Dambusters: How RAF crew room listed names of all 133 airmen… unaware their …

For security reasons, only handful of senior officers knew details and objective of mission until the last moment
RAF’s 617 squadron flew 19 Lancasters at night, on May 16, 1943, to destroy three dams in Ruhr valley
First name on sheet was Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led squadron and was told
about raid 3 days before
Pencilled line through eight of bombers on list show ones that were lost; also 53 crew died, 3 taken as prisoner
Document, which belonged to Air Commodore John Whitworth, to be sold at auction, on 70th anniversary of raid

By
Nick Enoch

PUBLISHED:

13:07 GMT, 15 May 2013

|

UPDATED:

13:08 GMT, 15 May 2013

As far as the men of RAF 617 squadron were aware, the piece of paper pinned to the noticeboard in May 1943 was simply a list of those required for a night training run.

But the 133 names on ‘Night Flying Programme. 16.5.43.’ were destined to play a crucial role in the war, as they had actually been assigned to fly in the Dambusters raid.

The battle order document – which lists the names of all the crew in 19 Lancaster bombers who were to take part in the pivotal operation to flood the industrial heartland of Germany – is one of only two known to exist, and is set for auction tomorrow on the 70th anniversary of the legendary attack.

It belonged to Air Commodore John Whitworth who, after the successful mission, put a poignant pencilled line through eight of the bombers that were lost.

Although they would not know until the last minute, the 133 names of RAF crewmen on 'Night Flying Programme. 16.5.43.' had been assigned to fly in the Dambusters raid

Although they would not know until the last minute, the 133 names of RAF crewmen on ‘Night Flying Programme. 16.5.43.’ had been assigned to fly in the Dambusters raid. Of the 19 bombers, eight were downed, indicated by a pencil line just through the captain’s name, as was common practice. The three waves of attack were marked as Red I, Grey II and White III. The numbers to the right of each row show the time the planes returned to base

A group picture of the Dambusters squadron

A group picture of the Dambusters squadron. It was only four hours before the 19 planes took off for Germany’s Ruhr valley that the crews were informed of their mission, codenamed Operation Chastise

It was common practice to only pencil out the name of the captain to signify a downed bomber – each containing a crew of seven.

For security reasons, only a handful of senior officers knew the details and objective of the mission until the last moment.

So secret were the plans that the battle order pinned up on the RAF noticeboard that day was entitled ‘Night Flying Programme’ to make it appear to the men it was a normal training run.

It was only four hours before the 19 planes took off for Germany’s Ruhr valley that the crews were informed of their mission, codenamed Operation Chastise.

The first name on the sheet of paper was legendary Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the squadron and was told about the raid three days before.

Using the bouncing bomb invented by engineer Dr Barnes Wallis, seven Lancasters struck the Mohne and Eder dams, causing catastrophic flooding and wiping out scores of armament factories.

On his copy of the flying programme, Air Cdre Whitworth noted the times eight of the 11 bombers returned to RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, with Gibson’s plane being the penultimate one at 4.15am.

The first name on the sheet of paper was legendary Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the squadron and was told about the raid three days before

An aerial reconnaissance photo taken on May 17, 1943 showing the breach in the Mohne Dam caused by 617 Squadron's raid during the previous night

The first name on the sheet of paper was legendary Wing Commander Guy Gibson (left), who led the squadron and was told about the raid three days before. Right, an aerial reconnaissance photo taken on May 17, 1943 showing the breach in the Mohne Dam in the Ruhr valley caused by 617 Squadron’s raid during the previous night

Only one other copy of the battle order document is known to exist today and that is held at the RAF museum in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and does not include any personal annotations on it.

Although the mission was hailed a success, 53 crew members were lost and three were taken prisoner of war.

The document is being sold tomorrow on the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters’ raid after being put up for auction by the son of a late RAF flyer.

Wing Commander John Bell, 90, flew with 617 Squadron after Operation Chastise.

He said: ‘There weren’t many copies of these night flying programmes printed.

‘One would have been on the officers’ ops board and another on the NCOs’ board.

‘The
men had been practising low-level night flying for several weeks before
the dams raid but had no idea what or when the mission was.

Dambusters raid infographic

‘The programme document would have been pinned up during the day but Bomber Command only gave the clearance for Operation Chastise at 4.45pm.

‘The first Lancaster took off at 9.30pm. In between the two times, the men would have had briefings. The routes were already planned and the navigators had to plot them on their maps.

‘Guy Gibson led the way. He bombed the Mohne dam first and then directed other aircraft circling to go in and drop their bombs. He then ordered the aircraft to go to the Eder dam and attack that.

‘The times back and the losses would have been officially recorded but clearly this was Whitworth’s own personal record.’

The 13in by 8in sheet of paper was later mounted in the the frame.

At some point, it was donated to a museum, possible at RAF Marham, Cambridgeshire, as wording on the frame states the item had been kindly loaned by the executors of the late Air Cdre Whitworth.

Chris Albury, of Dominic Winter auctioneers of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, said: ‘It is being sold by the son whose father served in the RAF. Sadly, he doesn’t know where or how his father acquired it.

‘There is one copy of this document at the Grantham museum and this one was clearly made at the same time as it is in the same print and had identical folds, which would suggest the two documents were folded together.’

The document has a pre-sale estimate of £1,500.

