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Unseen Burpee letters released
Almost 70 years after the Dams Raid, the Burpee family in Canada have now put some of their correspondence into the public domain. The first of these was sent to Lewis Burpee’s parents by his wife...
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Season’s Greetings from the Dambuster blog!
And so I’m offering this simple phrase, To kids from one to ninety-two, Although it’s been said many times, many ways, A Merry Christmas to you. (Tormé and Wells, 1946)
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Jackson’s model Lancaster in close up
I can’t believe that I missed this, more than three years ago! When filming their Last Chance to See natural history TV programme, Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine interviewed Peter Jackson in New...
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John (Tommy) Thompson, 1920-2012
Every year, the number of aircrew who served in the RAF during the Second World War sadly declines, and 2012 saw the passing of one wartime pilot who I came across when researching my book about David...
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Dinghy’s oar? Or not?
Last Sunday’s BBC Antiques Roadshow came up with an interesting artefact which had a Dambuster connection. A viewer brought in the blade of an oar which she said her husband had found in a skip in...
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See Baywatch Barnes on 19 May
It now looks as though there will be a number of events in May to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dams Raid. I am collating a list at the moment, but in the meantime I will be happy to...
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More on the oar
Pic: David Young via Arthur Thorning Following my post from last month, I was recently sent a new picture, shown above, of the real oar used by Melvin (“Dinghy”) Young in the University Boat Race in...
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The Telegraph view
Today’s Daily Telegraph cartoon would appear to be a comment on this story. Amid accusations that defence policy is now a shambles, Downing Street attempted to “clarify” an apparent promise by David...
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Lincoln Cathedral to mark Dams Raid anniversary
There will be a Dam Busters Commemoration in Lincoln Cathedral on the afternoon of Friday 17 May 2013 with the added bonus of a fly past by the Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight....
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Let’s hear it for the big guy
Tall, blond and good looking, Joe McCarthy was the image of an all-American war hero. A New Yorker with Irish roots, he became a champion swimmer and baseball player, and worked as a life guard at...
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Fleet St editorial standards slipping (part 94)
Retired RAF officers all over the country will have been harrumphing into their cornflakes this morning as yet more evidence of the decline of editorial standards in the national press is presented....
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Take the weight off your feet
If you fancy a walk along part of the Oyster Bay Trail, on the North Kent coast, why not relax for a moment or too on the new portrait bench just outside Reculver? It’s the brainchild of Canterbury...
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Dambusters 70th anniversary events (update 15 March)
Below is a list of the events so far planned for the 70th anniversary of the Dams Raid. Please note that many are still subject to confirmation, especially the flyover at the Derwent Reservoir on...
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Fleet St editorial standards slipping (part 109)
Another example, this time from the Daily Mail. The last of the Dambusters has spoken for the first time how he celebrated the squadron’s heroic raid – with a nice cup of tea. I’m happy to say that...
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Canadian Dambusters poster to be launched on anniversary
Our Friends in the North, aka the folks at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada, have produced the poster above commemorating the 30 Canadians who took part in the Dams Raid. If you are able to get to...
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Poignant last page in Garshowitz logbook
One of the saddest jobs on any Second World War bomber squadron must have been filling in the logbooks of those who didn’t return from operations. Here, courtesy of his nephew Hartley Garshowitz, is...
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Inside Gibson’s office at Scampton
History buff Ross Corbett has set up an fascinating new website called World War II Discovery, and has written several posts of interest to Dambuster enthusiasts. He recently visited RAF Scampton, and...
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AJ-E crash site to be commemorated on anniversary
One of this blog’s growing number of German readers, Volker Schürmann, has contacted us to say that he plans to commemorate the Dams Raid crash of AJ-E on 16 May. He is writing a report for a local...
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The Dams Raid: complete list of all participants
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...
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Dambuster of the Day No. 1: Guy Gibson
Wing Cdr G P Gibson DSO & Bar DFC & Bar Pilot Lancaster serial number: ED932/G Call sign: AJ-G First wave: First aircraft to attack Möhne Dam. Mine exploded short of the dam. Guy Gibson was...
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