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The Dam Busters

B

Big Gee

master brummie
I can't see anyone else mentioning it, so I thought I'd remind everyone that tonight is the 70th anniversary of The Dam Busters raid.

Big Gee
 
I've recorded the program so I can watch it many times. I've just seen some super TV shots of a Lanc flying over the Derwent Dam and the sound of those Merlin engines....:encouragement:
 
Chris Evans has been discussing it every day on Radio 2, he is flying in the Lancaster today.

One fact that interested me is that Wing Commander Guy Gibson was 24 years old, what a responsibility for a young man.
 
I looked up several articles about the anniversary last week as I saw a reference in one of the London newspapers regarding the 70th anniversary. I liked the article about Barnes Wallis's daughter, who now lives in Moseley, and her reaction at the time when her father was developing a bomb.https://www.birminghampost.net/life...m-buster-genius-barnes-wallis-65233-33336930/ I also watched the Youtube video of the news of the hit on the second dam coming into the War Room in London with Barnes Wallis present taken from the film "The Dam Busters".
It's always very emotional to hear about this event and the music by Eric Coates has the same effect on me. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history...-Wallis-and-the-Dambusters-bouncing-bomb.html
 
Barnes Wallis's daughter was on the local news earlier, explaining how they first thought up the idea of the bouncing bomb with a tub of water some marbles and string. So, of the time what a clever man.
 
One of the Findmypast series was about people whose ancestors were all connected to the raid in someway. If you can catch it on Yesterday, it's well worth watching.
Chris Evans is at RAF Scampton on Radio 2 this morning with a variety of guests

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
 
HI Big Gee;
many thanks for bringing it to our attention its well worth the time to discuss; i watched abit last night
it was cerrtainly a genius of an idea whom thought of it and making it that as to be the most remarkle thing i have ever seen;
and whom said the britts are slow : think again boys ;
best wishes Astonian;
 
I never knew Wallis' daughter lives in Moseley. Although born in India, Guy Gibson had connections with Rugby I believe, so fairly local. Hard to believe he was only 24 at the time of the Dams Raid. If anyone is in the area, you can drive right onto RAF Scampton these days, but not into the buildings and hangars area. Well worth a detour. I did hear that money was going to be spent on the place to restore it to its former glory, and I hope it comes off. Part of our great history.

G
 
There was another thread somewhere because I added to it earlier this year. Gr8 feeling of patriotism, esp with the dam busters theme music. A nice blow to Adolphs war plans and a great feeling of achievement for the allies.
 
Something on tv news last night. They talked to Johnny Johnson, now aged 91, veterance of the Dambusters. Very moving tosee the Lanceaster flying over Dewentwater, especially the reflection taken from the plane as it went over. There should have been so much more.

Don't know if anyone heard Radio WM this morning, but some half baked historian reckons they would have been put on trial for war crimes, pleeeeeeeese, where do these people come from. War is war, no one likes it, and very sadly civilians as well as military are killed. But we should think that without these men and women, we wouldn't be where we are today, and have a choice in what we do. I'm very proud of my late Dad who served in North Africa and Italy, and my Great Uncle who was killed during the Great War. Thank you to all, those of the past and those of the present who serve and have pased.
 
The cockpit scenes have me completely flummoxed , I was a wireless op and spent 2 years (1949-51) on the last Lancaster sqdn (82 PR) logging nearly 3000 hours and the flight deck was not cramped like it appeared on the TV programme, there was quite a space between pilot and flight engineer, and that particular a/c came from our Sqdn - I must be going senile !!!!
 
cookie273uk said:
The cockpit scenes have me completely flummoxed , I was a wireless op and spent 2 years (1949-51) on the last Lancaster sqdn (82 PR) logging nearly 3000 hours and the flight deck was not cramped like it appeared on the TV programme, there was quite a space between pilot and flight engineer, and that particular a/c came from our Sqdn - I must be going senile !!!!
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Maybe you were slimmer in those days Cookie :friendly_wink: Sorry, I couldn't resist the comment. But I do share some of your thoughts. I thought there was more room but I have to say the Shackletons were really more my time and Group.

