On 16 May 1943, nineteen Lancaster aircraft from the RAF’s 617 Squadron set off to attack the great dams in the industrial heart of Germany. Flying at a height of 60ft, they dropped a series of bombs which bounced across the water and destroyed two of their targets, thereby creating a legend. The one-off operation combined an audacious method of attack, technically brilliant flying and visually spectacular results, but while the story of the raid is well known, most of the 133 men who took part in the raid are just names on a list. They came from all parts of the UK and the Commonwealth and beyond, and each of them was someone’s son or brother, husband or father. This is the first book to present their individual stories.
AUTHOR: Charles Foster grew up with the story of the raid, as his uncle was one of the pilots who took part. He worked in publishing, journalism and design for over 30 years, and has also written widely on the subject, including a book, blog and website and many articles. He has contributed to various TV programmes and news bulletins and has been invited to be a part of the official 2018 75th anniversary events. He lives in Ireland.
200 b/w illustrations