Derwent Lancaster
Join Date: Jul 2000
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Richard Todd (Guy Gibson) talked today of meeting the last surviving pilot from that raid, Flt Lt Les Munro. He mentioned how very reserved and unassuming the man is. He also said that he had never met any of those involved at the time, as he was involved elsewhere.
Indeed he was. He himself was a serving officer, completing six years as a Para with the 6th Airborne. He was one of the first to land on D day close to Pegasus Bridge. How very unassuming and reserved he showed himself to be and what a contrast to today's 'celebrity' generation.
Youngster now seem to aspire to be winners on reality shows, The Apprentice, WAGs, or simply famous for being famous.
If this generation were called upon to join up and act as these two men did 65 years ago, what hope would we have, I wonder?
I have the greatest respect for them both.
Indeed he was. He himself was a serving officer, completing six years as a Para with the 6th Airborne. He was one of the first to land on D day close to Pegasus Bridge. How very unassuming and reserved he showed himself to be and what a contrast to today's 'celebrity' generation.
Youngster now seem to aspire to be winners on reality shows, The Apprentice, WAGs, or simply famous for being famous.
If this generation were called upon to join up and act as these two men did 65 years ago, what hope would we have, I wonder?
I have the greatest respect for them both.
Upto The Buffers
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Just as a sidenote, there is an annual event called Project Propeller which involves GA pilots of today volunteering their time and aircraft to fly WW2 air crew from all over the country to one place so they can get together and have a good old knees up. Also a great chance to put them back in the air (I shall be demoting myself to Radio Operator and Map Reader - my 2 allocated former Spitfire/Hurricane pilots will be doing the flying!).
This year it's taking place at Old Warden at the end of the month. I believe it's all pretty much organised now, but if any of you still do any GA flying, perhaps worth considering next year?
This year it's taking place at Old Warden at the end of the month. I believe it's all pretty much organised now, but if any of you still do any GA flying, perhaps worth considering next year?
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Here I sit several thousand miles from the land where I was born, watching a small computer screen and listening through cheap headphones to the BBC coverage and that Merlin sound gives me huge goose bumps and stands up hair I didnt realize I still had 
Not much can do that to me. Such powerful images and sounds - contrary to conventional wisdom grown men do cry
Not much can do that to me. Such powerful images and sounds - contrary to conventional wisdom grown men do cry
Join Date: Apr 2000
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Me and some of my pals had a 'look' at the Moehne dam from dambuster height on our way back from a air show in Poland last year at 160kt and 60ft. We looked at it first from 2000', we knew what we were looking for, the a/c we were flying weighed less than a tenth of a lanc, it was broad daylight and above all, no-one was shooting at us. And yet it was still incredibly hard work to get around the hill in front of the dam, and line up square to it for longer than a few seconds.
We were absolutely in awe of what these young guys did that night, and whatever the cost on both sides, it was a flying feat that will rarely be surpassed.
We were absolutely in awe of what these young guys did that night, and whatever the cost on both sides, it was a flying feat that will rarely be surpassed.
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Hi
Let me have an e mail address and i will send some hi res images.
The beauty of shooting the Lanc here was the fact that he was slow and low which allowed a slow shutter speed without any camera shake.
Richard.
Let me have an e mail address and i will send some hi res images.
The beauty of shooting the Lanc here was the fact that he was slow and low which allowed a slow shutter speed without any camera shake.
Richard.
Join Date: Mar 2002
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617 day
Loved the post ... pure nostalgia and such celebration is always something the Brits do so well.
Just as an aside, as a B206 pilot in 1993, I was tasked to take Richard Todd to the Derwent water for the fiftieth anniversary. The Lanc did its mesmeric dambuster run, Merlins howling ... followed by a 617 Tornado scorching down the valley in full reheat!
I met three of the original 617 guys on the parapet and as has already been said, you'll never meet a more modest group of aircrew. The highlight for me, apart from the Reds flyover, was doing a low level pass for Mr Todd to simulate the WW2 bombing run. Watching the BBC programme this year, I particularly noticed the smallish crowd. For the 93 event, it was estimated that 300,000 spectators had flocked to the best viewing points overlooking the valley. Have a piccy of the approaching dam wall with a few hundred feet to run if anyone wants a copy.
Richard Todd is a great guy too ... he smokes a lot and on the drive from Redhill Aerodrome to the Hawthe at Crawley where he was appearing, he just had to pop in to a local shop to renew his pack of Players. A charming, thoughtful guy, and I have to use the phrase ... 'they don't come like that any more.'
Hope it all happens again in 2018. But I'll be 86 if the good Lord allows.
DRK
Just as an aside, as a B206 pilot in 1993, I was tasked to take Richard Todd to the Derwent water for the fiftieth anniversary. The Lanc did its mesmeric dambuster run, Merlins howling ... followed by a 617 Tornado scorching down the valley in full reheat!
