...when many of the men above (NZ'ers of 75 Squadron R.A.F.) were either dead or had returned safely, most to become married men and new Dads. I experienced a boyhood that involved Dads who had stories and anecdotes to tell and exchange, souvenirs and militaria (in my case friends who shared with me a hand grenade - with the pin rusted in - steel helmets, two machine guns, and several samurai swords) and a total awareness that WW2 had been a pivotal and recent event for all the adults that we knew. This awareness has lead to a lifetime's interest in the conduct of the war, (in particular a preoccupation with Bomber Command and the bombing of Germany and the terrible suffering of its citizens.)
It seems that only in the last 10 to 15 years has it been possible to read about the war from a German perspective...and this 2004 essay about being German has been on my hard drive since I first read it...
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