0:00:01 > 0:00:05This is the only Lancaster Bomber left flying in Britain.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Earlier today it flew down the Derwent Valley
0:00:08 > 0:00:11to mark the 70th anniversary of one of the most daring raids
0:00:11 > 0:00:12of the Second World War.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Welcome to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, where that raid began.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Almost exactly 70 years ago to the hour,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26the 133 young men involved in that raid had just been briefed.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28As night fell, they clambered aboard
0:00:28 > 0:00:31specially modified Lancaster Bombers,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33taxied out to the runway and took off.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38After weeks of secret intensive training, this was it.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41They were to fly into the heart of enemy territory
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and with pinpoint precision they were to drop
0:00:44 > 0:00:48specially invented bouncing bombs on three mighty dams
0:00:48 > 0:00:51that powered the Nazi war machine.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53They were flying in the dead of night
0:00:53 > 0:00:57at ultra low level on routes they'd never been on before.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00The skill and the courage they displayed and the results
0:01:00 > 0:01:05they achieved meant that for ever more they would be known simply
0:01:05 > 0:01:06as Dambusters.
0:01:28 > 0:01:3370 years ago, this airfield would have been littered with Lancasters.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36It was a hive of activity as the men who flew them,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39and the many more who serviced and repaired the aircraft,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41prepared for the raid.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44This evening, the tarmac between numbers one and two hangar,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48the original hangars used by 617 Squadron, still here,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52is where the events to mark the 70th anniversary of this historic mission
0:01:52 > 0:01:53will take place.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Two of the last three surviving veterans of the Dambusters raid
0:01:56 > 0:01:59are here - pilot Les Munro, who's travelled from his home
0:01:59 > 0:02:03in New Zealand, and bomb aimer Johnny Johnson.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04They are joined by their families
0:02:04 > 0:02:06and the men and women of today's RAF
0:02:06 > 0:02:12to remember the raid and the 53 airmen who never returned.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16And paying their own special tribute in the skies above
0:02:16 > 0:02:17will be two modern fighter jets -
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Tornado GR4s of today's 617 Squadron.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23They will be followed by two Spitfires.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27And the Lancaster itself will be landing here at Scampton.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29The evening will end with a short sunset ceremony,
0:02:29 > 0:02:35led by the RAF College Band and the Queen's Colour Squadron.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38So why is it that the Dambusters raid has remained so iconic?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The dams had long been identified as a very important target,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43but they lacked the technology
0:02:43 > 0:02:46to deliver a precision strike against them.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50That is, until Barnes Wallis, Assistant Chief Designer
0:02:50 > 0:02:53at Vickers Aviation, had a brilliant idea,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58an idea that began on a family holiday on Chesil Beach,
0:02:58 > 0:02:59as his daughter remembers.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02It was down here we had the greatest fun.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05When the water was calm you could find flat stones
0:03:05 > 0:03:08and he showed us how to skim them over the water.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12He used to get up to seven, eight, nine jumps
0:03:12 > 0:03:14with his stones before they sank.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I probably managed about two.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Barnes Wallis was one of the country's
0:03:19 > 0:03:21leading aeronautical engineers,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25He had an extremely fertile mind and was a tremendous innovator.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28The whole of his life, he was always thinking one step ahead,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31which in a way is disadvantageous
0:03:31 > 0:03:34unless the rest of the world keeps up with you.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37His idea was to overcome the torpedo nets
0:03:37 > 0:03:39which protected the German dams
0:03:39 > 0:03:42by skipping a bomb across the water's surface.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48As you can imagine, if somebody came to you and said,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51"I can make a 4.5-tonne lump of metal
0:03:51 > 0:03:54"skip across the surface of the water like a stone,"
0:03:54 > 0:03:58you would perhaps think something wasn't quite right with them.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Wallis started experimenting with his children's marbles.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09And that he could only try quite privately in our back garden,
0:04:09 > 0:04:16on my mother's famous water tub, with his four children in attendance.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19My brother being the oldest and the wisest,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23to measure the number of jumps and the height of the jumps,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and the rest of us to look for the marbles in the flower beds
0:04:25 > 0:04:27when they were lost.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31The major problem was that it required the bombers to fly
0:04:31 > 0:04:34much, much lower than usual.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36A normal bombing raid would be carried out
0:04:36 > 0:04:39at perhaps 12-15,000 feet,
0:04:39 > 0:04:44and 617 Squadron's crews were asked to fly into Germany
0:04:44 > 0:04:46at heights of around 100 feet.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50The Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55had serious doubts about the whole idea.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Yet the order came from the Air Ministry to press on
0:05:07 > 0:05:09with the development of the bomb.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12And start training the crews.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16From my point of view, absolutely exhilarating.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Seeing that ground whizzing past was so exhilarating
0:05:20 > 0:05:22and it was great fun, it really was.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25I could have gone on flying like that indefinitely, I think.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28It was a race against time,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32because for the bomb to work the dam had to be full.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35And the water levels would soon start dropping fast.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40But the bomb's development wasn't going well.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41During trials off a Kent beach
0:05:41 > 0:05:44the casing around the bomb kept on smashing,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48so Wallis scrapped the casing.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53He asked the bombers to fly even lower, down to a mere 60 feet.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Bear in mind the Lancaster weighs 30 tonnes,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59has a wing span of 102 feet.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01When you're flying at 60 feet
0:06:01 > 0:06:03you don't have to dip a wing tip too low
0:06:03 > 0:06:07before you suddenly find yourself hitting a tree, any obstruction,
0:06:07 > 0:06:12the ground, whatever, so the skill required to fly these aircraft
