Wg Cdr Guy Gibson VC .....

The following is a copy of the entry into the London Gazette on the 28th May 1943 which registered Wg Cdr Gibson's Victoria Cross, the highest medal for gallentry in the face of the enemy:

Starts:

Acting Wing Commander Guy Penrose GIBSON, DSO, DFC Reserve of Air Force Officers, No 617 Squadron.

This officer served as a night bomber pilot at the beginning of the war and quickly established a reputation as an outstanding operational pilot. In addition to taking the fullest possible share in all normal operations he made single handed attacks during his 'rest' nights on such highly defended objectives as the German battleship TIRPITZ then completing in Wilhelmshaven.

When his tour of operational duty was concluded, he asked for a further operational posting and went to a night-fighter unit instead of being posted for instructional duties. In the course of his second tour, he destroyed at least three enemy bombers and contributed much to the raising and development of new night-fighter formations.

After a short period in a training unit he again volunteered for operational duties and returned to night bombers. Both as an operationsl pilot and as a leader of his squadron, he achieved outsandingly successful results and his personal courage knew no bounds. BERLIN, COLOGNE, DANZIG, GYDNIA, GENOA, LE CREUSOT, MILAN, NUREMBURG and SUTTGART were among the targets he attacked by day and by night.

On conclusion of his third operational tour, Wing Commander GIBSON pressed strongly to be allowed to remain on operations and he was selected to command a squadron then forming for special tasks. Under his inspiring leadership, this squadron has now executed one of the most devastating attacks of the war - the breaching of the MOHNE and EDER dams.

The task was fraught with danger and difficulty. Wing Commander GIBSON personally made the initial attack on the MOHNE dam. Descending to within a few feet of the water and taking the full brunt of the anti-aircraft defences he delivered his attack with great accuracy. Afterwards he circled very low for thirty minutes drawing the enemy fire on himself in order to leave as free a run as possible for the following aircraft which were attacking the dam in turn.

Wing Commander GIBSON then led the remainder of his force to the EDER dam where, with complete disregard for his own safety he repeated his tactics, and once more drew on himslef the enemy fire so that the attack would be successfully developed.

Wing Commander GIBSON has completed 170 sorties involving more than 600 hours operational flying. Throughout his operational career, prolonged exceptionally at his own request, he has shown leadership, determination and valour of the highest order.

Ends

Gibson and his crew about to set off for the Dams on the evening of 16th May 1943:

.... and with his fellow aircrew in London to be decorated following the successful attacks on the dams:

 

Dambusters2013 is commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Dams Raid in May 1943 by riding to the Mohne Dam from RAF Scampton, home of 617 Sqdn in 1943. For full details visit www.dambusters2013.org.uk and register to ride with us and raise cash for Help for Heroes and Motorcycle Outreach! It promises to be one of the iconic motorcycle events of 2013!!!

 

 

Last year's ride to the Mohne...

Last year there was also a dambusters Charity Motorcycle Ride.....only it was much smaller .... just two of us! Our charity last year, in keeping with Dambusters2013 was Help for Heroes.

We were met at the Dam by Laura from BFBS who filed this report on our charity ride for the forces network:

This year there are already approaching 70 riders registered with dambusters2013 - we are aiming for at least 100 by the time we set off from RAF Scampton on the 14th of May 2013 ...

I reckon it will be brilliant!

Here's my route plan; done yours yet?

Dambusters2013 starts with an iconic event hosted by RAF Scampton at their 617 Sqdn Heritage Centre on the morning of 14th May 2013. At this stage of the planning, the riders will set off from there at about 11.30 - midday with the next fixed meeting point being the evening of 16th May at the Mohne Dam in Germany. That gives all the riders two and half days to make the trip which means plenty of time to stop and see things along the way .... which is half the fun!

So here is my route plan .... at least as it stands today ... might change ... might not ...

From RAF Scampton down to Dover and hop across to Calais - thanks to P&O ferries for the discounts for Dambusters2013 riders!! From Calais up the coast to Dunkirk to see those famous beaches where some 330,000 men of the BEF were rescued by the 'little ships' from in May 1940.

