Information About The Dambusters

[Guest soooz1]

Ok random question.

Was there a land crew as part of the dambusters practice over the derwent dam?

I have this story in my head from my great uncle charlie about being a gunner in a tank at derwent dam as part of the land operation practice ... ?????

My mum clarified that he was part of the dambusters derwent dam practices but cannot remember in what manner.

[Bayleaf]

Quick answer - I don't know. However, the run-up to the raid was highly secret, so it's likely the area would have been under a security clamp down while they were training.

[Guest soooz1]

Quick answer - I don't know. However, the run-up to the raid was highly secret, so it's likely the area would have been under a security clamp down while they were training.

that's my mums theory too. She says it might have been that either it was for security reasons or for observational reasons to make reports about how well the pilots were doing

[Waterside Echo]

Ok random question.

Was there a land crew as part of the dambusters practice over the derwent dam?

I have this story in my head from my great uncle charlie about being a gunner in a tank at derwent dam as part of the land operation practice ... ?????

My mum clarified that he was part of the dambusters derwent dam practices but cannot remember in what manner.

Does anyone remember the Lancasters flying over Sheffield en route to Ladybower for the filming of Dambusters. If it was a school day we were allowed out of class to watch them. W/E.

[THYLACINE]

Does anyone remember the Lancasters flying over Sheffield en route to Ladybower for the filming of Dambusters. If it was a school day we were allowed out of class to watch them. W/E.

1954/55 . . . I was at Park Road School, Mexborough, wouldn't have even heard them.

This picture came from a Golden Frame Calendar but I can't find the original and can't recall the occasion?

[bczel01]

The company I work for is moving to the old air base at Hemswell, Lincolnshire in the new year. RAF Hemswell as it was known was used for filming ground scenes for the movie The Dambusters, because it resembled RAF Scampton, where many of the crews were based.

[DaveH]

Quick answer - I don't know. However, the run-up to the raid was highly secret, so it's likely the area would have been under a security clamp down while they were training.

As they were testing the bomb, a new never used before weapon, I would have expected a lot of people on the ground, not just for security but also scientists and engineers to observe and measure the speed, height, bounce, skip distance and wall impact of the bomb so that they could check and modify it to get everything about the release to impact trajectory of the bomb just right for when they used it for real against very similar dams in Germany.

[Bayleaf]

As they were testing the bomb, a new never used before weapon, I would have expected a lot of people on the ground, not just for security but also scientists and engineers to observe and measure the speed, height, bounce, skip distance and wall impact of the bomb so that they could check and modify it to get everything about the release to impact trajectory of the bomb just right for when they used it for real against very similar dams in Germany.

Didn't they do that elsewhere though Dave? If I remember right, the actual device had been perfected, what they did at Derwent was to train the crews to fly at precise low levels down valleys in the dark, and to learn to judge the release point correctly to deliver the bomb to exactly the right spot, not to actually test the bomb. Even so they wouldn't want observers, casual or otherwise, to watch what they were up to, so I would think the valley would be out of bounds for the duration.

[DaveH]

Didn't they do that elsewhere though Dave? If I remember right, the actual device had been perfected, what they did at Derwent was to train the crews to fly at precise low levels down valleys in the dark, and to learn to judge the release point correctly to deliver the bomb to exactly the right spot, not to actually test the bomb. Even so they wouldn't want observers, casual or otherwise, to watch what they were up to, so I would think the valley would be out of bounds for the duration.

Not so sure though Bayleaf.

There is a difference between carrying out tests in a laboratory, a workshop or under controlled conditions (i believe the bouncing bomb engineering tests were carried out in large tanks "somewhere in England") and actually doing a "field test" of it being used under the same conditions as it would actually be used for real.

Things often behave differently when used for real to what they do under close scrutiny test.

It's all part of the same development process and I think they would want to observe the bomb in action as a final test.

After all, they were going to risk airmens lives and valuable aircraft on the sucess of it.

You could be right that it was already "done and dusted" as far as development was concerned, but personally I would have liked that final test just to be sure it was likely to work.

[Guest Deepcar Dreamer]

Just joined this forum

There is indeed a big shooting range in the area of the Derwent near Langsett, the Derwent, Langsett and Midhope dams were all used by the dambusters but as far as I can see they just practiced low level flying. Midhope it's self was taken over by the army and Guy Gibson stayed with alocal family when in the area.

IT was also top secret and allthough there's plenty of written evidence I've been unable to find any pictures.

Some pictures from the area yesterday.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.223550781094536.47942.212108952238719&type=1

[Keith_exS10]

May I add.a belated comment  having just come across this thread re ground crew at Ladybower Dam

 My late father qualified as a charted secretary.and prewar taught book-keeping,  law and accountancy in Sheffield. When called up for National Service the RA.F. decided he was ideally suited to be an electrician. Trade training was at Hereford followed by posting to R.A.F. Scampton to  49 Squadron  ( C.O. Guy Gibson) as a bomb electrician. His responsibility was the servicing  and  last-.minute testing of the bomb hook and the fusing  unit. As such he was the last man out immediately before the plane started to taxi.

Bombing raids were not carried out when weather conditions were not suitable so anyone not needed was given a weekend pass. His return was the 0305 train to Lincoln on Monday.. Then one weekend he announced that on Sunday he would be going the other way on the 1830 to Manchester and the same the next weekend. The weekend after that would be  the Lincoln train again and no, he could not tell us why for the moment.

  Then came 614 Squadron and L.A.C. Bradshaw's address at Scampton sudenly changed. We of course only knew the address bit.Then came the raid on the dams and father felt he could tell us what had happened. The.Manchester visit was a training course at the makers for only I think about four of them on the new hanging gear and the rotating gear. After all  the  cylindrical bomb idea was foreseen as a one-off (618 Squadron had the spherical bouncer but that is something else) By this time the development work had been done, and the modified Lancasters had been delivered for familiarisation. In effect it was a longer allround exercise as the  planes were set up at Scampton, flew from there, practiced the low level approach at Ladybower and came home. So far as I know  no-one went from the business end at Scampton., there was no need. It would be surprising if there wasn't a technical man lurking about Ladybower somewhere.For obvious secrecy reasons there would be a heavy presence round the dams plus the fact that the Germans might have had ideas of a conventional attack.

For anyone who cares, there were Indoor tests, a good many outside on South Coast beaches. other nearby dams and at a specially constructed simulated site in Mid Wales.The choice of Ladybower was due to it's close similarity to the .Mohne There were hours of tv documentaries  at the last anniversary.

 

 Just for the record we had a little  chap who had spent years happily washing and cleaning the company cars. On the thirtieth anniversary  he showed me a letter from the M.O.D. saying in effect it was a private party. I asked why and he simply said he was an anti aircraft gunner; "I was trying to shoot them down . I thought they might like to know what it was like to be on the receiving end"  I asked whether the raid was effective. "Four days after they were back working"  Enough said.