0:06:12 > 0:06:16at that height and make an accurate attack is absolutely tremendous.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21The squadron had less than eight weeks to train
0:06:21 > 0:06:24for this totally new kind of attack,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26with a weapon that still had to be proved.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31In fact, the bomb was only fully tested
0:06:31 > 0:06:34three days before the raid had to happen.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47The mission was run out of this office.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52It's been lovingly restored, so it's just the way it was 70 years ago.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It belonged to the man in charge of this raid,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Wing Commander Guy Gibson.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59He was very experienced.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02He'd flown 172 operational missions
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and had been decorated for gallantry no less than four times,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10but he was only 24 years old.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12But by the standards of the people he flew with,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14he was virtually an old man.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Some were no older than schoolchildren.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Although some were married,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21others had to postpone their weddings
0:07:21 > 0:07:24to do the intensive training needed for this raid.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28This fantastic panel has been added to this room.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30This displays all the names of the air crew
0:07:30 > 0:07:31who went on the Dambusters raid.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Aircraft here, and it works the way along.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37You've got Guy Gibson - he was going to lead the first wave.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39We also have the names
0:07:39 > 0:07:40of the gentlemen joining us tonight.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Johnny Johnson down here
0:07:43 > 0:07:47and Les Munro, who's come all the way from New Zealand
0:07:47 > 0:07:48to be here today.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50He's a reminder that not all of the aircrew were Brits.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Canadians. Fraser here was a Canadian.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58We had New Zealanders, Australians, even an American on the mission.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Tragically, many didn't return.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04That's why there are 53 poppies beside 53 names.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09These are the men who were killed on this night 70 years ago.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15I've got a map here to show the route they took
0:08:15 > 0:08:17out across the North Sea.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18The three waves left Lincolnshire
0:08:18 > 0:08:20aiming for the Dutch coast.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23There wouldn't be too much anti-aircraft defences.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26They would go east into Germany, the Ruhr,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29industrial heartland of Hitler's war machine,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32probably the most heavily defended part of Germany.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36There they would make for three primary target dams -
0:08:36 > 0:08:37the Mohne, the Eder and the Sorpe.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40It was an 800-mile round trip.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46By the time the light began to fade
0:08:46 > 0:08:49the crews were briefed, fed and ready.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52The bombs were ready. The ground crew had spent all day
0:08:52 > 0:08:56trying to get the Lancasters out there airworthy.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Gibson led the men out to the planes.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02As they prepared to take off into the gathering dusk,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05they felt apprehensive. None of them knew
0:09:05 > 0:09:09just how this unprecedented mission would turn out.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24I think anyone who isn't a bit apprehensive
0:09:24 > 0:09:28is either devoid of emotion or a stranger to the truth.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33I think it was accepted as something special by most people.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38I learnt subsequently that there were some crews who didn't think
0:09:38 > 0:09:41they were going to come back.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44And they were leaving with that impression.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47From the crew's perspective you can imagine being strapped
0:09:47 > 0:09:51to your seat for, say, six hours.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Noisy, cold, you were being buffeted around at low level.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59There was ever-present fear of defences opening up on you.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02But they were trained for it. It was the job they had to do.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06They faced flying low over enemy territory
0:10:06 > 0:10:10for hundreds of miles before they even reached their targets.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17We didn't see anything, fortunately,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21but Joe said he was very much aware the gunners would hear us coming
0:10:21 > 0:10:22and recognise the engine,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26but he saw two sand dunes close to the coast.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29He went down between those to get away from the guns.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Three aircraft were shot down en route to the target by flak,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37and two more collided with high-tension cables on the way in,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40emphasising the risks taken by the crews
0:10:40 > 0:10:44not only from enemy action but just from ill fortune.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51When we got there it was brilliant moonlight right over the dam.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55But even in the moonlight it was still a struggle
0:10:55 > 0:10:57to get the planes into the right position
0:10:57 > 0:10:59in the steep and twisting valleys.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02So off we went the first time.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04It wasn't easy to get into position.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07If I wasn't satisfied, I called "dummy run".
0:11:10 > 0:11:16The humorist of the crew was our rear gunner Dave Rodger.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18After the sixth or seventh dummy run,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21the voice from the rear turret,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23"Won't somebody get that bomb out of here!"
0:11:27 > 0:11:30On the tenth run I was able to make the drop.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34When I said, "Bomb gone," from the rear turret, "Thank Christ!"
0:11:38 > 0:11:41I didn't see what the explosion was like.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45But in the rear turret Dave could see it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50He estimated that the spout of water went up to about 1,000 feet.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55We set course for home.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And then we had the... I would say the satisfaction
0:11:58 > 0:12:03of seeing the result of the breaching of the Mohne Dam.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05It was just like an inland sea.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07There was water everywhere.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Both the Mohne and Eder Dams were completely breached
0:12:11 > 0:12:15and the Sorpe Dam was significantly damaged.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19I didn't realise how special the raid was
0:12:19 > 0:12:22until the headlines in the papers the next morning.
