Dambusters anniversary part 2......

My cousin Mark climbed above the dam to take these pictures. He got some great shots I thought. His father, my uncle Ray loved planes and went all over to watch them and photograph them. He took me and he took Mark as a baby. I guess its in the blood. Mark still loves planes. These old ones are magnificent.
This is Mark, watching his daughter and wife playing with horses.


The following pictures were taken by Mark..............first above the dam. This one in the early morning mist


Then a wide screen shot before other people arrived to sit in front of them (smile)







Then the wonderful Lancaster........several great shots. Probably wont be seeing this again for a long time.
Mark said " it was certainly a site to behold and may be the last one we see as I doubt there will be any veterans around for the 75th or 80th, unless 617 continue as a squadron tradition. Would love to see the freedom flight but definitely can't beat the sound of four merlin engines echoing down the hillsides"


The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber designed and built by Avro for the Royal Air Force (RAF). It first saw active service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942


Lancasters took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Chief Marshal Harris's "Operation Gomorrah" in July 1943. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum-shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. The story of the operation was later made into a film, The Dam Busters.





Enjoy a couple more of Marks pictures.

Mark says " Avro Lancaster - similar to the ones which made the raids on the Rhur Dams. It's one of only two flying examples left, the other being in Canada I believe but hopefully to be joined by a second flight approved one in the UK before too long. This particular one is part of the Battle of Britain Memorial flight (BBMF) operated by the Royal Air Force"



It gives me goosebumps just thinking about this. It must have been well worth the climb to see this fly past. The end of my fathers generation and of this type of plane drifts off into history.




The Tornado fly by with special tails......very impressive picture Mark