Dambusters veterans today..

For all the Chris Evan’s fans. Luck chap. Although the DM Journ has got the Squadron number wrong and doesn’t seem to know the difference between famous and infamous.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326358/Dambusters-anniversary-Chris-Evans-given-trip-Britains-airworthy-Lancaster.html

Admiration:

for the crews involved; those who designed, developed and made the weapons; the BBC for what was a very competent production, and the RAF for some superb choreography .

I missed the event due to being at a funeral at Beeley although with the forecast road chaos I would probably have stayed away anyway. Chatsworth was absolutely heaving for the flypasts there but I missed that too as they were in the middle of the service. At least I heard them if I couldn’t see them…

Hi Simon,

I assume it was yourself who gave the excellent “A Canadian Dambuster” talk at Shoreham airport on Thursday evening?

If so please accept my thanks, as it was excellent, and to sit there with F/O Urquhart’s logbook on my lap, open at that very same page, looking at the signatures of Maudslay and Gibson, on the eve of the 70th Anniversary was a real “goosebumps ” moment.

Thanks for helping keep the memory of one of the lesser known Dambusters’ “names” alive.

Paul F

Many thanks Paul, I felt that way too when I first saw it. Thanks for your appreciation of my talk, you were a good audience to speak to.

Yep top job by the BBC tonight. Also a presenter with an understanding of history not just someone allocated for the day.
Remembering all sides tonight. The crews who did an outstanding job, those that didn’t return, the victims, the dog. Not forgetting the remaining crew who still take the time to talk to us and be interviewed again and again and likely answering the same questions.
Glass raised

Looking forward to catching up with this on the iplayer, saw Dan Snow criticised on another forum and i can’t help agreeing, just can’t take to the man.
Would have liked someone like James Holland fronting it.

This is the logbook of F/O Robert Urquhart DFC who was the Navigator to Maudslay, ….

Hi Simon,

I assume it was yourself who gave the excellent “A Canadian Dambuster” talk at Shoreham airport on Thursday evening?

If so please accept my thanks, as it was excellent, and to sit there with F/O Urquhart’s logbook on my lap, open at that very same page, looking at the signatures of Maudslay and Gibson, on the eve of the 70th Anniversary was a real “goosebumps ” moment.

Thanks for helping keep the memory of one of the lesser known Dambusters’ “names” alive.

Paul F

Interesting seeing the log book with `617` squadron written in it.
When were they designated 617? I thought that was after the raid?
Weren’t they called Squadron X or something beforehand?
Don’t know, just asking 🙂
BTW why 617?

This is the logbook of F/O Robert Urquhart DFC who was the Navigator to Maudslay, and was sadly killed in Lancaster AJ-Z on the morning of the 17th May, returning from the Eder attack.
617 Squadron was called Squadron X originally, as they were formed so quickly as a new squadron, but by March 26th they had received royal approval and a badge was authorised. I think that was an unused number at the time. People tend to forget that 618 was formed 11 days later testing the smaller spherical bomb codenamed ‘Highball’ using the Mosquito on behalf of the Navy for attacks on shipping.

If this has already been posted apologies but I loved it – the timing of the Lanc and the band is fantastic. A job well done, wish I could be over there to see it in person

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qawDkirUtA

Chris Evans said the same thing this morning. Having listen to all of his show this morning he seemed to get very little right. I’m afraid I still don’t like him. I tried, i did my best!

‘runways’ at scampton ?

i was under the impression that concrete runways were not laid at scampton until after this 617 Sq operation

on BBC2 last night ‘dambusters 70 years on’ i heard dan snow state several times that the lancasters took off from these actual runways …… and accompanying video showed the concrete ……

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I thought it only right and proper to upload a picture of Wing Commander Guy Gibson, some of 617 Squadron and Guy Gibson’s dog ‘Nigger’!

I think that is 106 rather than 617 Sqn . I was working at Scampton all day yesterday, such a privilege to be there.

Its quite simple. Chances of getting a good WW2 film made that isn’t all about the Americans is slim. The US has made it clear that if that word is in the script, the film wont get into US cinemas. I dont like it, but that’s how it is. And Peter Jackson isn’t stupid. He has used the controversy to promote the film…

Yep top job by the BBC tonight. Also a presenter with an understanding of history not just someone allocated for the day.
Remembering all sides tonight. The crews who did an outstanding job, those that didn’t return, the victims, the dog. Not forgetting the remaining crew who still take the time to talk to us and be interviewed again and again and likely answering the same questions.
Glass raised

Radio 2 tomorrow.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/dambusters.html

Agreed 🙂

Well done to the Beeb for a change, great coverage!!

Just watched it on BBC2 Brilliant 🙂

As well as the 53 brave airmen of 617 Squadron who did not return home tonight, lets also spare a thought for the other victims of war. Some 1,600 civil dead including 700 Ukrainian women slave labourers. Having visited a cemetery down stream of the Mohne, which includes the grave of a 6 month old baby and a 90 year old who died in the möhnekatastrophe lets all hope that one day war will be a thing of the past.

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I thought it only right and proper to upload a picture of Wing Commander Guy Gibson, some of 617 Squadron and Guy Gibson’s dog ‘Nigger’!