0:12:22 > 0:12:28Big headlines - the German dams burst by the RAF.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29God, did we do that?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36This evening is made all the more special by the presence
0:12:36 > 0:12:40of two men who, 70 years after they took off from that runway,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42are back here to join us.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46We have Les Munro, a pilot, and Johnny Johnson, a bomb aimer.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51Les, you've travelled 12,000 miles to be here. Why?
0:12:51 > 0:12:56To renew old acquaintances and to take part in the various functions
0:12:56 > 0:13:00that have been organised to mark the 70th anniversary.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04What does it mean to you, being a Dambuster?
0:13:04 > 0:13:10I guess, I think I've taken a great deal of pride in the fact that
0:13:10 > 0:13:15coincidentally I've been a Dambuster, not by original choice,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18but by answering the call for volunteers
0:13:18 > 0:13:21for the special squadron that was being formed.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23You came all the way from New Zealand.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25That must have been a huge effort.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27This really must be important to you?
0:13:27 > 0:13:35It is important to recognise those involved in the dams raid.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40I believe I'm fortunate to have taken part in the raid,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44although not particularly successfully.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Well, Johnny, how about you?
0:13:46 > 0:13:50You were here for a couple of months back in 1943.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52What was the atmosphere like back then?
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Rather busier than it is now.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59It was very active.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04A lot of work, interesting work, and thoroughly enjoyable work.
0:14:05 > 0:14:11The station, yes, it was beginning to look much like it used to now,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15but at one stage it was rather badly shattered.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Not by bombs, merely by deterioration.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21What does it mean to be here
0:14:21 > 0:14:24preparing for this commemoration today for you?
0:14:24 > 0:14:27It's a wonderful occasion.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32It's a great reminder of what happened here 70 years ago.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36One which I certainly shall never forget,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40and I don't think any of us that were there,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44the three of us that are living, will ever forget it either.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Has it been a big part of your life to be a Dambuster?
0:14:48 > 0:14:49It's had to be.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's cost me so much in drinks,
0:14:54 > 0:14:59but also something which I've enjoyed very much
0:14:59 > 0:15:01is talking about it to various groups.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I only do this if they ask
0:15:05 > 0:15:08because I think if they ask, they're interested
0:15:08 > 0:15:11and if they're interested, I'm quite happy to talk to them.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Well, we are very interested and I will buy you a drink later,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16don't worry. It's costing you too much!
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Now, guys, very exciting because I think the tornadoes are on their way
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and I'm going to hand over to Eddie Butler to talk you through it.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Thank you, Dan.
0:15:25 > 0:15:32The skies over RAF Scampton, the flatlands of Lincolnshire,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36and we await the arrival of two very rapid
0:15:36 > 0:15:43Tornado GR4 all-round fighters.
0:15:43 > 0:15:49This is a tribute by the machines of today, and here they come.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54These are 617 Squadron's aircraft of today,
0:15:54 > 0:16:00complete with GPS, laser guidance.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05They and their crews are paying homage to the machines of yesteryear
0:16:05 > 0:16:09and the crews, the founding fathers of the Dambuster Squadron.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22The pilot is Flight Lieutenant Stewart Campbell.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25With him, Flight Lieutenant Mahmoud Abdallah,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27his weapons system officer.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32And the second tornado, Captain Erik Snel of the Dutch Air Force,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35an exchange officer with the RAF.
0:16:35 > 0:16:41His weapons system officer, Flight Lieutenant Christopher Whitehair.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45These tornadoes are based at the home of the 617 Squadron
0:16:45 > 0:16:47at Lossiemouth in Scotland.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52Scampton was where the 617 newly formed
0:16:52 > 0:16:56for the Dambuster raid. It took off in 1943.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Mary, good to see you. You're Barnes Wallis's daughter.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04I am indeed, yes.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08You were very, very excited when you heard about the Dambuster raid.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09How did you find out?
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Well, it was out in the newspapers on May 18th, wasn't it?
0:17:13 > 0:17:18And the minute I read about it in the newspaper,
0:17:18 > 0:17:23I knew why we'd done that marble game on the terrace of our old home.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Mary, I've got a brilliant letter that you've written here.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28This might embarrass you. I think you wrote it as an 11-year-old.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29"My darling Daddy..."
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- No, I have to say I was 14. - You were 14 years old?
0:17:32 > 0:17:34I was wondering because it's very advanced for an 11-year-old!
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I was getting worried about my own development here!
0:17:37 > 0:17:40It says, "Hooray, hooray, hooray! Wonderful marbles! Up the marbles!
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- "Cheers! Cheers! Cheers! Oh, well done, Daddy!"- Well, there you are.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- Clearly very excited. - Of course I was excited!
0:17:47 > 0:17:52We had fun on the terrace and it went to this marvellous outcome.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54It does say in this letter that you have to rush now
0:17:54 > 0:17:56because you have some Latin homework to do.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58That must have been a terrible trial.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Do a Latin unseen. I say it was a come-down!
0:18:02 > 0:18:04For your father, for the rest of his life,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08did he look back on this as a bit of a highlight, a career highlight?
