During the next nineteen weeks I will be publishing an article about each one of the 133 aircrew from 617 Squadron who took part in the Dams Raid (Operation Chastise) on 16/17 May 1943, at the rate of one a day. These will be titled ‘Dambuster of the Day’.
Above is shown the order for the operation as it appeared on squadron noticeboards on the morning of the raid. For security reasons it was merely titled ‘Night Flying Programme’. The typed programme was kept by Squadron Adjutant Flt Lt Harry Humphries, and is now in the possession of Grantham Museum.
Each article will include links to other material online about each man, and I hope that readers will add further links in the comments on each piece. In that way, the blog entries will serve as a tribute to all the people who took part, in this the 70th anniversary year.
A complete list of the 133 also appears below.
The names appear in the order of the three designated ‘waves’: the first tasked to attack the Möhne and Eder dams, the second to attack the Sorpe, and the third the mobile reserve. Each aircraft in the wave is then listed in the order it finally took off, which differs slightly from the list in the programme above.
As each article appears, the list below will be edited to provide a link to the relevant blog entry.
AJ-G
First wave: First aircraft to attack Möhne Dam. Mine exploded short of the dam.
Wg Cdr G P Gibson DSO & Bar DFC & Bar Pilot
Sgt J Pulford Flight engineer
Plt Off H T Taerum Navigator
Flt Lt R E G Hutchison DFC Wireless operator
Plt Off F M Spafford DFM Bomb aimer
Flt Sgt G A Deering Front gunner
Flt Lt R D Trevor-Roper DFM Rear gunner
AJ-M
First wave: Second aircraft to attack Möhne Dam. Aircraft hit by flak. Mine dropped late, bounced over dam. Aircraft crashed on far side of dam.
Flt Lt J V Hopgood DFC & Bar Pilot
Sgt C Brennan Flight engineer
Flg Off K Earnshaw Navigator
Sgt J W Minchin Wireless operator
Flt Sgt J W Fraser Bomb aimer
Plt Off G H F G Gregory DFM Front gunner
Plt Off A F Burcher DFM Rear gunner
AJ-P
First wave: Third aircraft to attack Möhne Dam. Mine veered left after dropping and exploded at side of dam.
Flt Lt H B Martin DFC Pilot
Plt Off I Whittaker Flight engineer
Flt Lt J F Leggo DFC Navigator
Flg Off L Chambers Wireless operator
Flt Lt R C Hay DFC Bomb aimer
Plt Off B T Foxlee DFM Front gunner
Flt Sgt T D Simpson Rear gunner
AJ-A
First wave: Fourth aircraft to attack Möhne Dam. Mine dropped accurately, causing small breach. Aircraft crashed on return flight.
Sqn Ldr H M Young DFC & Bar Pilot
Sgt D T Horsfall Flight engineer
Flt Sgt C W Roberts Navigator
Sgt L W Nichols Wireless operator
Flg Off V S MacCausland Bomb aimer
Sgt G A Yeo Front gunner
Sgt W Ibbotson Rear gunner
AJ-J
First wave: Fifth aircraft to attack Möhne Dam. Mine dropped accurately, causing larger breach, followed by dam collapse.
Flt Lt D J H Maltby DFC Pilot
Sgt W Hatton Flight engineer
Sgt V Nicholson Navigator
Sgt A J B Stone Wireless operator
Plt Off J Fort Bomb aimer
Sgt V Hill Front gunner
Sgt H T Simmonds Rear gunner
AJ-L
First wave: First aircraft to attack Eder Dam. Mine dropped accurately but no breach caused.
Flt Lt D J Shannon DFC Pilot
Sgt R J Henderson Flight engineer
Flg Off D R Walker DFC Navigator
Flg Off B Goodale DFC Wireless operator
Flt Sgt L J Sumpter Bomb aimer
Sgt B Jagger Front gunner
Flg Off J Buckley Rear gunner
AJ-Z
First wave. Second aircraft to attack Eder Dam. Mine overshot. Aircraft damaged, and shot down on return flight.
Sqn Ldr H E Maudslay DFC Pilot
Sgt J Marriott DFM Flight engineer
Flg Off R A Urquhart DFC Navigator
WO A P Cottam Wireless operator
Plt Off M J D Fuller Bomb aimer
Flg Off W J Tytherleigh DFC Front gunner
Sgt N R Burrows Rear gunner
AJ-B
First wave. Crashed on outward flight.
