On the run up to 16th/17th May 1943,

[spuddog0507]

80 years ago we had some brave men who where chosen for a mission that went down in the history books as being the most daring bombing raid of WW11, 

On the lead up to this raid called operation chastise, a man called Barns Wallice was chosen to design a bomb that would skip along the surface of the water and hit the dam wall and sink before exploding , after several designs of a bouncing bomb where used until one was found that would work and would be successful for its chosen job, along with the new bouncing bomb 19 specially adapted Lancaster bombers where ordered and adapted to carry the new bomb, this then lead to crews being chosen and a lot of low leval  practicing flying would take place in and around several places in the UK, 

First photo is at Chesil beach where the development of the bomb took place, 

Second photo is of 3 Lancasters practicing low level flying over the Lincolnshire Fens, 

Third photo is of same 3 Lancasters heading out law over the wash,

Forth photo is of one of the modified Lancaster flying low over Aberton reservoir with 3 more Lancasters in the back ground,

Fithe photo is a Lancaster practicing a night run between the towers on Derwent reservoir in Derbyshire, 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by spuddog0507
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[Mick Dempsey]

These are photos of paintings though right?

[Stubby]

Seen the film many times . 👍

[spuddog0507]

10 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

These are photos of paintings though right?

The Chesil beech and aberton res are original photos, the others are a artists impression from original photos,, the low level  practice  over the Fens looks better in B&W, 

[Mike Hill]

Did they have a dog?

[Stubby]

5 hours ago, Mike Hill said:

Did they have a dog?

Yes the dogs name was censored in recent showings of the film but , curiously not when it was used in morse code for the success of the mission   🙂

[Peasgood]

Probably because anyone intelligent enough to understand Morse code (or even know what it is for that matter) is likely to be able to understand the historical context, as right or wrong as it may be.

[Mike Hill]

One of my Grandads was an Aircraft mechanic/ Pilot during the war. He travelled to the UK in 1939 as some of his mates in the New Zealand reserves wanted in on the action.

 

After attaching to the RAF he was transfered to the RNZAF in the Pacific then to the American's. He was in the Victory parade in London. Anyhow one of his mates gave him a spanner from George Gibsons Lancaster. It was rattling around in the wheel well and its all worn down on one side. His mate stamped it with his name and some other numbers but it been years since I have seen it last.