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Dambusters Declassified
Martin Shaw retraces the 1943 raid which used bouncing bombs to destroy German dams.
BBC2 tonight.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Sun 17 Oct 10 at 14:34
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I bet he doesn't mention the black dog with the now so awfully politically incorrect name. :)
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Thanks for the hedsup - I hadn't spotted that.
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I remember going to one of these dams (can't remember which) many years ago. The patch in the middle was easily visible.
There was information about the raid. The locals seemed quite proud of what was done as the local population were hardly affected, except for the hundreds of Russian POWs who died in the labour camp downstream of the dam!
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Yes I wonder if they will comment on the fact the raid was mostly a failure, at huge cost to aircrew and planes.
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the local population were hardly affected,
From wikipedia
"In terms of deaths: according to the latest sources,[16] at least 1,650 people were killed: around 70 in the Eder Valley, and at least 1,579 bodies were found along the Möhne and Ruhr rivers, with hundreds missing. 1,026 of the bodies found downriver of the Möhne Dam were foreign prisoners of war and forced-labourers in different camps, mainly from the Soviet Union. Worst hit was the city of Neheim (now part of Neheim-Hüsten) at the confluence of the Möhne and Ruhr rivers, where over 800 people perished, among them at least 526 female forced-labourers from the Soviet Union. "
Perhaps we should remember these deaths as well as the huge sacrifices made by the RAF crews who took part in the raid.
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One must look at the objective. Disruption of military production.
Barely effected
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 17 Oct 10 at 17:11
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My sister went out with the son of one of the Radio Operators - he gets a mention in Paul Brickhill's book - which I must have read about 48 times. I think that Guy Gibson was in his very early twenties when the raid took place - as said a huge waste of life.
I still have a programme on my Sky Box - "The last Dambuster" (BBC's capitals Iffy) - he re-visited the scene of one of the bombings and found the wreck of his aircraft and a memorial still lovingly tended by locals.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Sun 17 Oct 10 at 17:25
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>> dog with the now so awfully politically incorrect name. :)
I thought of a politically incorrect name for a dog today while cycling and another one for its owner come to that.
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Aww, did you get poo poo on your licl tyres again?
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No, I had two choices, run over the dog or drop the bike. I did the latter.
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>> I thought of a politically incorrect name for a dog today while cycling and another
>> one for its owner come to that.
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Have you thought of some steel toe capped and insoled DeWalt boots and a fixed wheel drive on the bike, bit of practice you could stun with the boot and complete the coupe de grace with a well honed constantly revolving steel pedal...a variation of Boadicea's chariot's fittings would end dog interference in a trice.
Several passes should leave a clear trail.
:-))
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Sadly disappointing.
Too 'dumbed down'. Interesting to learn the dams were targets since before the outbreak of hostilities, but apart from the facts about the bomb aiming, very little real information. Would you want Martin Shaw as a navigator?
Whatever happened to the programmes with real technical and detailed information you could 'get your teeth into'?
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Tried to watch it. Fell asleep.
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I liked it. The fact that the Paul Brickhill book and Gibson's own Enemy Coast Ahead (on which the film was based) were constrained by information being still classified was hardly surprising.
While Martin Shaw might have lost the picture as Nav it was pretty clear that the guy actually flying the Navajo knew exactly where he was. I found the recollections of the surviving airman, the relatives of his colleagues and the German lady who escaped the flood very touching. The scene from the funeral of the other airman who died during production left a lump in my throat.
But why was the Extra 300 formated with the Navajo or most of the time?
And I'd quite like to be introduced to the Canadian (or possibly American) brunette who's dad was on the raid!!
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 17 Oct 10 at 22:06
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Its popped up on Facebook thanks to iPlayer - watch it again.
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...Would you want Martin Shaw as a navigator?...
He'd make a good rear gunner. :)
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finally saw it on the repeat tonight - well worth the effort - the remarkable colour photos brought the flyers to life for me, that and Coats' Dambusters March played on the fiddle with the BBMF giving it max - yes a good programme, and rightly revisionist as well.
Waste of life - but a truly heroic effort.
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Dambusters programme tonight. - Iffy