0:18:08 > 0:18:10My father, for the rest of his life,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14was decimated by the loss of the young men's lives.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Yes, it was a highlight, but it was
0:18:17 > 0:18:19THEIR highlight more than his.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24It was their doing, their glory.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29He was very humble about his contribution. Yeah.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Now, what does it mean to you to be here tonight,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35alongside some of the surviving Dambusters
0:18:35 > 0:18:38and all these people who are here to commemorate this event?
0:18:38 > 0:18:42It's wonderful. I'm so impressed, I'm amazed.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45I mean, I think it's worth it, every minute of it,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48but it's lovely to see the old brigade.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52It sure is. Stay wrapped up there because we've got some Spitfires
0:18:52 > 0:18:54coming, apparently, so, Eddie, back to you.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Here we have the fighters of yesteryear coming in
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and alongside me is Flight Lieutenant Loz Rushmere,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06a pilot in the RAF
0:19:06 > 0:19:11and also a pilot with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15We are just waiting for the arrival of these old Spitfires, Loz,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18but this is meant to be the Lancasters' party, isn't it?
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- What are these Spitfires doing here? - Well, that's correct, Eddie.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25The Spitfires are here representing the photo reconnaissance Spitfires
0:19:25 > 0:19:28of 542 Squadron, which flew from RAF Benson.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32The pictures you can see on screen now are those that were taken
0:19:32 > 0:19:37after the raid by Flying Officer Frank Fray,
0:19:37 > 0:19:42who had taken a large amount of pictures both before and after.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45The intelligence prior to the raid was all essential
0:19:45 > 0:19:48because it was important that the dams were full of water
0:19:48 > 0:19:50so that the weapon would work effectively
0:19:50 > 0:19:52and clearly afterwards to ensure that
0:19:52 > 0:19:55the raids had the effect which was intended.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59These were modified Spitfires.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01They had a long-haul flight themselves
0:20:01 > 0:20:03to get to Germany and back,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05but what was different about them?
0:20:05 > 0:20:10The aim of the photo reconnaissance Spitfires was to fly high
0:20:10 > 0:20:12so they could keep away from the trouble
0:20:12 > 0:20:15and the defences over enemy territory
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and also to get the imagery that was required.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21They were flown without armament in order that they could carry
0:20:21 > 0:20:26additional fuel to make the extended journey over enemy territory.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Here we have it. The sky, for the moment, is empty.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36Interesting that the Spitfire, there were more of them made
0:20:36 > 0:20:41than any other military aircraft in our British history.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- Over 20,000 Spitfires manufactured. - That's correct.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48They first came into service with the Royal Air Force in 1938
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and served until well after the war, into the '50s.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53And here they come, two Mk 19 Spitfires,
0:20:53 > 0:20:59representing those of 542 Squadron with the Griffon engine.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03If they bank for us, we may see that they are blue.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06That's correct, Eddie. They were blue because
0:21:06 > 0:21:09the role they undertook was flying at high altitude,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11so they needed to be camouflaged from below
0:21:11 > 0:21:14against the blue of the skies rather than the more traditional
0:21:14 > 0:21:17ground-style camouflage of the greens and browns.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20With a sound of their own.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25I mean, the Lancaster, the Tornado, has a sort of music of the RAF,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29- but the Spitfire perhaps is the most iconic noise.- That's correct.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The earlier versions of a Spitfire had the Merlin engine,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35the same engines that are fitted onto the Lancaster.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38These later models had the Rolls-Royce Griffon engine.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42It's a slightly more snarly sound and we'll take a pause here
0:21:42 > 0:21:45just to listen to the sound as they fly over.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48ENGINES THRUM
0:21:52 > 0:21:55They say everybody wants to be a fighter pilot.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59You fly the Lancaster, the Dakota, in the Memorial Flight.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03You fly big AWACS planes. Would you want to fly a Spitfire?
0:22:03 > 0:22:04I'd love to have a go at a Spitfire.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Unfortunately, it's not something that is open to me
0:22:07 > 0:22:08through my role at the Royal Air Force
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, but maybe one day.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20There is the Spitfire. The Lancaster is yet to come,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24the aircraft topping the bill. It will appear live,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27but the star of the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight
0:22:27 > 0:22:30has been out today already and made somebody's day.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34The RAF managed to squeeze the very tall Dan Snow aboard.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43I'm so familiar with the Lancaster.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I've seen it on the ground and at air shows,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48but I never imagined for one second that I'd ever get to fly in one.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51This is an enormous honour, and today we're not just flying,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54but we're going over the dams at which the Dambusters trained
0:22:54 > 0:22:5770 years ago. It's going to be an incredible experience.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59It's quite physical, apparently -
0:22:59 > 0:23:01the sounds and smells, being jostled around inside.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03It's not built for comfort.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06I'll try and give you guys at home a sense of what it's like.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12- Welcome aboard the Lancaster. - The gunner's down there, I take it?
