Tribute to 617 Sqn Ltd Edition Print
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Tribute to 617 Sqn Ltd Edition Print
Having recently inherited a ltd edition print I would welcome some info into it's origin and history. It's entitled 'Tribute to 617 Squadron Past and Present' by John Pettitt from 1986. It's signed by the artist and and is number 77 of 500. It is signed by 8 former 617 Sqn aircrew: AM Sir Harold Martin, Gp Capt G L Cheshire, Gp Capt J B Tait, Wg Cdr P J J Day, Sqn Ldrs G E Fawke, T C Iveson & D J Shannon and Flt Lt R S D Kearns. Grateful for any info.
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Most of those names would repay a Google search too. If memory serves, Martin, Shannon and Kearns may have been 'Dambusters', while JB Tait was a former Canadian bush pilot and 617's CO late in the war for the Tirpitz missions and the Bielefeld Viaduct attack, and Leonard Cheshire should need no explanation. I'm not sure if that Iveson is pere or fils - think it's probably senior, though junior flew Harriers in Corporate and Tornados in Granby. Day and Fawke (to my shame) mean nothing to me.
As Jacko says, Micky Martin and Dave Shannon are Dambusters; Cheshire needs no introdcution and Tait was the last-but one (or second last- was there another before 8th May 45 after Fauquier?) CO (with four DSOs, IIRC).
Peter Day was a 617 CO on Tornados - I have a very dim recollection that he may have been the first Tornado CO, but am probably wrong.
I think that Iveson is Iveson Sr, a participant in the raids on the Tirpitz with 617.
This leaves Fawke and Kearns.
I'm fairly sure that Fawke's first name is/was 'Gerry', and know for a fact that anyone with a copy of Paul Brickhill's 'The Dambusters' to hand will get more on him. I do know, though, that he was one of the 617 pilots who flew their target-marking Mossies; he was also on the Tirpitz raids.
Kearns joined 617 after the Dortmund-Ems canal raid in September 1943, in which Gibson's replacement as CO, George Holden, plus two of the Dambusters (Les Knight and David Maltby) were killed (along with their crews), along with three other aircrews who, IIRC (and I apologise profusely if I don't) weren't on the dams raid. Kearns was one of the people who was sent to rebuild the unit while it was under the temporary command of Micky Martin. He also ended up flying Mosquitos on marking duties for 617. From what I can recall, he completed his tour in mid-1944.
Peter Day was a 617 CO on Tornados - I have a very dim recollection that he may have been the first Tornado CO, but am probably wrong.
I think that Iveson is Iveson Sr, a participant in the raids on the Tirpitz with 617.
This leaves Fawke and Kearns.
I'm fairly sure that Fawke's first name is/was 'Gerry', and know for a fact that anyone with a copy of Paul Brickhill's 'The Dambusters' to hand will get more on him. I do know, though, that he was one of the 617 pilots who flew their target-marking Mossies; he was also on the Tirpitz raids.
Kearns joined 617 after the Dortmund-Ems canal raid in September 1943, in which Gibson's replacement as CO, George Holden, plus two of the Dambusters (Les Knight and David Maltby) were killed (along with their crews), along with three other aircrews who, IIRC (and I apologise profusely if I don't) weren't on the dams raid. Kearns was one of the people who was sent to rebuild the unit while it was under the temporary command of Micky Martin. He also ended up flying Mosquitos on marking duties for 617. From what I can recall, he completed his tour in mid-1944.
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Air Marshal Sir Harold 'Mick' Martin KCB CB DSO* DFC* AFC
Pilot of Lancaster AJ-P (ED909), Australian Mick Martin flew in Gibson's lead group as a Flight Lieutenant on the Dambuster Raid, and was Deputy Leader. His was the third Lancaster to make the attack of the Mohne Dam. Mick Martin later served under Leonard Cheshire. He retired from the RAF as an Air Marshal in 1974.
During the Second World War, the Tirpitz was one of a pair of very large German capital ships, the other being the almost identical Bismarck. Both of these huge vessels were capable of dominating the seas with their high speed, long range and batteries of huge guns. The Bismarck was hunted down and sunk by the Royal Navy during a major sortie by the battleship into the North Atlantic. The Tirpitz was hidden in the fjords of Norway, and was seen as a significant threat to RN operations, particularly to the arctic convoy routes that were vital to the supply of materiel to Soviet Russia. The ship became the focus of a variety air and surface raids, including one by X Craft midget submarines. In 1944 it was decided to attempt to sink the ship by bombing since it was immobile in Tromso Fjord due to damage sustained during previous attacks. Two squadrons of Lancasters, 617 Squadron, 'The Dambusters', along with 9 Squadron, were tasked to destroy the ship using the largest bomb that the RAF had at that time, the 12,000 lb 'Tallboy', another product of the fertile imagination of Barnes Wallis. The daring raid that finally sank the battleship was mounted on 12 November 1944 from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and was led by 617 Squadron under the command of Wing Commander J B Tait. The ship was hit by a number of Tallboys, causing it to capsize and come to rest in the shallows.
