During WW2, a total 364,514 operational sorties were flown and 8,325 aircraft lost in action. RAF Bomber Command aircrews suffered a high casualty rate: of a total of 125,000 aircrew, 57,205 were killed (a 46 percent death rate), a further 8,403 were wounded in action and 9,838 became prisoners of war. Therefore, a total of 75,446 airmen (60 percent of operational airmen) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
It was not unusual for the heavy bombers to complete their operational sortie and return home with members of their crew dead or dying aboard the aircraft, or with the rear gun turret blown off.
Squadrons would normally be tasked to dispatch 12 – 25 aircraft on a night operation and at least one of their crews would be expected to be lost every two night operations. Squadrons losing multiple crews on a single night was quite normal and on several nights during World War II some squadrons lost five or six of their crews in a single night. Airmen shared accommodation blocks and it was normal to have spare beds or even a half-empty hut after a night operation. Just some perspective in case you think you're having a bad day. #bombers #ww2 #zerofoxtrot #stayzero #perspective #war #dontbeabitch