0:23:12 > 0:23:13That's it. Vitally important,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16he's the guy who spots the fighters that were trying to
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- take them out as they came along. - Yeah.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Getting over these wing struts is always a challenge.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28So, Dan, this is where the crew is going to be for the sortie.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30You have the captain in the left-hand seat,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32the co-pilot in the right-hand seat.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35During the war, both the flight engineer and a navigator
0:23:35 > 0:23:36are standing behind the crew.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Of course, you'll be down the front in the bomber's position.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Good stuff. I'll try and crawl down there now.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49And this is the iconic bubble at the front of the Lancaster
0:23:49 > 0:23:51where the bomb aimer would have sat,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55but because the navigation was so tricky on this mission,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58they were flying solo, the bomb aimer actually helped the navigator
0:23:58 > 0:24:00keep the plane in the air and on course.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Turning now.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Right wheel turns, tail straight.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I cannot believe we're going to be taking off from the same runway
0:24:27 > 0:24:31that the Dambusters took off from 70 years ago today.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05And we are up! I can't believe it!
0:25:24 > 0:25:28You can just see crowds of people and flashes of cameras.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32This is a moment none of them will ever forget, and neither will I.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37They're really having to throw this Lancaster around from side to side.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44And there are the Tornadoes, the 617 Squadron Tornadoes.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48The direct descendants of the men who flew these aircraft
0:25:48 > 0:25:50during the Second World War.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59We are almost brushing the treetops. Wow!
0:26:10 > 0:26:14And there we are, we are now being accompanied by the Spitfires.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19What a beautiful sight those Spitfires are.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Followed by the Spitfires.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26We are really having to throw this aircraft around.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Banking from right to left.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The banks of the reservoir are absolutely crowded with people
0:26:36 > 0:26:39who are here to pay tribute to the air crew who took part
0:26:39 > 0:26:43in this most audacious of raids 70 years ago today.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47There is the dam. Wow!
0:26:53 > 0:26:58Extraordinary banking turns. We are going to hit it bang on.
0:27:02 > 0:27:08This is incredible. It's a very emotional experience.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17What a way to remember those people on both sides
0:27:17 > 0:27:21who died during this raid and to commemorate
0:27:21 > 0:27:27something that will be forever remembered for its audacity
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and the bravery of those who took part.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40That is a day that I will not forget in a hurry.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41It was just fantastic.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44And that Lancaster will be here live in a minute.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46We've got the Spitfires parking up now. The Rolls-Royce Merlin
0:27:46 > 0:27:49is making a bit of noise, the Griffon, perhaps, on that one.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I'm joined by John Maltby, who is David Maltby's son,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54one of the pilots on the Dambuster raid.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Your dad survived the Dambusters, didn't he,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- but then what happened to him? - Yes, he'd gone through all that,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01then several months later he was killed in a flying accident
0:28:01 > 0:28:05when the whole flight was recalled due to fog coming over.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07The bad weather was over the target.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11We understand that a Mosquito possibly flew into him
0:28:11 > 0:28:13because we know one went missing at the same time.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16It's such an important reminder that even the ones that survived
0:28:16 > 0:28:19the Dambusters raid weren't guaranteed to survive the war,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22there were a lot of dangerous days and weeks and months ahead.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Yes, I was involved with flying when I was younger and I know
0:28:25 > 0:28:28there will always be accidents and I don't hold any malice.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30These things unfortunately do happen.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32How old were you when he died?
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I was only ten weeks old, so I never really got to know him.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38But you do have something very special of his, don't you?
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Yes, I do. I happen to have his logbook,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42which was handed to my mother by Harry Humphries,
0:28:42 > 0:28:44who was the adjutant to the squadron at the time.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48And we can see down there...
0:28:48 > 0:28:53That's right, look at that, May 16. "Ops Mohne Dam."
0:28:53 > 0:28:58That is... What a piece of history you've got there!
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Thank you very much indeed.
0:29:00 > 0:29:01We think the Lancaster is on its way,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04so we're going to go back to Eddie now and enjoy this display.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12And here she comes in all her glory.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17This one nicknamed Thumper III.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Came into service in 1943.
0:29:22 > 0:29:29Dropped tallboy bombs, also designed by Barnes Wallis.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Loz, this is more your size, isn't it?
0:29:33 > 0:29:34That's correct, Eddie.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38I have the great, great privilege to be one of the captains
0:29:38 > 0:29:41that get to fly these aeroplanes, present them to the public.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43If we just listen now...
0:29:43 > 0:29:46ENGINES DROWN SPEECH
0:29:48 > 0:29:51As you can see, the flight crew of four.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53We've got, on the right of camera there,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56that's tonight's captain, Flight Lieutenant Roger Nichols
0:29:56 > 0:29:59and co-pilot Flight Lieutenant Tim Dunlop.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Also with him tonight, navigator, Squadron Leader Russ Russell
0:30:02 > 0:30:05and flight engineer, Flight Sergeant Martin Blyth.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09Crew of seven during the war and just four for us
0:30:09 > 0:30:12when we display here on ceremonial duties.
0:30:12 > 0:30:167,377 Lancaster bombers were built.
0:30:16 > 0:30:223,500, that's more or less half, were lost on operational duty.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25It's staggering, but it...
0:30:25 > 0:30:29It suggests exactly how dangerous it was,
0:30:29 > 0:30:34flying these aircraft during World War II on bomber operations.