Flt Lt David J Shannon, DFC RAAF, was the captain and pilot of Lancaster 'AJ-L' ED929 on the Dams raid. His crew was: Sgt R J Henderson, P/O Danny R Walker DFC, F/O Brian Goodale DFC, F/S Len J Sumpter, Sgt B Jagger, P/O Jack Buckley. Shannon's crew were running in to bomb the Mohne dam following several previous attacks, when the dam wall burst. Shannon aborted his run and the remaining aircraft were used to attack the Eder dam. The Eder, nestling in hills far deeper than anticipated, required the pilots to dive steeply and level out sharply at the start of the bombing run, then try to lose a great deal of accumulated speed. The pilots each made several practice runs in an attempt to perfect their technique.
Shannon made several runs but was not satisfied and did not bomb. He then asked for permission to reconnoitre. Gibson agreed and sent in another aircraft. Shannon, by now more confident, then attacked and dropped his mine successfully. Shannon gave advice over the radio to the following aircraft and the next attack run was a success, with the mine dropping in the right place and, as the explosion cleared, the dam wall crumbled and 200 million tons of water cascaded through. Gibson sent the code word "Dinghy" to indicate a successful attack, and they all turned for home, there being no aircraft left to attack the Sorpe.
Pilot of Lancaster AJ-P (ED909), Australian Mick Martin flew in Gibson's lead group as a Flight Lieutenant on the Dambuster Raid, and was Deputy Leader. His was the third Lancaster to make the attack of the Mohne Dam. Mick Martin later served under Leonard Cheshire. He retired from the RAF as an Air Marshal in 1974.
During the Second World War, the Tirpitz was one of a pair of very large German capital ships, the other being the almost identical Bismarck. Both of these huge vessels were capable of dominating the seas with their high speed, long range and batteries of huge guns. The Bismarck was hunted down and sunk by the Royal Navy during a major sortie by the battleship into the North Atlantic. The Tirpitz was hidden in the fjords of Norway, and was seen as a significant threat to RN operations, particularly to the arctic convoy routes that were vital to the supply of materiel to Soviet Russia. The ship became the focus of a variety air and surface raids, including one by X Craft midget submarines. In 1944 it was decided to attempt to sink the ship by bombing since it was immobile in Tromso Fjord due to damage sustained during previous attacks. Two squadrons of Lancasters, 617 Squadron, 'The Dambusters', along with 9 Squadron, were tasked to destroy the ship using the largest bomb that the RAF had at that time, the 12,000 lb 'Tallboy', another product of the fertile imagination of Barnes Wallis. The daring raid that finally sank the battleship was mounted on 12 November 1944 from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and was led by 617 Squadron under the command of Wing Commander J B Tait. The ship was hit by a number of Tallboys, causing it to capsize and come to rest in the shallows.
Flt Lt David J Shannon, DFC RAAF, was the captain and pilot of Lancaster 'AJ-L' ED929 on the Dams raid. His crew was: Sgt R J Henderson, P/O Danny R Walker DFC, F/O Brian Goodale DFC, F/S Len J Sumpter, Sgt B Jagger, P/O Jack Buckley. Shannon's crew were running in to bomb the Mohne dam following several previous attacks, when the dam wall burst. Shannon aborted his run and the remaining aircraft were used to attack the Eder dam. The Eder, nestling in hills far deeper than anticipated, required the pilots to dive steeply and level out sharply at the start of the bombing run, then try to lose a great deal of accumulated speed. The pilots each made several practice runs in an attempt to perfect their technique.
Shannon made several runs but was not satisfied and did not bomb. He then asked for permission to reconnoitre. Gibson agreed and sent in another aircraft. Shannon, by now more confident, then attacked and dropped his mine successfully. Shannon gave advice over the radio to the following aircraft and the next attack run was a success, with the mine dropping in the right place and, as the explosion cleared, the dam wall crumbled and 200 million tons of water cascaded through. Gibson sent the code word "Dinghy" to indicate a successful attack, and they all turned for home, there being no aircraft left to attack the Sorpe.
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Actually it looks to my untrained eye that the perspective is slightly out on the Tornado but the Mosquito and Lancaster are ok. I would like to know what town/city they are pictured over. There is a cathedral but not in a heavily built up area - is it Lincoln or Beverley? Does the Sqn have a historical tie to that area before its move up to Morayshire?
Also, is there any way to get this valued ie is there a military/aviation specialist who does this sort of thing?
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Also, is there any way to get this valued ie is there a military/aviation specialist who does this sort of thing?
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Does the Sqn have a historical tie to that area before its move up to Morayshire?
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Pete Gooding was the first Tornado Sqn Cdr [9, Germany]. 617 was supposed to be the first Tornado Sqn and Pete spent several days with 617 Vulcan Sqn discussing many aspects of the transfer from Med bomber to FJ. However, some dull PC pratt at MOD decided that to send 617 Sqn to Germany would upset the sensibilities of the local population. Therefore, the Sqn number was changed to 9. No-one thought to check the Sqn's history - 9 Sqn wreaked more destructive havoc than 617 by a huge margin.
