A nice overall look at Chastise Sarge. Very impressed. Are you into 617's history or just this one raid?
You're missing a photo of the Sorpe Dam, So here is one I took on the 17th May 2003. View attachment 555
Excellent website on 617 & the dams raid: http://www.dambusters.org.uk/index.htm (but who'd have thought even that music could become annoying....) Cheers, Adam
Operation Chastise Aircraft Losses (617 Squadron) 16-17 May 1943. Lancaster III ED864. AJ-B Took off 2159 hrs Scampton and headed for the Mohne Dam. Crashed 0015 hrs after flying into hight tension cables near Marbeck, 5 Km SSE of Borken. Lancaster III ED865. AJ-S Took off 0011 hrs Scampton and set course for the Sorpe Dam. Strayed off course and still at very low levelwas hit by flak crashing 0200 hrs near Gilze Rijen airfield, Holland. Lancaster III ED887. AJ-A Took off 2147 hrs Scampton and headed for the Mohne Damand dropped its weapon as briefed. Set course as deputy leader for the Eder Dam before heading for base. Shot down by flak while clearing the Dutch coast and crashed 0258 hrs off Castricum aan Zee. Lancaster III ED910. AJ-C Took off 0009 hrs Scampton, tasked to bomb the Lister Dam. Hit by light flak, Crashing 0235 hrs on the Boselargerschen Wald near Heessen, 3 km NNE of Ham. Lancaster III ED925. AJ-M Took off 2139 hrs Scampton, tasked to bomb the Mohne Dam. Hit by flak approaching the target defore being crippled by the blast from its own weapon which overshot and exploded beyond the parapet. Crashed 0034 hrs at Ostonnen, 6 km ESE of Werl. Lancaster III ED927. AJ-E Took off 2128 hrs Scampton and headed for the Sorpe Dam. Crashed 2350 hrs after colliding with hight tension cables at Haldern, 4 km ENE of Rees. (The Upkeep weapon from this aircraft was captured intact) Lancaster III ED934. AJ-K Took off 2130 hrs Scampton and headed for the Sorpe Dam. Hit by flak from batteries on Texel, while flying at 300 ft outbound, and crashed into the Waddenzee W of Harlingen. Lancaster III ED937. AJ-Z Took off 2159 hrs Scampton and set course for the Eder Dam. Crippled by the detonation of its own weapon and while trying to make base was hit by light flak, crashing 0236 hrs at Netterden, 3 km E of Emmerich. (Part extract BCL Vol 4)
Just for the hell of it I found this photo taken at the 50th anniversary of the raid on 16th May 1993. This is the Derwent Dam. View attachment 569
Just for the hell of it I found this photo taken at the 50th anniversary of the raid on 16th May 1993. This is the Derwent Dam. View attachment 3054 Some more info and pictures on Derwent below: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-air/17946-dambusters-derwent-reservoir.html
There is a private museum in Scampton for the Dambusters squad which is near to where i live i'll put up info as it's a great insight into the raid etc. The guided tour also takes you to Niggers grave and the local pub! You can only vist by appointment Just have to make sure its ok to do so
one of the original dambusters crew is a friend of mine "johhny johnson" he lives close to me in torquay & you can read or listen to his story here..... BBC - Devon - History - Dambuster recalls daring raid
Hi. They are still reffered to as the dam busters irespective of time. How about starting a 617 Squadron forum here. I'm sure there are many peace time dam busters who would be interested. I myself was with them in the fifties as electrical fitter, I worked on the Lincoln and the Canberra and did a 6 month detachment to Malaya with them in 1955. Ken
Good call Canberra Man, see what the 'Mods' think. There is, of course, nothing stopping you starting a new dedicated thread but isn't this close enough to a dedicated thread already? Always wondered - 'Apres nous la deluge' in French, why not Latin? Must have been some Latin scholars in that esteemed squadron! Mike
Ken Brown describes life with Guy Gibson, the squadron and the raid, all with humour and humility! Ken Brown CGM - Dam Buster
From my friends on Wings over New Zealand Forum The Dambusters 1954 otr australian radio : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
Thought this may be of interest to the 617sq buffs. http://www.dambusters.org.uk/docs/recordbook.pdf AIR 8/1238 AIR 27/2128 Cheers Geoff