I met three of the original 617 guys on the parapet and as has already been said, you'll never meet a more modest group of aircrew. The highlight for me, apart from the Reds flyover, was doing a low level pass for Mr Todd to simulate the WW2 bombing run. Watching the BBC programme this year, I particularly noticed the smallish crowd. For the 93 event, it was estimated that 300,000 spectators had flocked to the best viewing points overlooking the valley. Have a piccy of the approaching dam wall with a few hundred feet to run if anyone wants a copy.
Richard Todd is a great guy too ... he smokes a lot and on the drive from Redhill Aerodrome to the Hawthe at Crawley where he was appearing, he just had to pop in to a local shop to renew his pack of Players. A charming, thoughtful guy, and I have to use the phrase ... 'they don't come like that any more.'
Hope it all happens again in 2018. But I'll be 86 if the good Lord allows.
DRK
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DRK, The reason the crowd was so small this year was that the police closed the access roads, so the only spectators were the 400 "invited guests" plus the enthusiasts who had to walk many miles on foot to see the flypast of the Derwent Dam.
I remember the 1993 event very well and I took my two (then teenage) sons out of school for the day so that they could witness it. Their headmaster agreed with me that they would gain more seeing this event, than they would lose in a day's schooling. There were so many people at the 1993 event that it was chaos when they all tried to leave in the late afternoon. I understand that by 9pm some people were still stuck there and those without warm clothing were suffering from exposure. Hence the decision to limit the crowds this year. It gets very cold in the peak district.
Yesterday, the Lancaster continued south down the Derwent Valley to Chatsworth before heading East, and there were crowds at many vantage points down the valley.
QNH 1013
I remember the 1993 event very well and I took my two (then teenage) sons out of school for the day so that they could witness it. Their headmaster agreed with me that they would gain more seeing this event, than they would lose in a day's schooling. There were so many people at the 1993 event that it was chaos when they all tried to leave in the late afternoon. I understand that by 9pm some people were still stuck there and those without warm clothing were suffering from exposure. Hence the decision to limit the crowds this year. It gets very cold in the peak district.
Yesterday, the Lancaster continued south down the Derwent Valley to Chatsworth before heading East, and there were crowds at many vantage points down the valley.
QNH 1013
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I was in the local town today meeting a few friends (all German and about my age) at a café . As we all have an interest in aviation history I was showing them the video coverage by the Beeb of yesterday's flypast.
At the next table was a German of about seventy years of age who asked asked if he could look at the videos as well. After seeing the first video he said "Ah yes, the English Terror Flyers". At this point I was expecting a diatribe about English aircraft bombing Germany. However, after saying this he smiled and explained that he was born and brought up near the Dams. As a child he had seen the raid and was terrified by it. For quite a few years he had hated what happened, but as he grew up he realised that bombing raids such as this had helped to shorten the war. The point I found most interesting was that he claimed that over the years he had come to realise that if the war had been lost he would have had none of the freedoms that he had been brought up with and would have had to live under one of the most repressive regimes of all time.
At the next table was a German of about seventy years of age who asked asked if he could look at the videos as well. After seeing the first video he said "Ah yes, the English Terror Flyers". At this point I was expecting a diatribe about English aircraft bombing Germany. However, after saying this he smiled and explained that he was born and brought up near the Dams. As a child he had seen the raid and was terrified by it. For quite a few years he had hated what happened, but as he grew up he realised that bombing raids such as this had helped to shorten the war. The point I found most interesting was that he claimed that over the years he had come to realise that if the war had been lost he would have had none of the freedoms that he had been brought up with and would have had to live under one of the most repressive regimes of all time.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7405514.stm
And I have to confess, that in spite of having seen the fly-past on BBC World the night before, when I clicked on this thread for the first time, I was expecting something about a Lancaster jet-engine test bed!
Last edited by India Four Two; 18th May 2008 at 09:11.
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Green with envy
How lucky you UK people were to see this magnificent flight. I can only look at pictures and imagine. I think these aircraft are the 'bees knees' and would dearly love to actually see one, but the nearest I can get to one is in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra where G for George stands proudly. A friend of my parents was one of a crew on a Lancaster who lost his life over Magdeburg in 1944 and it is through him that I have this fascination for Lancasters. May they fly forever and may those of Dam Buster fame be remembered and always given the recognition they so rightfully deserve.
Rubik101, I recently met a most unassuming young man wearing quite a deep tan that clearly wasn't from the UK. Gentle questioning revealed that he was just back from his second tour in Afghanistan, A bit more revealed three tours in Basra. So I think that we can safely say that if the call comes there will be British youngsters who will be prepared to do what is requiired of them. The trouble is they aren't the ones who get the recognition, it's the knuckle-draggers on the "reality" shows.
