Op Chastise - 75 years on..

[PPRuNeUser0139]

75 years ago tonight was one of the greatest nights in RAF history.
I'm guessing there'll be a few tributes to 617 tonight on UK TV..
60 ft at night (https://tinyurl.com/yaquoufs) - still gives me the willies!
Aprés moi le déluge..

[Karearea]

I have the movie on dvd, will be re-watching it very soon.

[AirportsEd]

The BBMF Lancaster flypast over the Derwent Dam won't be happening today due to high winds - a 29 Sqn Typhoon will do it instead (12:05 local).
Ed

[rolling20]

Quite fitting , as Gibson was a Flight Commander on 29.

[AirportsEd]

Sadly, the Typhoon didn't make it either due to the weather conditions at the dam.

[treadigraph]

Apparently the Typhoon did... oops.

Crowds annoyed at RAF Derwent Dambusters flypast mix-up - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-44143634)

[spekesoftly]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't .... ;)

[treadigraph]

Ooh, good pun! :D

[Jhieminga]

Don't know if it's been in the news at all, but on May 4th a memorial was unveiled at Gilze-Rijen airbase, commemorating the crew of S-Sugar, which was shot down with the loss of its crew during the outbound flight. The son of the captain was there for the ceremony, as well as PA474.

See here:
https://vimeo.com/270110170

[Herod]

There is a special screening of the film, tomorrow night, at the Royal Albert Hall. It is being streamed to many cinemas nationwide. My local Odeon is screening it, and I'm going. Search your local cinema listings.

[b1lanc]

Just an amazing story and superb film which I first saw on the tele in the early 60's in the US. It has always been popular in the States - one of the first VHS tapes made available when VHS players hit the market (and the first tape I purchased). A seminal event in WWII and how I fell in love with Lancs and Merlins.

[PPRuNeUser0139]

No promises for the UK and/or elsewhere but this link (https://tinyurl.com/yaavdrrd) to the full length film works in France..
Tip: when clicking on the start arrow, delete the first pop up page that appears. Also, watch the film in full screen to avoid the tacky ads that appear around the fringe.

[john_tullamarine]

Works fine in Oz ... thanks for the link, good sir.

[Barksdale Boy]

Just watched it again; still can't see a black dog in the final scene.

[Jhieminga]

Just heard that PA474 overflew the Derwent dam this morning with 'Johnny' Johnson on board.

I've also added a video link to my previous post. Some great shots of PA474 and the new memorial in there.

[MATELO]

The MOD tweeted Radio Transmission content and other info last night in real time as they happened 75 years ago.

[l.garey]

Thanks sidevalve. That link works in Switzerland too. An emotional couple of hours!

Laurence

[Herod]

I saw the film tonight, screened from the RAH. The experts have done a brilliant job with it. The whole film has been left untouched as regards characters, script etc. (Including the "N" word, which has resulted in a higher classification apparently.) What they have done is clean everything up, almost frame-by-frame, so it's up to modern standards. Being able to see it like that, and on a big screen, was excellent. I believe this version will be available soon, and the presentation tonight by Dan Snow is supposedly available as a free download. if I find the link tomorrow I'll post it.
And yes, it's now high definition emotion, but still the same feelings in the gut.

[PPRuNeUser0139]

Richard Todd was made to measure for that role.. He exuded presence in spades. Probably my favourite WWII film.

Who could play that role today? Hard to think of anyone.

[Chris Scott]

Richard Todd was made to measure for that role.. He exuded presence in spades. Probably my favourite WWII film.
Who could play that role today? Hard to think of anyone.

Agree entirely about the excellence of Richard Todd, although the man-management skills his character demonstrated may have been better than Gibson's. That presence you mention was something to do with his own war record? In the 1950s and '60s, many actors had seen war service - as had senior politicians, of course. I learned recently that Anthony Quayle - another fine actor - had been in SOE in Gibraltar and Albania.

Of the current bunch, I think Tom Hardy might pull it off - if he could string enough sentences together.

[b1lanc]

Richard Todd was made to measure for that role.. He exuded presence in spades. Probably my favourite WWII film.

Who could play that role today? Hard to think of anyone.

20 years ago maybe Ewan McGregor. Now I'm not so sure. Too bad with a possible 3rd airworthy Lanc in a couple of years. Still, I'm not sure that the supporting cast of the original could be matched.

[India Four Two]

I was at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, Alberta on Friday, on the anniversary. I was meeting a Chipmunk owner from the US, who was holidaying in Alberta.

The Lancaster at the museum, which has operational engines, is in the process of being modified into an Upkeep Lancaster. The bomb bay doors are off, the mid-upper turret is gone and there is a full-size replica of the bomb, ready to install.

[b1lanc]

A very interesting interview with Ken Brown detailing his relationship with Guy Gibson and his participation in the raid on the occasion of the 50th anniversary.

Ken Brown 50th anniversary in Nanton

[PPRuNeUser0139]

Many thanks for posting that.. what a character! As well as his hair-raising tales of the night in question, he provides some unique insights into Guy Gibson's character. Well worth a watch..:ok:

[b1lanc]

Many thanks for posting that.. what a character! As well as his hair-raising tales of the night in question, he provides some unique insights into Guy Gibson's character. Well worth a watch..:ok:

Johnny Johnson (McCarthy's bomb aimer) has some good stories as well on YT. Search for Last of the Dambusters. Kind of interesting that Brown said they probably could have breached the Sorpe had they aimed for the overflow spillway rather than dropping directly on the dam while flying parallel, something which McCarthy indicated was only told to those attacking the Sorpe the day before the raid.

[PPRuNeUser0139]

Having had a squint at the Sorpe (https://tinyurl.com/ydhalbp2), how likely was it that it could ever have been breached by 617 that night with that weapon? (Is this (https://tinyurl.com/y9xqmfrx) the spillway referred to?)

[Chris Scott]

Having had a squint at the Sorpe (https://tinyurl.com/ydhalbp2), how likely was it that it could ever have been breached by 617 that night with that weapon? (Is this (https://tinyurl.com/y9xqmfrx) the spillway referred to?)
See what you mean, Geoff. Tiny target. And that "wall" was never going to be fully breached.

[b1lanc]

Having had a squint at the Sorpe (https://tinyurl.com/ydhalbp2), how likely was it that it could ever have been breached by 617 that night with that weapon? (Is this (https://tinyurl.com/y9xqmfrx) the spillway referred to?)

I suspect so but Brown didn't make it quite clear. Even Wallis didn't think the Sorpe could be breached. Here's the recon photo of the damage to the Sorpe - appears amazingly that both McCarthy and Brown hit about the same place. I wonder what altitude they dropped it from because if it exploded on contact I would have thought it would have taken the AC with it at 60 feet.

5199

[Pontius Navigator]

Agree entirely about the excellence of Richard Todd, although the man-management skills his character demonstrated may have been better than Gibson's..
As one former member described him: Arch Bastard.

​​​​​​Bit like Kenneth Moore playing Douglas Bader.

[b1lanc]

As one former member described him: Arch Bastard.

​​​​​​Bit like Kenneth Moore playing Douglas Bader.

True, but as Johnny Johnson has stated, Gibson mellowed. Johnson's opinion of Gibson changed over the years. At 24 years and 160 some ops, I would expect some 'enlightenment'.

[Heathrow Harry]

True, but as Johnny Johnson has stated, Gibson mellowed. Johnson's opinion of Gibson changed over the years. At 24 years and 160 some ops, I would expect some 'enlightenment'.

Bader didn't.................................