber. If the tail gunner even saw another crew member, it would most likely be the radio operator (or wireless operator) coming to check on him. Sometimes to find the plug for the intercom has come unplugged, some times to find his comrade dead. Shot, frozen or even slowly choked to death if his air supply had been cut or stuck with frozen saliva.
I read a book by a Danish man serving in the Canadian Airforce as a tail gunner on a Lancaster. He once passed out from lack of oxygen, and was saved in the nick of time. In 30 missions he shot down ONE German figher, a Me410. Otherwise he would scare of the fighter with fire, while instructing the pilot to "corkscrew left" or "right", to get out of the way of the fighter. His "duel" with the Me410 lasted a few seconds. The fighter came out of night at full speed, guns blazing. Such an attack was often a rookie mistake, and the first salvo overshot the Lancaster, giving the gunner times to fire straight into the enemy for 2 or 3 seconds. It was enough, and the Messerschmitt spiralled down in flames. His own plane, a Lancaster with the callsign "I for ITEM", was shot down with a new crew - just a few weeks after his and the rest of his crew had completed their 30th and last mission, andreturned to Canada.
Bernie's friend Harry Irons survived 60 raids as a Rear Gunner over Europe. Like the Dane you mentioned, he only shot down one fighter during the war. This was a Ju-88, which had followed their Lancaster through heavy cloud. You can hear him tell this story about 58 minutes into this documentary: ua-cam.com/video/rVnXHfDfDBk/v-deo.html
And to add neither the top or tail gunner had parachutes on as they couldn't fit into the tail or turret. So if the plane got hit you would have to exit the position then clamber through and try and put your parachute on and then get out. Such hero's.
God bless him 👏👏👏
My grandfather applied for a job as a rear gunner. He later admitted we should never have declared war on Germany.
I am proud to be a harris!
ever heard of bomber harris?
sir arthur harris
looks like my dad and his grandfather
I salute you Bernie, a legend and a hero, the comments regarding the commentator are correct, sadly, but takes nothing away from the genuine experiences of total war, I applaud his comments re: Obama and Syria, If mistakes are not leaned from history...the past will repeat itself.
Lean back, shut yer eyes, relax, enjoy the 2 hour ride ;-)
If you enjoyed this interview, you might be interested in the International Bomber Command Centre's Digital Archive. It contains audio versions of my interviews with Bomber Command veterans, as well as interviews they did with other people. Here is Bernie Harris's other interview:
ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/3418
One thing a lot of these interviewees mention about facism is just how big it was in the UK at the time. Everyone thinks of it as a fight vs Germany but it's always been a struggle in each country.
World War II was not anti-fascist.
Bernie told that he had his 20th birthday on May 17, the day the 617 squadron bombed the dams, he was born in 1923, not 1925 as written?
He said he was born in 1925 but as you wrote the raid was 1943 so, he must of been 17 😎
@@richardrichard5409 He was only 20 when the war ended! Amazing......
It's possible he was 17 he may have lied about his age. One of my great uncles lied about his age to get into WW1. He was also in WW2. My father lied about his age to get into the navy.
It sounded like: "What yay were you born".
OK, so the interviewer appears to have somewhat of a speech impediment, however, he has spent his time preparing and doing the interview. So what? He is doing something worthwhile and by listening you are being given the privilege of learning.
Great stories, interesting watch, but some very odd/naive questions!
Des. I know what you mean but don't agree. It's brilliant that some much time was given to this fascinating interview, therefore as many questions and answers as possible the better, however odd they might appear so some! This is an incredible asset, given Bernie's age and health, apart from some hearing difficulties his mind is perfectly sharp, informative and alert. There is so much valuable information here to reflect on. I am extremely impressed just how much Bernie's knows and remembers from those dark days of long ago. He comes across as highly intelligent, absolutely on top of his job and thoroughly articulate, as well as being a nice bloke!
My own father served in the RAF and like many was reluctant, or too humble to discuss his experiences, sometimes thinking it unnecessary, unimportant, or simply too traumatic. This stuff is priceless, but it's the small indirect things that are so valuable too, and there is much of it here.
Great credit and thanks to Bernie and the interviewer.
2:05:18 The Japanese & the Germans come together. I don't think this was the case. Japan fought an entirely separate war in the Pacific to expand Japanese Imperialism. They weren't interested in Hitler or Naziism.
There was exchange of technology from Germany to Japan.
did you fly in b-24 or another bomber plane
Please get an experienced video editor next time. Even experts seek peer review. You could deliver the most intetesting information in half the time. ♤◇
If you would prefer an edited compilation of my interviews, then you might be interested in this documentary that I made about RAF Bomber Command:
m.ua-cam.com/video/rVnXHfDfDBk/v-deo.html
m.ua-cam.com/video/szVGb72HmXA/v-deo.html
None of this was not vauable to record. You may want specific info about his position in a Lanc, but it is extremely valuable to hear what these lads were thinking, hearing, at the time. I would be horrified if this was edited into a brief characterless Q & A.