0:30:34 > 0:30:3755,573 servicemen lost their lives
0:30:37 > 0:30:41flying on bomber command operations in World War II.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46It was the most dangerous branch of the armed services,
0:30:46 > 0:30:53to be in bomber command. 55,000 out of 125,000 lost their lives.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56That's correct, Eddie.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59And I think, to stop and think about it for a moment,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02the odds of people actually completing a tour
0:31:02 > 0:31:03were very slim indeed,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07yet night after night, they went out, taking the fight back.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Now, she's very graceful,
0:31:09 > 0:31:14- but she was not designed to do what the Dambusters did.- No, absolutely.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17She was designed for medium- to high-level bombing
0:31:17 > 0:31:21and that was what she was best at. However, for this operation,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25the specific requirements of the weapon required her
0:31:25 > 0:31:29to be flown at extreme low-level and I have had the great pleasure
0:31:29 > 0:31:35to fly down the Mohne Dam at some 250 feet in daylight in peacetime
0:31:35 > 0:31:38and these guys had about eight weeks to learn how to
0:31:38 > 0:31:42do that at 60 feet, at night, whilst under attack.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44It's staggering if you think about it.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47The bomb bay doors gaping open there,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51but those were taken off to accommodate the...
0:31:51 > 0:31:53- the mine, it was called, wasn't it?- That's correct.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55The upkeep weapon,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58which was the technical term for the bouncing bomb as we know it,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02was actually mounted externally to the aircraft
0:32:02 > 0:32:03and there was no room for the doors,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06so effectively it hung underneath the aircraft
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and there were some fairings put in to streamline it a little,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11but the doors themselves were not there
0:32:11 > 0:32:13and the upper turret was also removed
0:32:13 > 0:32:16for the 617 Squadron aircraft.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Nearly 7,500 of these beautiful beasts were built.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25- This is the only one flying over Britain now.- That's correct.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28There is one other that flies in Canada, which is privately owned.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32However, this is the only one in the rest of the world
0:32:32 > 0:32:34and we actually fly her and display her to the public.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37We also take her to Europe sometimes,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39so she really is still operating
0:32:39 > 0:32:45very much as an aeroplane doing its job, not sat in a museum.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55And the bomb bay doors close,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58- which must have come as a relief to many a pilot.- Absolutely.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00I think Johnny Johnson noted that it took them
0:33:00 > 0:33:04ten goes to drop the weapon and get it on target,
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and the relief of the rear gunner
0:33:06 > 0:33:07when they finally got the weapon away
0:33:07 > 0:33:11and got to start the not safe, equally dangerous journey back home.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Some lovely views from the cockpit here.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20You can see the good all-round visibility
0:33:20 > 0:33:22from the Lancaster cockpit.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- Nursing an old girl through the skies.- Absolutely.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35When we display the Lancaster, it doesn't take a great deal
0:33:35 > 0:33:38of effort for us to do anything special with her.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41We turn up in the aeroplane and we present her to the crowd
0:33:41 > 0:33:45and she talks with the song of her Merlins, does it all.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Flying over Lincoln.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04Lincoln Cathedral, of course, was the last landmark they saw
0:34:04 > 0:34:09- and the first thing they saw on homecoming.- That's correct.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Iconic, as the Lancaster is, so is Lincoln Cathedral.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15As you suggest, it was a sign of coming home.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Indeed, this aircraft is The City Of Lincoln.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21She has the honour of carrying that on her right-hand side.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24We'll just see when she comes round.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Lovely view from the mid-upper there,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34the classic view of Lancaster.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37A very unusual view of an aeroplane, but a wonderful one to see.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50Lancaster in the air. Dan, very much on the ground.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55I've got with me the current Commanding Officer of 617 Squadron,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Wing Commander David Arthurton.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59And also Squadron Leader Mark Jackson.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03So you've really inherited the legacy of these Dambusters.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05- That must be an extraordinary feeling.- It is.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08It's an absolute honour and a privilege to be
0:35:08 > 0:35:11the commanding officer of 617 Squadron in this anniversary year.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14The spirit and the ethos that were forged by those brave crews
0:35:14 > 0:35:17back in 1943 lives on to this day
0:35:17 > 0:35:21and it just warms my heart to see that in my crews.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22Do think you'll stand a bit taller
0:35:22 > 0:35:24and take yourself a bit more seriously
0:35:24 > 0:35:27- because of what your forebears achieved?- Very much so.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30It's a fantastic honour and a privilege
0:35:30 > 0:35:31to be part of this squadron
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and we relive that ethos in the squadron today
0:35:34 > 0:35:36from 1943 right up to 2013.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Because, I suppose, in some ways, the mission is still the same.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42It's surgical strikes on high-value targets.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45- I mean, you're doing the same job. Different kit, though.- Exactly.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Precision strike was what the Dambusters were about in 1943
0:35:48 > 0:35:50and that's very much the same today.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53We're looking forward to our future deployment to Afghanistan
0:35:53 > 0:35:56at the end of the year where there is the potential for us to
0:35:56 > 0:35:59use weapons of precision strike if required during that deployment.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02You can help me with something, because what I do not understand
0:36:02 > 0:36:05is how on earth they managed to drop the bombs and hit those dams,
0:36:05 > 0:36:09so if we come over here, we've got a World War II bubble canopy.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12My beautiful assistant here is holding it. Thank you very much.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Now, could you just try and talk me through,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18how did they manage to land those bombs on those targets?
