2013 will see the 70th anniversary of the founding of 617 Squadron and the Dams Raid, and a number of events are being lined up to commemorate it. Those organised by the 617 Squadron Association have still to be confirmed, but they are likely to include a tribute by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster at Derwent Water reservoir in Derbyshire, one of the UK reservoirs used by the Dambusters for training in the run up to the raid. This is provisionally scheduled for Thursday 16 May, the anniversary of the raid itself.
Derwent reservoir was the scene of a Lancaster flyover at the Ladybower Dam on the 65th anniversary in 2008, shown here in a terrific panoramic photograph by Rob McPherson.
There are also likely to be events at both RAF Scampton and RAF Coningsby, and the laying of a wreath at the 617 Squadron memorial in Woodhall Spa.
The BBMF’s Lancaster, PA474, has already been given a new nose art and identity to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of 617 Squadron. It is now to be called DV385, Thumper Mark III, to match the identity of one of the Lancasters posted to the squadron in November 1943, to replace those lost on both the Dams Raid and the disastrous September attack on the Dortmund Ems Canal.
And further celebration of the anniversary comes from the RAF Museum, who have published their must-have Christmas present in the shape of a 2013 calendar.
More information on 2013 events will be posted here as soon as we get it.
There’s an interview in today’s Telegraph with both George (Johnny) Johnson and Les Munro about the unveiling of the new Bomber Command memorial today. Coverage on BBC2 at 5pm (and again at 11.20pm, which I suspect will be a repeat).
I will add further links to this story later today, as they come up.
Lots of technical reasons why it’s taken a week to get this up on YouTube, but here it is.
I have never been so close to a Lancaster flypast before, and what caught me by surprise was how low it flew and how quickly it passed. Although we knew the direction in which the aircraft would come, and were prepared for it, the first pass happened so quickly that no one caught it on video. Luckily we were better prepared for the second and third approaches, and my son was able to catch just 22 seconds worth altogether.
Update from Wickhambreaux, Kent, 2.30pm, Friday 9 September.
It’s a fine dry afternoon here, with the weather a bit cloudy, but apparently the forecast for this weekend is for high winds. The BBMF have just contacted me to say that all flying for this weekend has been cancelled. This means that the Lancaster flyover planned for tomorrow (Saturday) has been called off. The aircraft is currently at Manston — 20 or so miles away — and it is likely to fly over us here late this afternoon, so local people will be able to see it. I will post some pictures on the blog as soon as I have them.
However, we are going ahead with the exhibition opening followed by the ceremony at David Maltby’s graveside. If you have made plans to come here, please do. Local children have been tidying the grave, and a large local crowd is expected. The families of several of David Maltby’s crew will be here and it will be a great tribute to them.
Second update: 6.00pm
We’ve just had three passes by the BBMF Lancaster – see the picture below.
This coming Sunday, 16 May, marks the 67th anniversary of the Dams Raid. I will be posting more material about this later this week but thought people in the North West might like to know about the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s plans for the day.
The BBMF Lancaster, ‘Phantom of the Ruhr’, has been out of action for the last few days with a faulty fuel cock. Luckily, a replacement has been found (which must have been quite a task for an aircraft in its seventh decade!) and it is undergoing an airtest today.
If all is well, the Lancaster will be marking the centenary of the foundation of the AV Roe company by flying over the site of the factory where it was designed and where more than 7,000 were built during the war – Chadderton, near Oldham. You’ll get a great view at Manchester Airport, where it will dip to an altitude of 100ft.
Great chance to get some good pics – please send me any you take and I may publish them on this blog.
(Special note for real Lancaster buffs – PA474 was actually built by Vickers Armstrong in Chester!)
These pictures date back to the 65th anniversary of the Dams Raid in May 2008 (incidentally the month I started this blog!). They show aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in action over the Ladybower reservoir in the Derwent valley, Derbyshire. They are great shots and deserve a mention, even at this late stage. Thanks to Rob McPherson for sending them to me.
I can only find this one picture of yesterday’s flypast over Lord’s cricket ground during an England-Australia one day international. by the BBMF Lancaster.
I wonder whether its arrival was the cause of yet another England batting collapse: England captain Andrew Strauss was dismissed 3 balls after the flyover briefly stopped play, and England went on to lose by 39 runs. Here is the ball-by-ball summary on Cricinfo which lays the blame pretty squarely on the flypast. (Translation of cricketing terms is available on request!)
