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AJ-K memorial ceremony postponed
The grave of Flt Sgt James McDowell in Harlingen Cemetery in the Netherlands. His was the only body recovered after AJ-K was shot down on the Dams Raid, and the memorial to the whole crew will be...
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Nine things you may not know about the Dams Raid
The only photograph taken of a Lancaster in the air on the day of the Dams Raid. [IWM CH18006] Tomorrow, Saturday 16 May, will be the 77th anniversary of the day in 1943 when nineteen Lancasters of...
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Johnny Johnson remembering old comrade Les Knight
Johnny Johnson’s tribute to fellow Dambuster Les Knight. [Pic: Melvin Chambers] Guest post by Melvin Chambers On Monday 4 May, the Dutch Remembrance Day, the last surviving Dambuster Johnny Johnson...
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The first and the last
Len Sumpter, Doug Webb and Ray Wilkinson, photographed together in July 1943 as part of the group picture of 617 Squadron aircrew. [Artwork © Dambusters Blog, from image courtesy of Sutherland...
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Oancia uniform jacket preserved for posterity
Steve Oancia, the bomb aimer in Ken Brown’s crew on the Dams Raid, came from a tiny farming community near Stonehenge in the south of Saskatchewan province, Canada. He crewed up with Ken Brown during...
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Byers logbook up for auction
Pic: Spink Auctions The pilot’s logbook belonging to Plt Off Vernon Byers is coming up for sale by Spink Auctions next week, on Wednesday 15 July. Also in the lot are his medals, his wings and other...
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Replacement of Scampton plaque should be welcomed
RAF Scampton from the air. [Pic: Harvey Milligan/Wikipedia Commons] The RAF has made the correct decision to replace the plaque at RAF Scampton which marks the grave of Guy Gibson’s dog with a new...
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Two more showings for The Dam Busters next week
I know it’s unlikely that anyone reading this blog has never seen Michael Anderson’s 1955 film The Dam Busters. But if you haven’t – or if you just want to watch it again – you have two more chances...
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A 1950s milk run over the Eder Dam
Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick. [Pic: Frank Pleszak] Frank Pleszak has sent me a lovely story he heard from a family friend, GC, who served in the RAF in the 1950s. He was based at RAF Wahn, which is now...
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Bonhams sell ‘stolen’ Gibson document in New York for $2167
A week ago today, the hammer dropped on a bid of $2167 for a lot on sale at an internet auction held in New York by the prestigious auction house of Bonhams. The item sold was a single sheet of paper,...
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“Dam’ping Their Ardour”: free Trenchard lecture
Historian Victoria Taylor is giving one of this year’s prestigious RAF Museum Trenchard lectures on Thursday 8 October at 6.00pm. It is called ‘“Dam’ping Their Ardour”: Operation Chastise and the...
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Ton up for Benny Goodman
Sqn Ldr Lawrence (“Benny”) Goodman celebrates his 100th birthday today, 24 September 2020. He is well known for his service in 617 Squadron at the latter end of the war, but in fact he had volunteered...
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50 Squadron photograph shows 16 Dambusters together
Pic: Frank Pleszak Of the 133 men who flew on the Dams Raid in May 1943, some 26 had previously flown in one of the RAF’s crack bomber squadrons, 50 Squadron based at RAF Skellingthorpe. Of these, Flt...
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Today’s Trenchard Lecture available online
If you missed Victoria Taylor’s excellent Trenchard Lecture earlier tonight, don’t worry. It’s available online from this link.
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Victor Hill commemorated in Remembrance Day tribute
Bristol University Air Squadron Officer Cadet Josh Rowles has chosen to mark this year’s Remembrance Day with a tribute to Flt Sgt Victor Hill, a Dams Raid participant from his local area. Hill was...
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John Fraser, Dam Busters actor
John Fraser as Flt Lt John Hopgood in The Dam Busters The actor John Fraser, who died on 6 November, is one of the last people who had a credited part in the Michael Anderson 1955 film The Dam...
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Maltby’s lucky landing, May 1942
From left: Harvey Legace, Lyle Humphrey, Max Smith, Eric Grimwood, Harold Rouse, George Lancey, David Maltby. This 97 Squadron crew flew on 10 operations together between January and May 1942. They...
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Johnny Johnson: 99 and counting
Pic: IWM Today is Johnny Johnson’s 99th birthday! Sqn Ldr George Leonard Johnson MBE, DFM: we salute you. Above: Six of the men who flew in the crew of AJ-T on the Dams Raid on 16/17 May 1943. From...
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New Channel 5 documentary airs this week, starting tomorrow
If you live in the UK — and have access to Channel 5 — you can catch a new three part TV documentary this week. Airing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm each night it is presented by Dan Snow...
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Channel 5’s Dambusters pipedream
Presenter Dan Snow uses a pipe to channel the spirit of Guy Gibson while sitting in his Scampton office. Filmed and put together in the summer and autumn of 2020, the first part of Channel 5’s new...
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