0:36:18 > 0:36:22This is an example of the very rudimentary bomb aiming sight
0:36:22 > 0:36:24that they used back in the Second World War.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27But that's not... I mean, I could have knocked that up in my shed.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- That's not actually what they used, presumably?- Exactly like this.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33This is a replica, but they used a sight like this,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36they looked through the hole in this end nearest to me here
0:36:36 > 0:36:39and they waited until the two nails
0:36:39 > 0:36:42were lined up on the towers on the dams
0:36:42 > 0:36:45and that was the cue that they were at the right range from the dams
0:36:45 > 0:36:46and they let the bombs go.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48That is completely extraordinary.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Looking at that, with the kit you have now, what do you think?
0:36:51 > 0:36:53It's astonishing to think they were using kit like that.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57They were also using two small sort of lights,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00which pointed towards each other.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02They created a figure eight on the ground, which allowed them
0:37:02 > 0:37:05to know they were 60 feet above the dams.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08And then you think about today, with the sort of technology that we have,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Storm Shadow missiles and the precision strike that we have,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14- it is an astonishing feat. - Do you think you could hit a target
0:37:14 > 0:37:16with the equipment they had back then?
0:37:16 > 0:37:19I think it would be very, very difficult.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22Considering they only had a matter of weeks to train for it,
0:37:22 > 0:37:24it was an astonishing feat.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26I suppose it is worth remembering
0:37:26 > 0:37:28that as well as being courageous and heroic,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31it was extraordinary innovation. It was pushed through very quickly.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34It was. They started with the scientists who designed the bomb,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37then the weapon was integrated onto to aircraft very quickly
0:37:37 > 0:37:39and then the crews had to learn how to drop it.
0:37:39 > 0:37:40So it was a real team effort
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- and that team spirit endures to this day.- Great stuff.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46We've got the band coming out now to begin the Sunset Ceremony.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48MAN SHOUTS ORDERS
0:37:52 > 0:37:55BAND STRIKES UP
0:38:22 > 0:38:26The band of the Royal Air Force College.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29At the head, Drum Major Chief Technician Simon Carter.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33And they're playing Eagle Squadron,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35which was written by Kenneth Alford
0:38:35 > 0:38:37in honour of the American volunteers
0:38:37 > 0:38:41who came to fly before America joined the war.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55The Director of Music is Squadron Leader Chris Weldon.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53MUSIC ENDS
0:39:59 > 0:40:03The Tornado is stationary, the Spitfire is stationary.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06We just await the arrival of the Lancaster.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16And the veterans, waiting to see a dear old friend.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Johnny Johnson, Les Munro, the survivors.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20There is a third,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22Fred Sutherland,
0:40:22 > 0:40:27who was a front gunner from the Royal Canadian Air Force.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39And if Eagle Squadron wasn't so very familiar to you,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43well, the next tune the band will play,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47I think we'll all be able to tap along to this one.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53MUSIC: "Dambusters March" by Eric Coates
0:44:14 > 0:44:16The Dambusters March slightly drowned
0:44:16 > 0:44:20by the roar of four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26The aircraft and the band together.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28APPLAUSE
0:44:44 > 0:44:45The Guard of Honour.
0:44:45 > 0:44:50Guard of Honour, by the left, quick march.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53The Queen's Colour Squadron.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56BAND STRIKES UP
0:45:00 > 0:45:04The parade commander, Flying Officer Robert Ward.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Guard of Honour...
0:45:32 > 0:45:33..halt!
0:45:34 > 0:45:36Into line,
0:45:36 > 0:45:37left turn!
0:45:40 > 0:45:42Shoulder arms!
0:45:45 > 0:45:47Right dress.
0:45:55 > 0:46:00Next, the Squadron Standard
0:46:00 > 0:46:05will be presented to 617 Squadron.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08A very special badge.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18A little bit of shuffling going on
0:46:18 > 0:46:21before one of the most famous standards appears.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Guard of Honour, slope arms.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30March on, the 617 Squadron Standard.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34Guard of Honour, general salute.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36Present arms!
0:46:38 > 0:46:40BAND STRIKES UP
0:46:44 > 0:46:46Standard Party,
0:46:46 > 0:46:49by the centre, quick march!
0:47:08 > 0:47:10Here we have the Standard.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14A dam with a lightning strike overhead,
0:47:14 > 0:47:18a breach in the dam and water pouring through.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24And the motto - apres moi, le deluge.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26After me, the flood.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29Parade,
0:47:29 > 0:47:31slope arms.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Guard of honour,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38shoulder arms!
0:47:40 > 0:47:42Guard of honour,
0:47:42 > 0:47:44stand at ease!
0:47:46 > 0:47:48Stand at ease!
0:47:48 > 0:47:50The Standard Party,
0:47:50 > 0:47:54a cross-section of all the skills in the RAF -
0:47:54 > 0:47:57a Tornado pilot, an expert on weapons systems,
0:47:57 > 0:48:00an expert on Rolls-Royce engines.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04Air Vice Marshal Stuart Atha...
0:48:04 > 0:48:08Tonight, we remember a heroic chapter
0:48:08 > 0:48:11in the history of the Royal Air Force,
0:48:11 > 0:48:16written by men of good character
0:48:16 > 0:48:18and courage,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21the Dambusters of 617 Squadron.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Here, at Royal Air Force Scampton,
0:48:26 > 0:48:29exactly 70 years ago tonight,
0:48:29 > 0:48:33airmen drawn from across the Commonwealth
0:48:33 > 0:48:37launched in 19 Lancasters,
0:48:37 > 0:48:44to deliver the most daring operation of all time.