From there a quick run to Ypres for an overnight stop.

On Wednesday 15th May I will stay around Ypres and take in some of the First World War sites and museums - including the famous 'Last Post Ceremony' which happens at the Menin Gate every night at 8pm with another overnight stop near Ypres.

Up early and away on the 16th to pick up the track of Lancaster AJ-J flown by Sqn Ldr David Maltby which we know because the wonderfully detailed navigation log kept by his navigator, Sgt V. Nicholson - you will find this information in your Rider Pack!

Along the way I plan to stop off and visit the crash sites of Astell, Burpee, Barlow and finally Hopgood .... again you will find details about all of these sites and directions on getting there in your Rider pack ..... here as an example is the sheet for the crash site of ED864 flown by F/L Bill Astell;

Overnight near the Mohne Dam before up and out early again on the morning of the 17th to blast back to the UK but stopping long enough at Steenbergen in the Netherlands to visit the grave and crash site of Wg Cdr Guy Gibson VC!

Have you made your plans yet?? As soon as you have donated your £250 or more at our Virgin Money Giving site (http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Dambusters2013)  we will email out your full Rider Pack and you can crack on with your planning ... a great antedote to all this snow and cold!

　

Biking for Heroes .....

HOPGOOD'S COURAGEOUS RUN - A new painting by Simon Atack

HOPGOOD'S COURAGEOUS RUN

 

"On my right was John Hopgood in M-Mother, that grand Englishman whom we call "Hoppy"; one of the greatest guys in the world...he had no nerves, he loved flying....I should say, “Hoppy” was probably the best pilot on the Squadron. Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC DSO & Bar DFC & Bar
 

Simon Atack has produced a most striking and emotive painting portraying the last seconds of RAF Lancaster ED925 AJ-M (Mother) under the command of Flt. Lt. John Vere Hopgood DFC & Bar as he made his ill-fated attack on the Mohne Dam in the early hours of 17th May 1943.

Simon Atack writes:
“I have been inspired many times to portray human stories and examples of outstanding courage.

Few match that of 21-year-old Flt. Lt. John Vere Hopgood DFC & Bar and his gallant crew of AJ-M Mother. It is a graphic example of outstanding courage and selflessness so often displayed by that generation of young people during World War Two. Here was a crippled aircraft flown for an hour by a seriously wounded skipper with badly wounded crew. "Hoppy" pressed on with his attack on the Mohne Dam, flying all the way into the storms of relentless German fire. Right to the end, he fought to keep his blazing aircraft flying to a height that could give his crew a hope of escape. Three managed to bail out; two survived. Two families and their respective generations were saved by John Hopgood's selfless devotion to duty”.

As Gibson's second In Command on Operation Chastise, Flt. Lt. John Hopgood was part of the leading element of three Avro Lancasters. He was flying alongside Wg. Cdr. Guy Gibson in ED932 AJ-G (George) and Flt. Lt. Harold 'Mick' Martin in ED909 AJ-P (Popsie) in the first wave of nine 'cooler' aircraft detailed to attack the Mohne Dam. Flying at tree-top height to avoid enemy radar and fighters, the flight of three Lancasters ran into an unexpectedly intense searchlight and flak defence en route over Holland, just one hour's flying time from their target. AJ-M was coned in the beams and raked by enemy fire. Her port fuselage took the brunt and her wing was severely damaged; her port outer Merlin engine was hit, causing oil smoke to stream behind her. Worse however was suffered by her crew. Burcher the rear gunner was hit by shell splinters in the stomach and groin; Minchin the wireless operator had one of his legs almost severed by a cannon shell. Gregory, the front gunner was either killed or so seriously wounded that he was unable to answer his intercom or operate his turret. Hopgood had sustained a severe head wound. As Brennan his Flight Engineer tried to staunch the blood flow he was heard to say, "Christ, look at the blood...."

Hopgood replied, "I'm OK. Just carry on and don't worry."

