Lancaster crews, alongside those flying the Handley Page Halifax and to a lesser extent, the Short Stirling, bore the brunt of the RAF's night bombing campaign. The Lancaster struck hard at the enemy, its long range sorties repeatedly targeting Germany's vital industrial heartland. The effect was to severely impair the opposition's ability to wage war and to crush the morale of those fighting it.
The loss of life, though terrible for those subjected to its attacks, was also severe among the crews. The superb memorial to the 'bomber boys' at London's Green Park is testimony to that, and Avro Lancaster B.I PA474 – the sole flying example in Europe – is operated by the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight as a 'living' tribute to the many who did not survive.
