[smdyc1]

That was more a choice by individual aircrew than higher command or bureaucracy.

[alabastervlog]

I'm inclined to give, at least, the mid- and late-war bomber crew guys a pass on just about any personal "bad" behavior short of the extremely bad, given their terrible odds of surviving the next few months...

More likely than not they're living their final few weeks, let them paint a pretty lady on the plane's nose.

[alabastervlog]

Too late to edit, I meant early- and mid-war. It did get somewhat less horrifying closer to the end.