 No thought was given to turning back. Nobody could have blamed them if they had done, but they pressed on, trimming the throttles to compensate for the loss of power from the damaged port outer engine and holding perfect formation with Gibson and Martin. All three Lancasters reached the dam. Gibson made the first attack with his Upkeep Mine exploding underwater against the dam face. As Martin circled in the distance, awaiting his order to attack, Hopgood gathered himself for his, the second, bombing run-in. Now, with full knowledge of the RAF's method of attack, the German gunners defending the approaches to the dam knew exactly where to concentrate their fire. Equipped with 20mm four-barrel "Flakvierling" anti-aircraft cannons, they poured thousands of rounds of tracer fire down the reservoir into Hopgood's path. Into a blizzard of enemy fire, Hopgood fought to get his Lancaster down to the point where his twin spot lamps met their figure-of-eight, 60ft off the surface of the water. Further hits tore into her fuselage; no fire returned from her front turret. She became heavy on the trim but Hopgood held her down to the release point. John Fraser, his bomb-aimer, called 'BOMB GONE!'...

As the 5-ton mine skimmed the surface for the first time in a plume of spray, Hopgood's Lancaster took the full force of a 20mm cannon burst right into her starboard wing. Engines and fuel cell were hit and the starboard wing immediately caught fire. The Lancaster would have swung violently under torque as the trim fell to the straining portside engines. Hopgood used all his remaining strength to prevent the Lancaster from dipping a wing into the water. His left hand on the column, he desperately tried to correct the trim-wheel with his right. Still taking fire from the twin towers and from a third battery protecting the dam, Hopgood, his starboard wing ablaze, cleared the dam top. So did his mine. Released just a moment too late, it bounced over the crest and fell deep into the lee of the dam to destroy the power station in an enormous explosion.

For Hopgood there was only one course left. He ordered his crew to prepare to abandon aircraft. He would have known what would happen next. He opened the throttles to summon all the power that his doomed aircraft could give. With little hope remaining he gave his final order to jump. The hydraulics had failed so Burcher hand cranked his rear turret and released the door as Minchin dragged himself the length of the fuselage. Burcher helped the badly injured Minchin clip on his parachute, hauled him to the rear escape hatch and pushed him clear, pulling the rip cord of the parachute as he fell. Minchin’s chute failed to deploy in time and he did not survive the descent.

"Get out you damn fool," Hopgood shouted to the rear gunner. He was struggling to get enough altitude so that at least some of his crew could escape. He knew that he would not survive. Fraser and Burcher, knowing the height they had would give little chance of their chutes opening in time, pulled their chutes inside the Lancaster. Fraser made a successful escape but before Burcher could jump there was a terrific explosion and he was thrown out; he hit the tailplane and broke his back. At a mere two hundred feet above the ground, they were two of the lowest successful bailouts during the war. Both he and Fraser would become POWs for the remainder of the war. As they fell into clear space, M-Mother's blazing wing collapsed and the aircraft fell, taking Hopgood and his remaining crew down with her. Hopgood was just 21 years old.

Simon Atack offers:
“I believe if ever a man deserved the highest award for valour, then it was John Hopgood. Guy Gibson justly deserved his award, but it’s hard to find a more worthy candidate for the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross. I sincerely wish that my painting "Hopgood’s Courageous Run" will be viewed as my humble and respectful portrayal of his Lancaster's attack and an historically accurate testament to the courage and sacrifice of Gibson's 2nd In Command.

You can purchase your copy of this fabulous painting at : http://www.simonatack.com/hopgoods-courageous-run.php

Dambusters2013 is inspired by the stories of courage such as this one and is a Charity Motorcycle Ride which is commemorating all the lives lost as a result of the Dams Raid, 16th/17th May 1943. More details can be found at www.dambusters2013.org.uk and www.dambusters70th.blogspot.com

 

 

Press Release dated 25th March 2013 ....

Official press release on behalf of Dambusters2013 by Rowan Public Affairs:

 

The Dambusters2013 Rider Pack is ready to go ....

The Dambusters2013 Rider Pack is ready to go to all our riders who have donated the minimum £250 at our Virgin Money Giving site. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Dambusters2013  

I am really looking forward to getting more and more of these Rider Packs sent out to all our riders!!

