A Guardian reader, thats a surprise.

Winston Churchill, the colonial secretary at the time, believed that gas could be used effectively against the Kurds and Iraqis (as well as against other peoples in the Empire): 'I do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas. I am strongly in favour of using poison gas against uncivilised tribes.' Some shared Churchill's enthusiasm for gas as an instrument of colonial control but the British cabinet was reluctant to allow the use of a weapon that had caused such misery and revulsion in the First World War. In the event, gas was used against the Iraqi rebels though gas shells were not dropped from aircraft because of practical difficulties.

Wing-Commander Sir Arthur Harris, later Bomber Harris, head of wartime Bomber Command, was happy to emphasise that 'The Arab and Kurd now know what real bombing means in casualties and damage. Within forty-five minutes a full-size village can be practically wiped out and a third of its inhabitants killed or injured.' It was an easy matter to bomb and machine-gun the tribespeople, because they had no means of defence or retaliation. Iraq and Kurdistan were also used as testing grounds for new weapons; devices specifically developed by the Air Ministry for use against tribal villages.

Hugh Trenchard, the RAF chief of staff concluded "Air power is of vital concern to the Empire and in Iraq, and evidence is growing of its great potential. It may further reduce defence spending, not only in Iraq, but also in other Eastern territories where armed forces are needed to keep control".

Aerial bombardment had proven to be a satisfactory method of mass killing. Jonathan Glancey (The Guardian, 19 April 2003) recalls: "Winston Churchill, secretary of state for war and air, estimated that without the RAF, somewhere between 25,000 British and 80,000 Indian troops would be needed to control Iraq. Reliance on the airforce promised to cut these numbers to just 4,000 and 10,000. Churchill's confidence was soon repaid". Glancey reports that the RAF "flew missions totaling 4,008 hours, dropped 97 tons of bombs and fired 183,861 rounds for the loss of nine men killed, seven wounded and 11 aircraft destroyed behind rebel lines".

You can find out more about the RAF and inter-war operations in the Empire from the following websites: Terror Bombing and Air Power in Small Wars.

Gods teeth, my post about bombing was meant to be a poke at how a thread about film making and historical fact had been taken way too seriously. In a similar way to MF`s post.
And then off you go with line after line of keyboard diarrhoea.
It is usual for people to express an opinion before you take issue with it, even if it had been meant for debate, I was simply asking a question without any mention of my own views on the subject.

Quite a Pandora's box you've unleashed here.
As another Guardian reader I've found it fascinating & informative - well, parts of it anyway, not your contributions obviously.

How have I opened Pandora's box ? I have no intention and never had of debating the rights and wrong of aerial bombing.

I am aware of this. You have no concern for debating the rights and wrongs of aerial bombing. Just the correct naming of wartime dogs in film. Which is naturally much more important. To you.

Are you able to actually read and understand any of the threads ? It was a debate about fact in films, the dogs name is merely one example of several I have quoted.
If I had wanted to debate aerial bombing then I would have started a topic with that name.

No, not about films, about one film in particular, and a dog's name in particular.

Please see above for reasons behind believing this to be the case.

I went into PC World earlier.

You really have to watch what you say in there.

I'm sure it's not original but it made me LOL

Did you move to or from Tunbridge Wells?

Whilst not necessarily agreeing with Wicker Man's premise, thats not really a fair comparison. It would be more relative if your neighbour had shot you in the foot with his airgun and so you shot his wife in the ar$e.

(Im sure Cala or Tad or someone else with a similarly despicable mind will make some sort of comment on those last 6 words. )