19 Dambuster crew photos and death details of 132/133

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by spidge, Nov 2, 2015.

  1. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    SECOND WAVE

    NUMBER 12

    Byers Crew

    Dambuster Byers Crew.jpg
     
  2. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    SECOND WAVE

    NUMBER 13

    Rice Crew

    Dambuster Rice Crew 1.jpg
     
  3. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    SECOND WAVE

    NUMBER 14

    McCarthy Crew

    One of only two crews who survived the war without loss.

    14 Dambuster McCarthy Crew.jpg
     
  4. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    THIRD WAVE

    NUMBER 15

    Ottley Crew

    Frederick Tees and Harry Strange would swap gun positions on ops. This night Fred Tees was listed as Front Gunner however they swapped again and Fred survived.

    Dambuster Ottley Crew 2.jpg
     
  5. Charles

    Charles Junior Member

    Hi Spidge
    I have read these posts with interest. All of the 133 men who took part in the raid are given their individual profile and picture on my blog. See http://completedambusters.com. I seem to recognise some of your pictures as being those I had sourced for the blog.
    Rice died on 24 November 1981 and Batson on 25 November 2006.

    Best wishes
    Charles
    http://dambustersblog.com
     
    alieneyes likes this.
  6. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Hi Charles, Thank you for those dates. I did already have them on the photos when I edited them on the 28th of December after updating my master. A friend, Alex B, provided them for me on his Facebook page. Alex has been a great help to me with his knowledge of 617sqn and Bomber Command. The only two who I do not have day/month for are Ivan Whittaker and Frank Appleby. A lady who traces the Appleby line states that "Frank's date of death is not recorded on the GRO index - Only the year and Jul-Sep Qtr.

    With respect to photos, I have been in contact with many of the families in Canada, Shere "Fraser", Maureen O,Shaugnessy, daughter of Harry O'Brien to name a couple and others through Ancestry who have provided personal photos and grave photos of their fathers which I am also endeavoring to collect as well. There have also been quite a few who have seen my posts through my RAAF Facebook page and sent me photos.

    Cheers and a Happy New Year

    Geoff
     
  7. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Geoff,

    Work in progress looking good.....thanks for updating us with the progress of your project.

    Best Wishes for the New Year.....no doubt basking in the sun unlike we in the UK
     
  8. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Harry, was 40c in Melbourne on Thursday.

    Should post the rest of the Dambuster crews this week.

    Best for the New Year to you also.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  9. Charles

    Charles Junior Member

    Dear Geoff
    Thanks for clearing this up.

    Charles
     
  10. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    THIRD WAVE

    NUMBER 16

    Burpee Crew

    16 Dambuster Burpee Crew.jpg
     
  11. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    THIRD WAVE

    NUMBER 17

    Brown Crew

    17 Dambuster Brown Crew.jpg
     
  12. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    THIRD WAVE

    NUMBER 18

    Townsend Crew


    18 Dambuster Townsend Crew.jpg
     
  13. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    THIRD WAVE

    NUMBER 19

    Anderson Crew

    19 Dambuster Anderson Crew.jpg
     
  14. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Number 20

    The Dam's Raid Main Men

    20 Dam's Raid Main Men.jpg
     
  15. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

  16. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    **Deleted**
     
  17. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    There are now only two Dambusters living.

    George "Johnny" Johnson (UK) from McCarthy's Crew (14)

    Frederick E. Sutherland (Canada) from Les Knight's Crew.(9)

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  18. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

  19. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Of the 133 airmen that set out on the Dams raid, 30 were Canadian. Fourteen were killed during the raid and one became a Prisoner of War. Exactly 50% of the Canadians who took off did not return.

    Doc Sutherland was the front gunner on Les Knights Lancaster AJ-N that went to the Mohne Dam, and then successfully attacked and breached the Eder Dam. Shot down four months later, he managed to evade capture and escape back to England with the help of the Resistance movements, returning through Holland, France and Spain.

    As of July 2016, he continues to reside in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. 93-year-old Fred still drives his car and he and his wife manage very well in their own home

    2.-Young-Fred-Sutherland.jpg

    p_dr_sutherland.jpg
     
  20. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Hi Tim,

    Many of the crew lived to a good age.

    There ended up being 3 returning to Canada from that crew, albeit not until 1952 that Australian Robert Kellow and his Canadian born wife and their two Australian born children emigrated to live in Winnipeg. Bob had married
    Doreen Alice Roberta (PAL) Smith in 1946 in the Merewether Methodist Church Newcastle, New South Wales.

    Bob Barlow was employed at the Engineering Division of the Manitoba Power Commission (predecessor to Manitoba Hydro), starting as a draftsman in 1953 and retiring as an executive assistant in 1982..

    He passed away on 12th February 1988 at St Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg. He was 71.

    Kellow visited Knight's grave in the 1980s as did other members of his grateful crew on a number of occasions.

    9 Dambuster Knight Crew.jpg Kellow_RGT (2).jpg

    Cheers
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2016
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