Dambusters2013 is a Charity Motorcycle Ride taking place between the 14th and 17th May 2013 raising money for Help for Heroes and Motorcycle Outreach. For more details and to register with us as a rider/fundraiser visit www.dambusters2013.org.uk . Thank you.

A couple more images from last Thursday at the BBMF ...

617 Sqdn Tornado GR4, complete with commemorative tail art ofr the occasion, flown by Sqdn Ldr Mark 'Jacko' Jackson rolls down the runway with the BBC's Dan Snow on board for his flight to the Derwent reservoir at 250ft!!!

 .... whilst in the background Typhoons played in the RAF Coningsby circuit......

 

..... and then a reminder of what this is all about!! Dambusters2013 is raising money for Help for Heroes (www.helpforheroes.org.uk) and Motorcycle Outreach (www.motorcycleoutreach.org) - see our website for more details and to get involved!

The event that Dambusters2013 is commemorating ...

It is sometimes easy to forget the reality of the event which Dambusters2013 is commemorating. You think about the ride itself, the routes, the event at RAF Scampton, the charities we are raising the funds for .... but at the root of the whole event is one of the most famous bombing raids of all time. It is also important to see things from both sides. The RAF lost 8 Lancasters out of 19 and 53 aircrew were killed. For those living in the shadow of the dams it was a far greater calamity. In fact, it is known locally as 'The Great Disaster'. Approaching 2000 people lost their lives in the flooding and devastation that followed.

Dambusters2013 is genuinely commemorating the loss of lives on both sides and using this act of rememberance on the 70th anniversary of the raid on the night of 16th/17th May 1943 as a catalyst to raise money for two very worthwhile charities, Help for Heroes (www.helpforheroes.org.uk) and Motorcycle Outreach (www.motorcycleoutreach.org). More details of the Dambusters2013 70th Anniversary Charity Motorcycle Ride can be found at www.dambusters2013.org.uk

Nineteen of twenty-one Lancasters of 617 Squadron attacked the dams; Gibson's crew took off at 2139 Hours. Gibson later said, "We were flying so low that more than once 'Spam' yelled at me to pull up quickly to avoid high-tension wires and tall trees." Gibson's bomb exploded short of the dam itself at 0028 Hours, but two other Lancasters successfully breeched the Mohne Dam minutes later. Gibson then led the remaining Lancasters against the Eder between 0130 and 0200 Hours, again successfully breeching the dam. However, eight of the nineteen bombers were shot down or caught in the explosions of their own bombs. Due to the low altitude, only three of the downed airmen survived to be taken prisoner. Gibson and 76 other aircrew of 617 Squadron returned to base; 53 were killed.

On the ground, at least 1,650 people were killed in the resultant flooding of the Ruhr Valley; 1,026 were prisoners of war, including 526 Soviet women in the town of Neheim. Unknown numbers of livestock perished, and much viable farmland flooded, which impeded food production the following season.

The Operations Record Book of 617 sqdn condenses the event into a short concise entry shown below:

The aftermath for the Ruhr Valley can be seen in pictures more effectively than with words. The Mohne Dam breached with water pouring through the gap hours after the raid....

 

The Eder valley completely submerged as the flood water crashed through it ...

For the 617 Sqdn aircrew the elation to have survived followed by fame and decorations for many.

 

 

The purpose of this slightly rambling blog post ...... I suppose to re-focus upon the event we are remembering, the sacrifice and loss of life on both sides, the bravery and the loss.

 

Dambusters2013 is also about using the 70th anniversary of the raid to raise some cash to do some good in the world. To support the recovery and rehabilitation of our service men and women hurt in Iraq or Afghanistan through Help for Heroes; to bring medical help and support to remote villages in Indonisia through Motorcycle Outreach.

 

 

Dambusters2013 70th Anniversary Charity Motorcycle Ride takes place between 14th and 17th may 2013. Visit www.dambusters2013.org.uk for details and to get involved. 





A couple more images from yesterday's event at the BBMF...

