Dambusters 80th Anniversary

[didcot]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-65600179

 

 

 

[Re6/6]

Excellent!  It's so sad that the 'heritage' of RAF Scampton will soon be lost.

[AY Mod]

I had put the date in the diary and kept the day flexible hoping they would do a run down the Derwent Valley as they did for the 70th and 75th*. Quite likely the previous traffic issues put paid to that but I hope everyone over Lincs has a nice, bright evening for it.

 

* They did an unpublished run one Saturday last year heading for another reservoir we were at.

[AY Mod]

2 minutes ago, Re6/6 said:

Excellent!  It's so sad that the 'heritage' of RAF Scampton will soon be lost.

 

My understanding is that, eventually, there will be a more accessible visitor facility as part of developments. The current museum and walk is a hidden gem.

[didcot]

The Lancaster did a fly past over Woodcote Rally some years ago as the engines were in the ring. I was sat on the canopy of the engine I was driving as it went over. Four Merlins and about 30 steam whistles all at once. Not a dry eye amongst the crews.

[Reorte]

Not all that far from the Derwent Valley but not sure I want the Dambusters anywhere near my nearest reservoir - Toddbrook, in Whaley Bridge.

 

Back when the Canadian Lancaster was visiting I took a trip to Windermere to see the pair flying down the lake, met up with my dad and hired a boat and rowed out in to the middle. That was an impressive sight (and sound, heard them before I saw them). I'll post a picture when I get home.

[Reorte]

Edited May 16, 2023 by Reorte

[didcot]

Wow

[F-UnitMad]

1 hour ago, Reorte said:

Let's hope 'Just Jane' gets airworthy soon, and such a sight can be seen again. 👍

 

[didcot]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-65610229

 

Some footage from the fly past

[Clive Mortimore]

I live between  RAF Donna Nook and the former RAF Manby and missed PA747 (Whoops PA 474) . Pity really as I like seeing her. My father worked on PA747 ( See Mr F-Unit's post below) when it was a test aircraft at Cranfield. He had a lot to do with it when it first was transferred to the BoB flight, helping find things like the gun turrets.

 

We cannot forget the bravery of the young men who took part in the raid.

 

We should also think about the 1000 plus Belorussian and Ukrainian female slave workers who were drowned in their concentration camp 80 years ago tonight. Victims of both the horror of the Nazi's and the murderous bent of Bomber Harris. 

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by Clive Mortimore

[AY Mod]

Jump to about 3hrs 10mins in and watch it return home in atmospheric lighting.

 

 

Got something in my eye. 😢

 

[PaulCheffus]

44 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I live between  RAF Donna Nook and the former RAF Manby and missed PA747. Pity really as I like seeing her. My father worked on PA747 when it was a test aircraft at Cranfield. He had a lot to do with it when it first was transferred to the BoB flight, helping find things like the gun turrets.

 

We cannot forget the bravery of the young men who took part in the raid.

 

We should also think about the 1000 plus Belorussian and Ukrainian female slave workers who were drowned in their concentration camp 80 years ago tonight. Victims of both the horror of the Nazi's and the murderous bent of Bomber Harris. 

 

Hi

 

We managed to see it over Manby on its way to Strubby, I guess it was about five minutes behind schedule. 
 

Cheers

 

Paul

[F-UnitMad]

48 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I live between  RAF Donna Nook and the former RAF Manby and missed PA747. Pity really as I like seeing her. My father worked on PA747 when it was a test aircraft at Cranfield. He had a lot to do with it when it first was transferred to the BoB flight, helping find things like the gun turrets.

 

We cannot forget the bravery of the young men who took part in the raid.

 

We should also think about the 1000 plus Belorussian and Ukrainian female slave workers who were drowned in their concentration camp 80 years ago tonight. Victims of both the horror of the Nazi's and the murderous bent of Bomber Harris. 

 

You'll be meaning PA474... 😁😉👍

 

Your last comment reminds me of a similar thing resulting from the Aug. '43 Peenemunde Raid, where some inaccurate bombing hit slave labour quarters.

Difficult facts in both cases, but personally I don't think they should detract from the bravery of the airmen, or the significance of such precision raids to the war effort (which I think Peenemunde counts as, being carried out by a large force at much lower level than normal).

 

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

We managed to see it over Manby on its way to Strubby, I guess it was about five minutes behind schedule. 
 

Cheers

 

Paul

Hi Paul

 

I didn't know it was coming over this way.