17.1
Hauritz to Strauss, 1 run, cut hard out to point
A Lancaster Bomber is due to fly over Lord’s soon. What a sight that will be
17.2
Hauritz to Shah, FOUR, top shot. Down the pitch, and Shah clouts him over extra cover for four
More importantly, the Lancaster bomber is now flying over Lord’s. Wonderful sight and the crowd stand to applaud! Ah, great moment and a great noise, too, spluttering away with its four propellers and it banks to the right, over the pavilion. Super stuff
17.3
Hauritz to Shah, no run, down the pitch but is rapped on the pads
And there goes the Lancaster again. Graeme Swann’s giving it a standing ovation all by himself
17.4
Hauritz to Shah, 1 wide, down the leg side. Paine whips off the bails and says “ohh-ayyye” which is tongues for “how was that, dear fine fellow umpire?”
17.4
Hauritz to Shah, 1 run, clipped to leg
17.5
Hauritz to Strauss, OUT, got him! Australia have three as Strauss tried to turn it to leg, but was squared up – it gripped on the surface – and spooned it back to the bowler
AJ Strauss c & b Hauritz 47 (78m 53b 6×4 0x6) SR: 88.67
I think Strauss was Lancastered
17.6
Hauritz to Collingwood, no run, flicked to leg
End of over 18 (7 runs) England 85/3
I can only find this one picture of yesterday’s flypast by the BBMF Lancaster over Lord’s cricket ground during an England-Australia one day international.
I wonder whether its arrival was the cause of yet another England batting collapse: England captain Andrew Strauss was dismissed three balls after the flyover briefly stopped play, and England went on to lose by 39 runs. Here is the ball-by-ball summary on Cricinfo – which lays the blame pretty squarely on the flypast. (Translation of cricketing terms is available on request!)
17.1 Hauritz to Strauss, 1 run, cut hard out to point
A Lancaster Bomber is due to fly over Lord’s soon. What a sight that will be
17.2 Hauritz to Shah, FOUR, top shot. Down the pitch, and Shah clouts him over extra cover for four
More importantly, the Lancaster bomber is now flying over Lord’s. Wonderful sight and the crowd stand to applaud! Ah, great moment and a great noise, too, spluttering away with its four propellers and it banks to the right, over the pavilion. Super stuff
17.3 Hauritz to Shah, no run, down the pitch but is rapped on the pads
And there goes the Lancaster again. Graeme Swann’s giving it a standing ovation all by himself
17.4 Hauritz to Shah, 1 wide, down the leg side. Paine whips off the bails and says “ohh-ayyye” which is tongues for “how was that, dear fine fellow umpire?”
17.4 Hauritz to Shah, 1 run, clipped to leg
17.5 Hauritz to Strauss, OUT, got him! Australia have three as Strauss tried to turn it to leg, but was squared up – it gripped on the surface – and spooned it back to the bowler
AJ Strauss c & b Hauritz 47 (78m 53b 6×4 0x6) SR: 88.67
I think Strauss was Lancastered
17.6 Hauritz to Collingwood, no run, flicked to leg
End of over 18 (7 runs) England 85/3
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight website has had a makeover, and is full of interesting information. There’s tons of detail about the Flight’s complement of five Spitfires, two Hurricanes, two Chipmunks and a Dakota, as well as the full history of its pride and joy, Avro Lancaster PA474. Propellerheads will sigh jealously as they read the biographies of the pilots, other aircrew, groundcrew and civilians who work for the flight – many of them regular RAF service personnel who give up their weekends during the flying season. And best of all you can download the entire season’s flying programme (in an Excel file) so you can plan your summer excursions around it. For instance, if you buy a ticket for the England v. Australia One Day International at Lord’s on Saturday 6 September you will be treated to a Lancaster flypast.
Of special interest to Dambuster fans is an introduction to the site written by Les Munro, the only surviving pilot from the Dams Raid. On his trip to the UK last year he spent some time with the Flight and he recalls it here.
This picture, taken a couple of years back, of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster over Huntingdon caused a flurry of interest on the Google Earth discussion lists at the time, but I never saw it mentioned elsewhere. The Google Earth database has been updated, so the pic is no longer available online, but we can thank the likes of The Register for preserving it.
Dambusters Blog 