Seventy one years ago today Guy Gibson was warming up his engines
 

In 4 minutes he would be rolling along the runway on the way to one of the most famous raids of the war...

I think a drink is in need of being raised and will be :)

Glass raised here

Since I just made a coffee, coffee raised here to all those who took part :ok:


And just to stick it up the PC brigade, a second time as a tribute to Nigger !

True, and seventy years ago every night, a thousand -odd bomber crews were setting off to Germany... Lest we forget:oh:.

OAP

Where's the like button?

..and 21 years ago today, on a beautiful evening, the BBMF Lanc pilot and I were paused at the end of the Scampton runway in the Devon, letting the history sink in. After about a minute, the exact same minute as Gibson*, we rolled. I was glad we were going to Coningsby, rather than Germany.

Glass raised.



*though not the hour, we weren't cleared for night flying.

Fox3

That would have been something.

..and here's where they went

http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0863068d.jpg

As it was then, as it is now ... and as it will always be....



Per Ardua Ad Astra

http://i1367.photobucket.com/albums/...ps49e861c0.png

About 30 years after the event.

Nice one :ok:
I was also there 48 years after - I was going a bit quick to take piccies.

I'll swear the guy in the restaurant recognised me when I paid by credit card - maybe he'd read the name off my helmet the last time through.:E

Guy Gibson, and his fellow squadron members should rightly be acknowledged for the duty they did all those years ago. A rather large glass of Bruichladdich raised in Pig-atop-the-hill this evening in memory. Respect to real heroes, from across our former commonwealth.

Smudge

A small note for a hometown boy

http://dambusters.files.wordpress.co...pg?w=213&h=300

Vincent MacCausland

Born in Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island, about 30 miles up the road from me. I actually came across his story yesterday as I am preparing a military display in a local museum. There's a fair few MacCauslands on the Island, the secretary at the Faculty where I lectured is one. He was a teacher originally, as was I.

He was the bomb aimer on Dinghy Young's crew. The man who pressed the button that started the breach in the Mohne Dam. They were shot down over the Dutch coast on the way home, no survivors.

His headstone reads:
More here
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Living/...e-Dambusters/1

p.s. he has Observer's wings as he did this on his first Tour. He was specially asked to retrain as a bomb aimer and serve a second Tour of Ops.

Fox3

Great article.

RIP all our brave boys, and the girls they left behind.

And Nigger of course.

617 pilot Les Munro is living in NZ and I think 2 more aircrew from the raid are still with us..

A little anecdote, 1968.
I was a metman at RAF Gutersloh. We had brother-in-law and his wife visiting, as you do.
Looking at the dam and the unhealed breach was s.o.p. so we did, and then had a meal in a nearby stuebe. After a meal and drinks, we left.
An hour later, said brother-in-law noticed wallet was not attached to person.
so back to the pub, minging with locals. and the wallet was safely lodged behind bar, ready for idiot brother-in-law.
Whatever else is said, the post-Nazi Germans were and are a decent and honest and law-abiding bunch. I have long since made my peace with them.

and the girls they left behind
 

Also the groundcrew who sweated blood and tears getting them serviceable and ready.

..and, like my grandfather, cleared out the blood and bits of the ones that struggled back, and patched them up again. Or, like my other grandfather, ensured they left the factory in good working order.

The two dams have been breached by now and they have been on the way home for snow hour and a half.