Flt Lt W Astell DFC Pilot
Sgt J Kinnear Flight engineer
Plt Off F A Wile Navigator
WO A A Garshowitz Wireless operator
Flg Off D Hopkinson Bomb aimer
Flt Sgt F A Garbas Front gunner
Sgt R Bolitho Rear gunner
AJ-N
First wave. Third aircraft to attack Eder Dam. Mine dropped accurately causing breach.
Plt Off L G Knight Pilot
Sgt R E Grayston Flight engineer
Flg Off H S Hobday Navigator
Flt Sgt R G T Kellow Wireless operator
Flg Off E C Johnson Bomb aimer
Sgt F E Sutherland Front gunner
Sgt H E O’Brien Rear gunner
AJ-E
Second wave. Crashed on outward flight.
Flt Lt R N G Barlow DFC Pilot
Plt Off S L Whillis Flight engineer
Flg Off P S Burgess Navigator
Flg Off C R Williams DFC Wireless operator
Plt Off A Gillespie Bomb aimer
Flg Off H S Glinz Front gunner
Sgt J R G Liddell Rear gunner
AJ-W
Second wave. Aircraft badly damaged by flak on outward flight. Returned to base with mine intact.
Flt Lt J L Munro Pilot
Sgt F E Appleby Flight engineer
Flg Off F G Rumbles Navigator
WO P E Pigeon Wireless operator
Sgt J H Clay Bomb aimer
Sgt W Howarth Front gunner
Flt Sgt H A Weeks Rear gunner
AJ-K
Second wave. Crashed on outward flight.
Plt Off V W Byers Pilot
Sgt A J Taylor Flight engineer
Flg Off J H Warner Navigator
Sgt J Wilkinson Wireless operator
Plt Off A N Whittaker Bomb aimer
Sgt C McA Jarvie Front gunner
Flt Sgt J McDowell Rear gunner
AJ-H
Second wave. Aircraft badly damaged and mine lost, flying low over sea on outward flight. Returned to base.
Plt Off G Rice Pilot
Sgt E C Smith Flight engineer
Flg Off R MacFarlane Navigator
WO C B Gowrie Wireless operator
WO J W Thrasher Bomb aimer
Sgt T W Maynard Front gunner
Sgt S Burns Rear gunner
AJ-T
Second wave. First aircraft to attack Sorpe Dam. Mine dropped successfully but failed to breach dam.
Flt Lt J C McCarthy DFC Pilot
Sgt W G Radcliffe Flight engineer
Flt Sgt D A MacLean Navigator
Flt Sgt L Eaton Wireless operator
Sgt G L Johnson Bomb aimer
Sgt R Batson Front gunner
Flg Off D Rodger Rear gunner
AJ-C
Third wave. Crashed on outward flight.
Plt Off W H T Ottley DFC Pilot
Sgt R Marsden Flight engineer
Flg Off J K Barrett DFC Navigator
Sgt J Guterman DFM Wireless operator
Flt Sgt T B Johnston Bomb aimer
Sgt H J Strange Front gunner
Sgt F Tees Rear gunner
AJ-S
Third wave. Crashed on outward flight.
Plt Off L J Burpee DFM Pilot
Sgt G Pegler Flight engineer
Sgt T Jaye Navigator
Plt Off L G Weller Wireless operator
Flt Sgt J L Arthur Bomb aimer
Sgt W C A Long Front gunner
WO J G Brady Rear gunner
AJ-F
Third wave. Second aircraft to attack Sorpe Dam. Mine dropped successfully but failed to breach dam.
Flt Sgt K W Brown Pilot
Sgt H B Feneron Flight engineer
Sgt D P Heal Navigator
Sgt H J Hewstone Wireless operator
Sgt S Oancia Bomb aimer
Sgt D Allatson Front gunner
Flt Sgt G S McDonald Rear gunner
AJ-O
Third wave. Only aircraft to attack Ennepe Dam. Mine dropped successfully but failed to breach dam.
Flt W C Townsend DFM Pilot
Sgt D J D Powell Flight engineer
Plt Off C L Howard Navigator
Flt Sgt G A Chalmers Wireless operator
Sgt C E Franklin DFM Bomb aimer
Sgt D E Webb Front gunner
Sgt R Wilkinson Rear gunner
AJ-Y
Third wave. Did not reach Sorpe Dam because of navigation problems and weather conditions. Returned with mine intact.
Flt Sgt C T Anderson Pilot
Sgt R C Paterson Flight engineer
Sgt J P Nugent Navigator
Sgt W D Bickle Wireless operator
Sgt G J Green Bomb aimer
Sgt E Ewan Front gunner
Sgt A W Buck Rear gunner
