Dambusters 65 :: Archived

[Shades]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7404554.stm

I know there's been some trans-Atlantic problems opening vid's on the BBC News website of late, but I really hope you guys can open this one.
Some VERY nice footage of a Lanc' over Derwent Reservoir in Derbyshire, where the real Dambusters practised in WWII, as part of the 65th anniversary of the raid.

I've always thought this is an incredible aircraft and my very own Pop worked with Barnes Wallace after the war at Brooklands where the Lanc's and Hurricanes were first made. I'm now based very close to the Brooklands Museum which is in two parts; One for road transport, the other for aviation (including a Concorde and its own Lancaster).

A service and fly-past has been held to mark the 65th anniversary of the World War II Dambusters mission.

A Lancaster bomber flew three times over Derwent Reservoir in Derbyshire, which was used by the original pilots to train ahead of their famous raid.

In 1943, the RAF's 617 Squadron set out to destroy three dams in Germany's Ruhr valley. They managed to breach two, giving a boost to Britain's war effort.

The service remembered the eight aircraft and 53 crew who were lost.

A Spitfire, a Hurricane, two Tornadoes and a Dakota transport plane joined the fly-past.

Most of them travelled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to take part.

Low-level mission

Sqn Ldr Les Munro, the last surviving pilot from the mission which was codenamed Operation Chastise, was a guest of honour.

The New Zealander said: "I feel a certain amount of pride that I've outlasted the other pilots.

"I'm not sure whether that says anything about the way I've lived and that sort of thing, but I think that I've always had a bit of satisfaction in that I've outlasted many of the others."

Also present was Michael Gibson whose uncle, Wing Cdr Guy Gibson, led the Dambusters.

During the service, 88-year-old Richard Todd, who played Mr Gibson in the 1954 film The Dambusters, laid poppies on the water of the reservoir.

The Lancaster is the last left flying in the UK, and there are only two still airworthy in the world.

It flew 100ft above the water, which compares to the 60ft of the Dambusters on their practice runs.

On 16 May 1943, 19 aircraft set out to destroy the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany's industrial heartland.

They used specially-designed drum-shaped bouncing bombs which skimmed across the water, rolled down the dam wall and exploded at depth.

Only 11 of the aircraft returned from the perilous low-level mission in which they flew at just 150ft all the way from England before descending for the bombing run to defeat the German radar.

It resulted in the largest awarding of medals at any one time during the war.

The bouncing bombs were the brainchild of legendary aviation engineer Sir Barnes Wallis, who was knighted in 1971.

[Shadow_Banshee]

made me late for work watching that live on news.

[JG300-1Bullet]

Thanks for sharing....

[Shades]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7405514.stm

Described as from 'inside the cockpit', it certainly goes into the cockpit at the end but the first two thirds looks to me like the bomb aim position.

[Chuck_71st]

Wow! That video gives a lot of perspective, now imagine it being dark and tracers coming at you everywhere.

My uncle was a navigator on a Lanc. He used to keep a picture of his "Kite" in his wallet. He counted it a privelage at the time that his crew were granted the use of such "High tech" aircraft. The war ended before he could complete a whole tour.

[Shades]

- Chuck_71st

imagine it being dark and tracers coming at you everywhere.

...and 40% nearer the water.
lol

[RM_bizkid]

The Lancaster is the last left flying in the UK, and there are only two still airworthy in the world.

The other one is here at the Canadian Warplane Museum in Mount Hope, Ontario.

It flies regularly at airshows and on Rememberance Day. For a fee you can actually go for a one hour ride! A lot of memories for me as my uncle was a Lancaster pilot and my dad was engine ground crew...both stationed in England during WW II.

www.warplane.com/pages...rship.html

Sorry for the blurr of RM Skypilot ...but the Lancaster is clear lol

[Shadow_Bshwackr]

Excellent post and I have that movie too...

For a minute there, it looked like a bogie coming in, but it was a spot on the glass...lol

Jel, that also looks like the bomber races in IL2...lol

[401RCAF_Jel]

What blurred and not quite in focus LOL... no kidding I know what you mean though yeah

[IMS_Dakota]

Last year they didn't have a qualified pilot so the Canadian Lancaster didn't make it to any shows. Hopefully that has changed!

[RM_bizkid]

They have posted a number of flight schedules for 2008, so one can only assume they have pilots?

www.warplane.com/pages/ptalk.html

[IMS_Dakota]

Hope so! I loved watching it whenever it showed up at the airshow in Geneseo.