"Sir Arthur Harris" Tim, Date unknown

Catalogue ref: INF 3/77

A portrait of Air Marshall Sir Arthur Harris, Marshal of the Royal Air Force and Commander-in-Chief of the RAF Bomber Command (1942-1945). Nicknamed ‘Bomber Harris' and ‘Butcher Harris' by his detractors, he was a controversial commander. He was responsible for approximately 500,000 German civilian deaths, having commanded the relentless blanket-bombing offensive against Germany. Harris believed that such bombing would cause the collapse of German industry and break the morale of German people, thus leading to defeat and surrender.