Maybe you could get in touch with the Memorial Flight bods; they may have added some equipment to conform with present day flying ops.
 
Now listening to BBC Radio 2 special programmes to remember the Dam Busters epic raids. Theatre of the mind.
 
Lanc 82 (PR) Sqdn 1950 1.jpgRadiorails, you could be right, after all it was 60 years ago, my position was farther back on the left below the navigator, but I did take coffee and sandwiches to the skipper and Flt Eng and it seemed roomier than that, and of course it was peace time so no armourment of any kind, just 4 crew and 2 cameras on 10 hour survey flights at 22,000 ft on a day on day off basis, I also had the additional job of changing the film cartridges as I was the least occupied. Happy carefree days. Eric
 
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The 1955 film is good entertainment, but in some details it's a bit off the mark. As has been said, the actors portraying most of the members of 617 Sqdn are too old - a good number of the aircrew were in their teens, and Guy Gibson at 24 was much, much younger than Richard Todd who portrayed him (quite accurately, though). I don't think Michael Redgrave got Barnes Wallis quite right - a bit too much of the nutty professor, whereas Wallis was nothing like that. The big problem with the film was that the Bouncing Bomb (officially a 'mine') was still on the secret list, unbelieveably, and the film-makers weren't allowed to show it accurately. The official footage of test-drops included in the film had the bomb blacked out. One rather odd little detail - right at the end of the film Wallis catches up with Gibson to express his horror at the number of aircrew dead or missing, and while they're talking, way out in the background, a black dog can be seen trotting....plenty of superstitious people claim that this is the 'ghost of Nigger', Gibson's black Labrador dog, which is supposed to this day to haunt RAF Scampton. This scene was actually shot at Scampton. Weird.

G
 
Heard the deep rumble of the Lancaster as it flew into Biggin Hill today, very moving. You really feel and understand the power of the Lancaster. A fantastic piece of engineering. Viv.
 
Radiorails said:
Maybe you were slimmer in those days Cookie :friendly_wink: Sorry, I couldn't resist the comment. But I do share some of your thoughts. I thought there was more room but I have to say the Shackletons were really more my time and Group.

Maybe you could get in touch with the Memorial Flight bods; they may have added some equipment to conform with present day flying ops.
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I think you will find that the BBMF Lancaster has been fitted with dual controls hence the cramped look
 
Richie said:
The exact start time (on CH.5) is 3.35 pm
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Careful what time you set your recorders for folks ! According to my TV Times "Last of the Dambusters Revealed" is on Ch5 at 1805. I plan to watch it for the nostalgia value. I spent seven years of my army service in a town called Hemer and we used to take the kids to the Sorpesee for picnics. It was only a short drive away, in a beautiful part of the Sauerland.
 
Hi Cookie,Nice photo of the "Wop's" position and of the of the 1155/54. Looking forward into the cockpit another control column has been fitted on BBMF Lanc. where the engineer would have sat. I suppose it is for conversion training for the Pilots, apparently they train on the Dakota first to get them used to a "Tail Dragger" , (you will know what that is)
Regards Reg
 
Hi Folk.

If you "Google" BBMF Lancaster and go into Gallery there are some interesting photographs put on entitled The Dambusters.

Regards Reg
 
Lots of reaction here in Lincoln as you would expect, although the youngsters don't seem to be very interested in the anniversary....
 
There was another movie made about the day after the raid. It was called 'Crispins Day' and was about a photo aircraft going over the area in daytime to take pictures of the resulting damage. Can't remember the actors now.
 
The Dam busters is one of my absolute favourite stories about the war. I have seen the film so many times I cant count the number. BUT!, the last time I saw it it had been adulterated by a "politically correct", TV company. This made a complete mockery of the event as some words were relevent to the actual raid, changing them made the whole thing a lie.
 
Rupert said:
There was another movie made about the day after the raid. It was called 'Crispins Day' and was about a photo aircraft going over the area in daytime to take pictures of the resulting damage. Can't remember the actors now.
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In real life, did we go back to survey the damage? I also have another question. Who developed the parts/modified the planes/built the bouncing bombs? Were any Birmingham engineers/companies involved in the process at all? Viv.
 
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