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On the evening of the 16th/17th May 1943: The Dambusters Raid – Operation Chastise was successfully executed 🫡🛩️🇬🇧 Eighty-three years ago, Britain’s finest demonstrated the very best of our island spirit, courage and ingenuity. Wing Commander Guy Gibson led 617 Squadron RAF; just 19 specially modified Avro Lancaster bombers, on one of the most audacious and legendary raids of the Second World War. Armed with the revolutionary “bouncing bombs” invented by British engineer Dr Barnes Wallis, the crews flew at treetop height across occupied Europe to strike the great dams of the Ruhr, the industrial heart of Nazi Germany. After intense low-level training over the Derwent Dam in Derbyshire (where a proud memorial now stands in their honour) and Eyebrook Reservoir in Leicestershire, the squadron successfully breached the Möhne and Eder dams and damaged the Sorpe. The sight of those mighty walls collapsing sent a tidal wave through the valleys and, more importantly, a surge of hope through the British people. Of the 133 brave aircrew who took off from RAF Scampton, 53 men were killed and three became prisoners of war. On the ground in Germany the flooding claimed almost 1,300 lives. The direct damage to German industry was repaired relatively quickly, yet the raid’s true and lasting impact was immense: it delivered a massive morale boost to a war-weary Britain at a pivotal moment, proving that even in our darkest hour we could strike back with brilliance and bravery. This was British ingenuity at its finest; Wallis’s bouncing bomb, Gibson’s fearless leadership, and the unmatched skill and sacrifice of the aircrews of 617 Squadron. The Dambusters became instant national heroes and their story still stirs pride in every British heart today. We will remember them – always. Lest we forget. #DamBusters #WeWillRemember