EVENTS TO MARK THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAMBUSTERS

Enlarge

The Daily Mail’s front page from May 19 1943, which carried reports of the Dambusters raid under the headline: ‘Heart of Ruhr Flooded’

The RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, a Lancaster bomber, will perform a fly-past of a Derbyshire reservoir at around 12.50pm on Thursday.

The plane, Britain’s last operational Lancaster, will be joined by two Spitfires and two
Tornados from today’s 617 Squadron for three spectacular runs down the Derwent Valley and strafe the
Derwent Dam – just as Gibson and his men did so many times in those
‘bloody dangerous’ training runs.

Earlier on, the devoted locals who run the little dam
museum will also be holding their annual memorial service.

More than 400 veterans are also expected to gather at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, where the Dambusters squadron was based.

Among them will be members of Gibson’s family along with two veterans of the raid, and the daughter of bouncing bomb inventor Barnes Wallis.

On Friday, there will be an international service at Lincoln Cathedral.

But thanks to the health-and-safety brigade, few members of the public will be able to be there, too.

Severn Trent Water, which owns the dam, and other public sector ‘stakeholders’ have decreed heavy traffic on country lanes would pose an unacceptable threat to the emergency services.

Lancaster Bombers carried 9,000lb of bouncing bombs for the Operation Chastise raids on Germany’s Ruhr Valley dams

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Stock-check of Britain 2013———–But the hour of the true patriots, who care about Britains successful future, will come. There’s still hope out there. The helping hand in the stormy sea is not far away.

–

therealscarface
,

Liverpool, United Kingdom,
16/5/2013 00:20

A different, remarkable, and noble generation. We owe them so much.

–

Famous grouse
,

London,
16/5/2013 00:03

British car industry? Zero, now owned from Germany.
The mighty kingdom? Almost zero. Ok, we have the Falklands.
Fame and bosses? 1 old grandma with laughable fur hat wearing soldiers plus some parasites (doesn’t matter if red hair, less hair or huge eyes) who should rather work in factory to build Minis for BMW.———– And 1 world cup.
Number of WW’s we won: 2 (thanks to the US-boys)
Role in europe 2013? The afraid and offended little girl which cries when it doesn’t get its happy meal. The whole world laughs about our wannabe hard own way as they do it about our driving situation….
Economy, wealth living conditions? Good midfield, but no match for the long-term winners of good old europe who know how to compete and how to do it successful.
Neutral and pro-Britain oriented Media? Sadly no. The own lobby interests are far more interesting than discussing our problems and trying to solve them by the help of the long-term winners.

–

therealscarface
,

Liverpool, United Kingdom,
15/5/2013 23:54

Would never happen again. Health and safety wouldn’t allow it. Did all those brave men die just to see this country decimated and robbed of all its proud heritage. Labour and the Consevatives should hang their heads in shame, and the Liberals….what a joke they are. We need the Churchillian spirit to be revived and all those petty pen pushers, dreaming up new ways of restricting us from thinking outside the box can go and shove it! Lets put the Great back into Great Britain. Vote UKIP – Baz Walker , Leicester, The men and women who died in the second world war would be turning in their graves if they knew that the UK had spawned a party like UKIP
– Bunloaf, Barking, United Kingdom, 15/5/2013 17:30 NO BUNLOAF! I THINK THAT YOU HAVE GOT IT THE WRONG WAY AROUND. THE HEROES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR WOULD BE TURNING IN THEIR GRAVES KNOWING THAT THE 3 ULTRA LIBERAL LIB, LAB, CON PARTIES ARE GIVING AWAY OUR COUNTRY PIECE BY PIECE TO THE EU. THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR ENGLAND NOT EUROPE.

–

If only
,

Berkhamsted, United Kingdom,
15/5/2013 23:16

On a recent top quiz the uni contestants didn’t know who Guy Gibson was- sad.

–

Charles
,

Herts,
15/5/2013 21:36

On a recent top quiz the uni contestants didn’t know who Guy Gibson was- sad.

–

Charles
,

Herts,
15/5/2013 21:36

My time at RAF Scampton 1975 – 1977

–

Only just a thought
,

Kent, United Kingdom,
15/5/2013 21:12

A triumph of the Human Spirit. The technology, ingenuity and courage are a shining example to us all in these peacetime days.How wonderful the progress in a few months from a research idea to a viable plan and equipment. So many died to give us a good future. What an inspiring achievement.

–

Andy
,

Warrington, United Kingdom,
15/5/2013 20:37

The Health Safety issue at Derwent is ridiculous. I attended 25 years ago for the 45th and have been every five years since. In 1988 they parked people miles away and had shuttle buses to bring people in. That is all they need to have done and they could have kept a main route clear, including the route to Derwent Dam.

–

knigto
,

solihull,
15/5/2013 20:14

Sorry but I wrongly stated that Reg Twigg was one of the 617 Squadron but he was one of the last survivors on the Burma death railway. I was reading so much about both subjects so sorry. Mr Twigg was born in Wigston but latterly of Thurnby Leics. No lesser hero as all these brave men were. RIP

–

SueQ
,

Leicester, United Kingdom,
15/5/2013 19:57

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Dambusters: How RAF crew room listed names of all 133 airmen… unaware their …

EVENTS TO MARK THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAMBUSTERS

EVENTS TO MARK THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAMBUSTERS

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