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Course photograph and Lancaster painting
Top - course photograph of thirty officers wearing tunics or battledress sitting and standing in four rows. Captioned 'No 25 Elementary Course. Syndicate "V", 28/3/45 to 23/5/45', lists name of those on photograph, F/O Baker front row second from…
Operation order for Eder, Möhne and Sorpe operation and other details
5 Group operation order No B.976. Provides explanation for attack on Ruhr Dams, enemy defences, 20 special Lancaster from 617 Squadron, routes to be flown by all three waves. Goes on with detailed plan of attack, method and timing. Continues with…
Interview with Mary Stopes-Roe
Discusses her father’s designs work and remembers both skipping stones on a river during holidays with her father and catapulting marbles over a washtub in their garden. She goes on to discuss the Eder Möhne and Sorpe operation, the bouncing bomb…
No. 5 Group Operation Order No. B. 976
A Top Secret document referring to the operation to the Ruhr dams. There is a general section describing the purpose of the operation, a section on defences and the priorities of the attack. There is a list of 19 aircraft and their crew from 617…
It won't work - Bomber Harris
Copy of a note from Arthur Harris to R Saundby with title added 'It won't work Bomber Harris'. States that the idea was tripe of the wildest description with not the smallest chance of working. Goes on with other reasons why it would not work and…
History of Lancaster B.III ED 945
Ordered 1941 and built by A.V. Roe at Chadderton near Manchester as one of a batch of 620 between November 1943 and June 1943. Twenty of this batch either side of ED 932 (Gibson's aircraft) were modified as type 464 provisioning to enable Barnes…
Interview with Gordon Topham
Gordon Topham was born in Salisbury, but his family settled in Norwich, Norfolk and he joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, qualifying as a flight engineer in July 1944. Gordon’s father used to drive steam wagons and was involved with…
Visitors from famous Dambusters' squadron
A newspaper cutting announcing that Ernie Twells and the 617 squadron association will attend a presentation at Matlock. It describes the attempts made to sink the Tirpitz. Handwritten at the top is 'Long Eaton Advertiser 10/11/77'.
Commemorative Dam Busters envelope
An envelope with a 15c Canadian stamp commemorating the first non-stop transatlantic flight. There is a 617 squadron badge and on the left a Lancaster. Underneath is a Vulcan and under that 'Commemorating 617 Squadron Association Reunion Toronto…
Bill Howarth and four veterans
Five veterans standing beside a bouncing bomb exhibit. Behind is the front of a Lancaster 'C'. Captioned 'Bill Howarth rear gunner on Dams raid (far left)'.
A Lancaster flying over the nose of another Lancaster 'C'.
A Lancaster flying over the nose of another Lancaster 'C'.
Interview with Sheila Rankine
Sheila Rankine wanted to become a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force but was conscripted to be a munitions factory worker. She worked at Rose's in Gainsborough making the hydro-static fuses for bombs including the Upkeep bouncing bomb. She met…
Interview with Les Munro
John Leslie Munro was born in the area of Gisborne, New Zealand. He only completed two years of secondary education because of the economic slump and in 1936 began work on a sheep ranch and then a mixed farm. On the outbreak of the Second World War,…
Interview with Johnny Johnson. Two
George ‘Johnny’ Johnson was born in rural Lincolnshire. As a child he won a scholarship to Lord Wandsworth’s Agricultural College in Hampshire. He volunteered for the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War and was selected for…
Interview with Johnny Johnson. One
George ‘Johnny’ Johnson was the bomb aimer in Lancaster AJ-T flown by Joe McCarthy during operation Chastise 16th of May 194. He discusses the attack on the dams and the events before and after the attack. He describes training over the Derwent…
The Eder, Möhne and Sorpe operation
A Lancaster flies over the explosion of an Upkeep bouncing bomb against a dam. A second aircraft has been hit by anti-aircraft fire and is plunging towards the water, engulfed in flames and smoke. A third Lancaster is visible on the right with a bomb…