22 July 1943: A Royal Air Force official photographer visited No. 617 Squadron, The Dambusters, at their base at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, England. These photographic images are part of the Ministry of Information Second World War Colour Transparency Collection.
Wing Commander Guy Gibson with members of his crew. Left to right: Wing Commander Guy Gibson, VC, DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar; Pilot Officer P M Spafford, bomb aimer; Flight Lieutenant R E G Hutchinson, wireless operator; Pilot Officer G A Deering and Flying Officer H T Taerum, gunners. (Imperial War Museum TR 1127)Wing Commander Guy Gibson sitting in a poppy field reading a book. (Imperial War Museum TR 1125)The crew of Lancaster ED285/`AJ-T’ sitting on the grass, posed under stormy clouds. Left to right: Sergeant G Johnson; Pilot Officer D A MacLean, navigator; Flight Lieutenant J C McCarthy, pilot; Sergeant L Eaton, wireless operator. In the rear are Sergeant R Batson, gunner; and Sergeant W G Ratcliffe, engineer. Flight Lieutenant Joe McCarthy (fourth from left) and his crew of No. 617 Squadron (The Dambusters) at RAF Scampton, 22 July 1943. (Imperial War Museum TR 1128)Flight Lieutenant Dave Shannon, pilot of ED929/`AJ-L’ on the dams raid, with Flight Lieutenant R D Trevor-Roper, who flew as Gibson’s rear gunner on the dam’s raid; and Squadron Leader G W Holden. (Imperial War Museum TR 1129)Flight Lieutenant Harold Sydney Wilson and crew. They did not fly on the Dams raid owing to illness. Left to right: Flight Sergeant Trevor H Payne, front gunner; Pilot Officer Thomas W Johnson, flight engineer; Sergeant Eric Hornby, rear gunner; Sergeant Lloyd G Mieyette, wireless operator; Pilot Officer George H Coles, bomb-aimer; Flying Officer James A Rodger, navigator; and Flight Lieutenant Harold S Wilson. All were killed when their Lancaster was shot down on the night of 15 /16 September 1943 during the raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. (Imperial War Museum TR 1126)Wing Commander Guy Gibson at his desk with Squadron Leader D J H ‘Dave’ Maltby, one of his flight commanders. (Imperial War Museum TR 1122)
On the AJ-T photo, Sgt Len Eaton was wireless operator. He completed over 60ops with 207, 97 and 617 Sqns
Brave men one and all. Lest we forget.
Although Gibson’s crew survived the Dams raids ,non of them survived the War,they were all killed.
I’ve always thought the Dam Buster mission was the RAF’s version of the Doolittle raid on Tokyo. A badly needed boost to Allied morale at a time it really was really needed.
Perhaps so, but the mission did have a true strategic value: Wiping out the hydroelectric power needed to process steel, and flooding the iron ore mines.
Wing commander: No gray hair, no baldness. Didn’t grow old enough to get there. Heroes one and all, thank you posthumously.
The Dambuster videos remain a highlight of that incredible struggle for freedom; may we always have heroes like that. We need them today.
Fantastic photos of some very brave men.
On the AJ-T photo, Sgt Len Eaton was wireless operator. He completed over 60ops with 207, 97 and 617 Sqns
Brave men one and all. Lest we forget.
Although Gibson’s crew survived the Dams raids ,non of them survived the War,they were all killed.
I’ve always thought the Dam Buster mission was the RAF’s version of the Doolittle raid on Tokyo. A badly needed boost to Allied morale at a time it really was really needed.
Perhaps so, but the mission did have a true strategic value: Wiping out the hydroelectric power needed to process steel, and flooding the iron ore mines.
Wing commander: No gray hair, no baldness. Didn’t grow old enough to get there. Heroes one and all, thank you posthumously.
The Dambuster videos remain a highlight of that incredible struggle for freedom; may we always have heroes like that. We need them today.