0:48:45 > 0:48:50Under a full moon, and armed with only self-belief,
0:48:50 > 0:48:54courage and a bouncing bomb,
0:48:54 > 0:49:00they flew at treetop-level deep into hostile territory
0:49:00 > 0:49:04to deliver a precise and devastating attack
0:49:04 > 0:49:08that marked a turning in the war.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15This success was delivered through the ingenuity of Barnes Wallis,
0:49:15 > 0:49:19the leadership of Guy Gibson
0:49:19 > 0:49:23and above all, the valour and the skills
0:49:23 > 0:49:28of the 133 airmen who flew that night,
0:49:28 > 0:49:32and of whom only 77 returned.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38Their immense bravery, their significant sacrifice
0:49:38 > 0:49:40inspired a nation,
0:49:40 > 0:49:45and every generation of airmen and airwomen
0:49:45 > 0:49:48who have followed their steps.
0:49:48 > 0:49:55Now, as then, the Royal Air Force combines innovative technology,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58intense training,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01ingrained tenacity
0:50:01 > 0:50:07to deliver precise, decisive effect on operations.
0:50:08 > 0:50:14The current members of 617 Squadron continue to write history,
0:50:14 > 0:50:19and I wish the ground crew and the aircrew of the Squadron well
0:50:19 > 0:50:23as they prepare for their forthcoming deployment
0:50:23 > 0:50:24to Afghanistan.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29All those who serve today
0:50:29 > 0:50:34salute that extraordinary generation of yesterday,
0:50:34 > 0:50:37including the few of Fighter Command
0:50:37 > 0:50:40and the many others of Bomber Command.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Tonight, 70 years on,
0:50:44 > 0:50:50we pay tribute to that indomitable band of airmen,
0:50:50 > 0:50:55the magnificent Dambusters of 617 Squadron.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59The tribute from Air Vice Marshal Stuart Atha.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03And now the chaplain, the Rev Squadron Leader Alex Hobson.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Let us pray.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the vision
0:51:10 > 0:51:13and ingenuity of those who planned,
0:51:13 > 0:51:16and the dedication, courage and self-sacrifice
0:51:16 > 0:51:19of those who carried out the Dambusters raid.
0:51:21 > 0:51:26And as we remember their heroism, we lament the cost of war.
0:51:26 > 0:51:31Remembering all those who, in the air or on the ground,
0:51:31 > 0:51:33gave or lost their lives
0:51:33 > 0:51:36in this and other raids by Bomber Command
0:51:36 > 0:51:39in the struggle against tyranny.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42And so, may the noble qualities
0:51:42 > 0:51:46symbolised by this Squadron's standard inspire us all
0:51:46 > 0:51:51to strive against those forces that cause conflict between peoples,
0:51:51 > 0:51:54and to be ready, like our forebears,
0:51:54 > 0:51:58to give our all in the service of freedom and justice,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04who died that all might be free.
0:52:04 > 0:52:05Amen.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09Guard of Honour.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12Guard of Honour, attention!
0:52:17 > 0:52:21Guard of Honour, slope arms.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28March off, the 617 Squadron Standard.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Guard of Honour, general salute.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34Present arms!
0:52:36 > 0:52:38BAND STRIKES UP
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Standard Party, by the centre,
0:52:44 > 0:52:47left wheel, quick march.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56And the Standard of 617 Squadron
0:52:56 > 0:52:58leaves RAF Scampton
0:52:58 > 0:53:01and will be heading home to the Squadron's base
0:53:01 > 0:53:04at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Guard of Honour,
0:53:12 > 0:53:14slope arms.
0:53:17 > 0:53:18Guard of Honour,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21shoulder arms.
0:53:28 > 0:53:33And so we begin the Sunset Ceremony, starting with the Evening Hymn.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Guard of Honour,
0:54:56 > 0:54:59slope arms.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31Guard of Honour,
0:55:31 > 0:55:33present arms.
0:55:41 > 0:55:46The RAF Ensign is lowered, as it is at the end of the working day
0:55:46 > 0:55:49at every RAF station across the world.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33MUSIC: "The National Anthem"
0:57:07 > 0:57:08Guard of Honour,
0:57:08 > 0:57:10slope arms.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27Sir, that concludes the RAF Scampton Sunset Ceremony.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29Permission to march off.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31- Carry on.- Thank you, sir.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Guard of Honour,
0:57:48 > 0:57:49move to the left.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51Left turn.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Guard of Honour, by the right, quick march.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59BAND STRIKES UP
0:58:01 > 0:58:0370 years ago, from this very place,
0:58:03 > 0:58:0719 bombers took off and flew like swallows.
0:58:07 > 0:58:11Their story and their crews have come down the years loud and clear,
0:58:11 > 0:58:14like the roar of a Lancaster engine,
0:58:14 > 0:58:16the legend of the Dambusters.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26From the home of the Dambusters,
0:58:26 > 0:58:29the sun goes down behind the Lancaster there,
0:58:29 > 0:58:32the enduring symbol of brains and bravery
0:58:32 > 0:58:34but also the cost of war.
0:58:34 > 0:58:36We wish you a very good night.
0:58:52 > 0:58:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd