65 years on: the dambusters remembered

On 16 May 1943, 19 aircraft set out to destroy the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany's industrial heartland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7404052.stm

A great day for Britain and the British allies, but not so for Germany.

"Lest we forget."

Interesting. I was 17 at the time, eagerly awaiting my 18th birthday in August so I could go into the army. Shows how smart I was.

We couldn't have won without you.

Tomorrow, Saturday the 17th, is Armed Forces Day in the US. A day to thank all of those in service to the country.
Here is a site with a great message:
http://www.saintsandheroes.com/armedforces/

And of course, who could forget that a week from this coming Monday is Memorial Day? My sister put this video together:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvN91ZfnIIw

I needed tissues to view it. Our father was career military--Navy.

You'll need several boxes of tissues for this one:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rbUOY0Rk1tA&feature=related

One for Pam:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=S8gRx8tWJmI&feature=related

Shelagh wrote:

On 16 May 1943, 19 aircraft set out to destroy the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany's industrial heartland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7404052.stm

A great day for Britain and the British allies, but not so for Germany.

"Lest we forget."

Shelagh,

I served with 617 Squadron in more recent times, at Scampton, in the days of the Vulcan. I always remained in touch with the RAf and wrote a poem for 617 which is now part of the squadron archive. It was also dipslayed at the Eden Camp Museum in the Dambusters display section. The poem was published in a couple of anthologies as well. Here it is:

APRES MOI LE DELUGE
(A tribute to 617 Squadron, Royal Air Force)

Briefing over, time to go,
A last cigarette, then 'twas on with the show.
Almost tweny to ten, the first wave took flight,
617 embarked on their dambusting flight!

Determined, yet anxious, they all knew the score,
That this was a vital mission of war.
One hundred and thirty three men, brave and true,
On that dark night in May into history flew!

Through the darkness of night they flew ever onward,
To the dams of the Ruhr, the target to be conquered.
Their minds set and focussed on what they must do,
As the flak burst around them, still onward they flew.

On the way to the dams, five were shot from the sky,
On a night when the squadron saw fifty three die!
Ordinary young men, now remembered by name,
In the annals of history's own hall of fame.

With no thought of the cost to themselves they pressed on,
They attacked, they succeeded, the job was well done.
The bouncing bombs bounced, the dams they were breached,
They set course for a home that some still never reached.

Nineteen Lancaster bombers left Scampton that night,
Eight failed to return from their most famous flight.
The lucky ones came back, and with the light of the dawn,
The legend of Gibson's Dambusters was born.

They will ne'er be forgot, we remember them well,
Byers, Maudesley and Young, all the others who fell.
Regardless of rank, pilots, engineers, gunners,
Those who never came back, those who saw no more summers!

For those who were there, and for those now long gone,
Today's squadron ensures that their memory lives on.
"Apres Moi le Deluge", let the legend survive,
Of the Dambusters, still here, a squadron alive!

Brian L Porter

Thanks for the dedicated clip Shelagh-made me cry because some of it was filmed in Edmonton and there are people in there that I know.

Here is song that some of you may have heard before. It was on TV quite a bit last year around Nov 11. Terry Kelly, the composer, is a friend of mine, and lives here in Halifax. The video is beautiful.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg

Honoring our soldiers/veterans is important. I wish I could say the same about the commander-in-chief.

I think it depends on who the c-i-c is Abe. Hopefully the next one will be better. Oh, uh...maybe not.

That's a great video, Pam. Thanks for sharing it. Thanks for the thread, Shelagh. On this day and on Memorial day, there are many to remember.

Malcolm

Brian L Porter wrote:

Shelagh wrote:

On 16 May 1943, 19 aircraft set out to destroy the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany's industrial heartland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7404052.stm

A great day for Britain and the British allies, but not so for Germany.

"Lest we forget."

Shelagh,

I served with 617 Squadron in more recent times, at Scampton, in the days of the Vulcan. I always remained in touch with the RAf and wrote a poem for 617 which is now part of the squadron archive. It was also dipslayed at the Eden Camp Museum in the Dambusters display section. The poem was published in a couple of anthologies as well. Here it is:

Wonderful poem Brian! Congratulations on the publications and the display!