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, F-UnitMad said:

You'll be meaning PA474... 😁😉👍

 

Your last comment reminds me of a similar thing resulting from the Aug. '43 Peenemunde Raid, where some inaccurate bombing hit slave labour quarters.

Difficult facts in both cases, but personally I don't think they should detract from the bravery of the airmen, or the significance of such precision raids to the war effort (which I think Peenemunde counts as, being carried out by a large force at much lower level than normal).

 

Hi F-Unit

 

PA474, it is written on the side of it. It was built too late for the war in Europe, so it was modified with extra range fuel tanks for use in the Far East, but again it was finished after the war had. It was one of the Lancasters that were converted for inflight refueling trials. That is how it ended up as a test aircraft for RAE, which in turn handed the testing over to Cranfield. It was the last flying Lancaster when the Battle of Britain Flight were looking for one to accompany their collection of Spitfires and Hurricanes.

 

What gets me is the fuss over the name of Guy Gibson's Labrador from both sides of the argument by people who have no idea that 53 RAF crew who lost their lives that night, or that the slave labourers and the 600 odd German civilians drowned. The dog's name today is totally inappropriate but you can't change history. 

 

 

[Chrisr40]

10 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

but you can't change history. 

And if you do then you risk it repeating itself

[Mike_Walker]

Didn't see last night's flypast as I'm in the wrong part of the country but the Lanc flew low over our village twice in the space of 10 minutes on Saturday afternoon, first heading south west then north east.  A superbly stirring sight and sound that even stopped play in the cricket match we were watching even though it didn't have a fighter escort on this occasion.

 

A few years ago the Dambusters raid was being discussed with a friend who then was in his mid-40s.  He said, with a straight face: "Oh, I've seen the film, was that based on fact then?"!  The youth of today...

[didcot]

11 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

The dog's name today is totally inappropriate but you can't change history. 

Very true, but you can use it to educate people. Learning from the past is how we progress and make the future better. 

It has been changed in the film.

I read that his grave and remains are due to be removed from Scampton to another base.

[Pacific231G]

14 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I live between  RAF Donna Nook and the former RAF Manby and missed PA747 (Whoops PA 474) . Pity really as I like seeing her. My father worked on PA747 ( See Mr F-Unit's post below) when it was a test aircraft at Cranfield. He had a lot to do with it when it first was transferred to the BoB flight, helping find things like the gun turrets.

 

We cannot forget the bravery of the young men who took part in the raid.

 

We should also think about the 1000 plus Belorussian and Ukrainian female slave workers who were drowned in their concentration camp 80 years ago tonight. Victims of both the horror of the Nazi's and the murderous bent of Bomber Harris. 

 

Actually that wasn't an example of murderous bent. Barnes Wallis wanted to produce bombs that would cause maximum damage to infrastructure with far fewer civilian deaths than plastering a target with bombs. The bouncing bomb was one example of that and the "Earthquake bombs" Tallboy and Grand Slam were another. A single Grand Slam destroyed the Bielefeld viaducts which 3 500 tons of bombs had failed previously failed to do.

How many of the slave workers kiiled by the dam raids and by the raid on Penemunde do you really think would have survived several more years in the hands of the Nazis?

[t-b-g]

As I youngster, I got to meet Barnes Wallis, at Scampton on one of his visits there later in life. He kept up his friendships with RAF personnel right up until he passed away. I was too young to really appreciate the significance of the meeting but around 30 years after the raid, it was clear that this was a man who was very highly thought of in RAF circles.

 

We can debate the rights and wrongs of war or the impact of the raid until the cows come home but there is no questioning the audacity, boldness and sheer genius of the concept of bouncing a bomb across water and rolling it down the face of a dam. Neither can we question the skill, dedication, bravery and sacrifice of those who took part.

 

One of the highlights of my childhood was to taxi along the runway at Scampton in PA474 after the aircraft had been to Scampton for some work to be done. Then I was able to watch her fly at Scampton several times. It was so easy, as an 11 year old, to let my imagination run riot and to think of myself as being there with Guy Gibson and the rest of 617 squadron on that night 80 years ago. 

[AY Mod]

 

 

This was the first anniversary where none are now left.

[Chrisr40]

1 hour ago, AY Mod said:

 

 

This was the first anniversary where none are now left.

I hope that somewhere they all know how grateful we are for their courage and sacrifice

[peanuts]

some of you may find this series of podcasts of interest 

https://wehavewayspod.com/episodes/