At about this time in 1943 some Lancasters took off to go to the Ruhr and drop Barnes Wallis's bouncing bombs.
Let us not forget what they did.
If you don't agree with this post, please don't argue on this one, start another one.
Thanks,
Julian
Amazing bravery & what an achievement
Been to Guy Gibson's grave in Holland. Very moving. They were REAL heroes.
'Bairns Warlis and the booncin Berm'. Has to be heard with a geordie accent to appreciate. My mate said it in answer to a question from a teacher. He got the pi** taken out of him for months after.
[i]If you don't agree with this post, please don't argue on this one, start another one.[/i]
You think this will stop people having an opinion?
The dog.....
Gibbo was a stroppy old sod, but that was just what was needed!
der der der der dedederder der der der der!
heroes armed by a genius.
Nice one, didn't know the date was today but you know what, regardless of the actual effectiveness of those raids I have nothing but admiration for those blokes. I reckon its pretty difficult for most of us to comprehend what challenges they faced and having read some stuff on much of the development of the technology and the requirements of the raid I'm impressed to say the least.....good on ya Julian..
What what was the dog called? was it ****? oh well, it was 1944 or was it 43?
I have no desire to stop people having opinions.
To me its important to think about these things.
Yes, CFH, apparently Gibson was a little stroppy, but what a guy.
Going to the pub!
isn't Peter Jackson having "issues" about what to do about the dog's name for his remake of the film?
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Don't emvy them having to make that decision
Doffs hat, cheers boys.
Knowing hollywood gibson will become american....and the dog will be called chalky....and it set off from pearl harbour...somehow it will still be true
Mind you, I'll bet they were pleased to have missed Eurovision...
heroes
This time last year was the 65th anniversary, I went to the flypast at Derwent Res (where they trained for the mission). Great day out to celebrate some true bravery.
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=y61q2s&outx=800&quality=70 [/img]
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=y61q28&outx=800&quality=70 [/img]
Hope none of the above contributors will take offence at this. It just seems to me to sum up something about the British talent for self-deprecation and satire. Really sorry if it upsets anyone - my first father in law was a navigator in Lancasters during the last 3 years of the war and I know he would have smiled
(Sorry to make you cut-and-paste, but linky help seems to have disappeared from the Reply box)
My old fella flew Hurricanes, we live just over the hill from Derwent res and often pop into the museum and leave a few quid, he's coming out tomorrow so after a dawn patrol on the bike we will have a pint together to commemorate them.
funniest advert ever!
Though war is often truly terrible, we do seem as a species to be at our most inventive when trying to kill each other.
Carling based this advert on the bouncing bomb thing too:
😉
An amazingly simple concept, bouncing the bomb like a skipping stone
Incredibly difficult to do, without being shot at.
Unbelievable that they really did it and it worked as well as it it.
Hat doffed, respect well earned.
[url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01016/dt19430518_page_01_1016162a.pdf ]Link to the Telegraph front page of the day[/url]
My grandfather, Peter Hackforth, flew over Trafalgar Square on VE day in 1945, piloting the leading Lancaster. He seldom talked of what he did, save for dropping a lot of food onto Holland in 1944/45. He died a decade or so ago. I wish I'd talked to him more.
well done lads.at a time when you could be at one with the machine.
this is pretty funny:
[url]
Don't forget that there were many other Squadrons that did just as brave missions that by default haven't ever been lauded in the same way, just because of a film.
My grandad was in 630 Squadron and was killed 2 weeks before the end of the war over Dresden. His story is sad, because he was in the police so exempt from fighting, but he joined up and died right at the end of the war. His family blamed my grandma for forcing him to join up, which was complete rubbish, but we think she never recovered from that and she never remarried and became a very bitter woman (she was not a nice Grandma).
Carling based this advert on the bouncing bomb thing too:
[url=
n't ya mean this one...[/url]
Bomber Command suffered a 44% death rate of flight crew. Those guys got into those planes and flew over a thousand miles there and back, at night over hostile territory knowing they had almost a 50% chance of never coming back. Takes some guts to do that. Average age of a Lancaster crew was 22.
<salutes>
make sure you go to an airshow this year.
"lest we forget"
My last job in the RAF was site manager for 617. I used to look after the tall boy and bouncing bomb as well as doing boring engineering things. It was quite a task as other sqns would try to steal or vandalise it. I came into work one monday to find it had been painted pink. There is also a mock up "****" that gets taken on every detachment. It's usually the baby pilot's responsibility to look after him. Invariably it gets lost but generally gets found again. After all the boy that loses him has to replace him.
I have nothing but respect for what they did and all the others that did similar. It pisses me off massively that every Nov we see media staged ceremonies where "lest we forget" is banded about like the latest trendy thang but people today generally have absolutely no concept whatsoever of the sacrifices made by the few and the military as a whole at that time.
Just my stella fueled two penneth worth!