I am very glad this ranged. I wish it had been 5 hours - 10 hours, with adequate days to interview and not exhaust. I just wish I could have submitted extra questions, myself, see what jewels popped up.
I wonder if he know a relative of mine who lived in Forrest Gate and who also flew in Bomber Command. ? Is this gentleman still with us?
Sadly Bernie died in December 2017. However, if you know which squadron your relative served in, it might be worth seeing if there are any associations or Facebook groups that could you find out more about him. It might also be worth contacting the International Bomber Command Centre.
Thomas Ozel
Already have. I started researching in 1997 and even though I am happy with the information I've gathered in that time, bits occasionally suffice. My only gap is the relatives of two of the crew members kia. At the moment I'm awaiting for any information on the Luftwaffe pilot who shot them down. Via Messenger I asked the Air museum in Berlin. When I started I wrote all enquires by letter! My trips down to the National Archives in London cost a fair bit of my small earnings. I was only 17 at the time. Today i can download the same information from my kichen table whilst eating my lunch! Researching has become so much quicker now.
@@duggiebader1798 I find the records are shut in UK, for almost everything personal. You have to prove direct kinship. I gather, to protect any men who served who had disciplinary problems.
But even if they died in the war, with no wife or children, the records are closed - and STILL closed! At this point their closest relative would be ancient cousins.
In Oz, a lot of records that were freely available, are now only available if you personally turn up at records. Even then, you have to book long in advance.
Only occasional joy, in Oz, is if some personal records are ordered and paid for, by someone else. Then you can see a lot of extra stuff online. Otherwise, costs a lot.
are we related good sir?
my last name is harris
I think my harris name is
full on english, maybe didnt even come from the norman conquest but instead was
english born, and english bred,
and for my ancestors english dead
Ignorant and patronising interview to someone who gave so much. I have no words.
The interviewer shows little respect.... And what stupid questions could have been been good.
1:55:55 The idea of the EU was to prevent another war in Europe. Well said! But this fact never ONCE came up in all the Brexit discussions. Only money & sovereignty. (& cherry picking).
Totally agree and if you look at the most powerful people in power who lead the EU - they're German!!! The EU flag is a silent replacement of rhe German flag and in time our heritage will be deliberately faded away....... Brexit might not be a great thing for the UK but in years to come we'll realise why it happened and wished the others followed suit.
The last time I heard someone speaking like this interviewer was in the two ronnies scetch where they 'couldnt spray their worms properly'! Good story. Crap production, left after 9 mins
I wasn't impressed with the interviewer. Mr. Harris asks, "Can I tell you an interesting story?" and gets no response. So, he launches into the story where he discovers his long-lost mate Hallam works right around the corner. He says, "What do ya think about that." There is an awkward 2 or 3 second silence and the interviewer continues with no acknowledgement and asks the next banal question, "when you fired the guns did it leave the smell of cordite in the air?" That was painful to listen to. The interviewer seems to have no genuine interest in the man. He mailed it in.
When I first started interviewing veterans, I soon learned that non-verbal responses to an interviewee's statements can be just as effective as audible ones. During most of the silent moments that follow Bernie's answers, I was smiling, nodding and conveying through my facial expressions that I found his stories fascinating. These silent periods also allow veterans to add further details to their statements or sometimes recall a related event, which they then share. The pauses also make the videos easier to edit, since they indicate when a story is complete. I try to avoid verbal comments about what an interviewee has said, since I prefer to let the viewers make their own decisions about it.
I can assure you that I was genuinely interested in Bernie. He was very pleased when I sent him DVDs of a documentary that consisted of my interviews with him and other Bomber Command veterans. We stayed in contact via email, chatted at the Bomber Command Memorial in June 2017 and I attended his funeral several months later.
@@thomasozel4889 You can see what I mean though right? This is a video. We can't see *your* facial expressions. That would seem to not be a good interviewing tactic if you intend to publish the result because it conveys an entirely incorrect portrayal of your interactions. Without seeing your face it comes off as entirely disrespectful which you have addressed in your response (appreciate it). You are the person engaging with the veteran *on our behalf* and its weird to see a courtroom style interview in which the lawyer only cares about eliciting the desired response.
@@donaldg.freeman2804 I understand what you mean. Thank you for your feedback.
Very rude interviewer, totally disrespectful
Not at all. He draws out a lot of information on many aspects of Bernie's war service which provide a most interesting 'big picture'.
Interviewer is atrocious. Doesn’t seem interested in what this gentleman is actually saying, could ask loads of interesting questions based on what he’s saying but just flips his notepad to his next yes or no question. Awful interviewing technique. It slows this down and spoils it quite frankly. Would love to see an edited version with the questions removed.
waiting on your interviews pal, all of them.the ones you filmed in time before he passed. oh you didn't. ok cool. I'll take this one then. x
2:16:47 Allies biggest mistake. DRESDEN!
Terrible interview .