After the 617 Sqdn Tornado GR4 and its commemorative paintwork had been unveiled to the waiting press cameras, the BBC's Dan Snow was taken for a flight which included a flypast at the Derwent Dam, much used by the 1943 Dambusters for training. This sequence is based around that flight ...

 The pilot was Sqdn Ldr Mark 'Jacko' Jackson, Flight Commander with 617 Sqdn.

 All set ....

 Canopy closed ...

 Taxi ....

Past the line up of Typhoons ....



before waiting for runway clearance ...

..to allow a Typhoon to go through doing circuits ...

Rolling ....

 Builing speed ...

 As Dan Snow said himself .... a chance in a lifetime ...

617 Sqdn are great supporters of Dambusters2013, a commemorative charity motorcycle ride in support of Help for Heroes and Motorcycle Outreach. To find out more and to get involved go to www.dambusters2013.org.uk 

Thank you.

617 Sqdn 70th Anniversary Tails ...

One of the most amazing things to me is the amount of active support and encouragement that Dambusters2013 gets from the Royal Air Force, from 617 Squadron themselves, from RAF Scampton, RAF Lossiemouth, the BBMF, even the use of the official Dambusters70th logo etc for our Dambusters 70th Anniversary charity motorcycle ride in aid of Help for Heroes (www.helpforheroes.org.uk)  and Motorcycle Outreach (www.motorcycleoutreach.org) ... quite humbling in fact!

An example of that support was a phone call I received this Tuesday morning from Sqdn Ldr Mark 'Jacko' Jackson, a pilot on 617 Sqdn inviting me to be part of the official unveiling of the commemorative Tornado GR4 tail art for the 70th Anniversary of the formation of 617 Sqdn today, March 21st 2013 at the home of the BBMF, RAF Coningsby. What a privilege!

The event started at 09.30am with a few words from Dan Snow who was there both to introduce the event to the gathered press and also to be flown in the commemorative Tornado by 'Jacko' up and low past Derwent Water for a BBC TV programme due to be screened around the time of the Dams Raid in May. Dan spoke for about 5 minutes and then the hangar doors were rolled back to reveal the decorative tail art for the first time.

Despite the biting east wind that cut across the Coningsby airfield we all spent the next 45 minutes taking pictures from every angle of the Tornado and the BBMF Lancaster PA474, the Dambusters equipment in 1943 and today. The team from the BBMF were fabulous hosts for the event - thank you to all involved!

The Tornado had been flown down the previous evening by Sqdn Ldr Mark 'Jacko' Jackson and his WSO and they spent the whole of this time out in the cold talking with anyone from the press who wanted their time, as did the BBMF Team. Top effort by all concerned.



At the same time Dan Snow was doing pieces to camera for anyone who wanted his time too ... and also for his own TV programme.

Then it was time for Dan to be taken for his 'chance of a lifetime' trip in the Tornado, his words not mine. Although you cannot feel it from the images the wind was getting colder as we stood whilst Dan was strapped into the back seat of the Tornado GR4 and all the start up checks and routines completed.

Just before frostbite was starting in the waiting press gallery the canopy on the Tornado was closed and Sqdn Ldr 'Jacko' Jackson taxied past us to the runway with his new 'backseater, Dan Snow, complete with his GoPro camera for all the internal shots!

The Tornado might be 30 years old but it is still a mighty fine looking aircraft and a powerful one too! With the 'burners lit 617 sqdn Tornado GR4 ZA412 accelerated down the RAF Coningsby runway and took off for Derwent Water and the waiting BBC cameras! What a cracking end to a really excellent event.

 

A truly memorable event which I am delighted to share with readers of this blog! At the same time there is a serious message here - and that is that 617 sqdn support and encourage the efforts by all involved with the Dambusters2013 70th Anniversary Charity Motorcycle Ride to raise a complete shedload of cash for our two charities.

If you are a biker and reading this, visit www.dambusters2013.org.uk and get involved directly with the fund-raising as a rider. If you're not a biker, feel free to visit our charity giving page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Dambusters2013 and donate on line safely and securely. You can even add 'Gift Aid' if you are a UK tax-payer too.
Thank you.