It pisses me off massively that every Nov we see media staged ceremonies where "lest we forget" is banded about like the latest trendy thang but people today generally have absolutely no concept whatsoever of the sacrifices made by the few and the military as a whole at that time.
What would you prefer ? That people [b]do[/b] forget ? Unless you were there, how could you possibly know what that experience and sacrifice was like ?
I hope that this morning, now that the Stella's worn off, you'll appreciate that you were talking complete bum gravy.
Nothing but respect for all of those who put their lives on the line to protect Great Britain
Thank you
I have spoken to those that were there and listened to what they had to say. Despite 23 years, 4 medals and 2 wars I still consider myself unfit to tie their shoe laces. The stella has gone but my respect and passion remains. The point I didn't get across very well is that whilst the country pours millions into looking PC and defending the rights of "british citizens" to pursue hate campaigns against the armed forces, squaddies are STILL buying their own kit off ebay because it's the quickest way to get what they need.
The penny pinching, risk taking and lies are the reason I left in the end, you can be as vocal as you like, and I was, but if no one listens all you can do is vote with your feet. We are asking young men to risk all more than ever with less support than ever. We seem to have forgotten big time. Apols for my bum gravy, if you ever meet me on a ride I'll gladly pull out my soap box over a pint and tell you why I think the country is disrespecting the memories of those who went before. I'll bore you till your ears bleed. This is not the right forum for it though and I also apologise for hijacking the thread and posting under the influence. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
Take the point about the other squadrons efforts too. The dambusters raid was an amazing feat, despite the actual limited physical damage caused in some of the raids, the psychological impact on the German war effort was huge. It is worth mentioning that for the first few years of WW2, The RAF and the combined nations who fought under the RAF banner (Poland, Canada, USA volunteers and India as well as other Commonwealth nations to mention some) was the only fighting force which took the war inside the boundary of Germany and affected the German people in their own country. Sad to think about it nowadays, and there are differing opinions on the morality of carpet bombing techniques which Bomber Harris was an exponent of. I personally believe it was the right thing to do, glib thought this may seem. Read Patrick Bishop "Bomber Boys" - fantastic book - makes it come to life so well. The closing chapters of this book are vey moving when it highlights the lack of stomach to recognise Bomber Commands efforts due to the political unpopularity of the campaign once the war ended. Also blows away the myth of the RAF being an upper class thing. A very vexatious subject but my personal opinion is that these "chaps" were real heroes. Gratitude and respect does not begin to cover my feelings for them. I do not agree with people who say the time to commemorate their efforts is over and we should just start forgetting about it all, entitled to their opinion as they are. Whoops, don't want to go Basil Fawlty. I also feel very cycnical about current government and their treatment of our current fighting forces - not fit to shine their shoes. I'll shut up now! Some personal opinions, sorry if you don't agree with any of them, just a subject very close to me!
We shouldnt forget that every man who flew in Bomber Command was a volunteer and statisticaly during 1943 it was impossible to survive a tour of 30 ops
The loss rate for bomber command was 3% per operation, so for every 100 men only 3 would be lost sounds like good odds. But if you have to do 30 operations that’s 3% time 30 so you have 90% chance of not making it. Many pilots did 3 or 4 tours of duty.
errr. probability doesnt really work like that....
A quote
"The successes of Bomber Command were purchased at terrible cost. Of the volunteers who flew, almost sixty percent (over 55 000) were killed. Over 10,000 Canadians died serving in Bomber Command. It is a loss rate comparable only to the worst slaughter of the First World War trenches. Of those who were flying at the beginning of the war, only ten percent survived. Even those who began their service after D-Day (June 6, 1944) suffered almost fifty percent losses."
I have read loads of books including “Enemy Coast Ahead” and it’s hard to believe the books are of real people. After the dam raids Guy Gibson was taken of operations and used to boost moral among the aircrew of bomber command. He ended up in tears in front of bomber commands Harris begging to go back on operations.
My ex girlfriends grandfather was in 617 and was apparently due to fly on that mission, but couldn't due to health reasons.
'His' plane never made it back and he would never speak about it.
I did not mean to imply any lack of respect for any other squadron - of any command - or for any of the other forces... Sorry if anyone got that impression from my post!
It was just that it was that particular anniversary.
The flypast at Derwent last year was well worth attending. It was not widely publicised to keep the numbers down (from speaking to a ranger out there) but the hillsides were still lined with people and the dam wall area looked busy.
three or four passes from the Lancaster, one directly over our heads on Winstone Lee Tor at about 80 ft up!, and several passes from a pair of Tornados, Spit and Hurricane, a Dakota etc. Well worth going.
Was at Derwent for the one of the anniversary flypasts. Awesome sight. Luckily as an apprentice tinbasher at Rolls-Royce Hucknall, I got to do some work for the BBMF at Coningsby, and spent many a happy day polishing the RR Spitfire at East Midlands airport. Happy days, but will never forget 'the few', and all the other flyers.
Indeed, lest we forget.