It was early in 1943 that Bill left Edenbridge to start his career in the R.A.F, he went first to Skegness, then to St Athan in Wales before starting his flying career as a flight engineer at 1654 conversion unit at Wigsley, in Nottingham, flying in Halifax and Lancaster bombers.

Motto:
" Per ardua ad astra"
" Corpus non animum muto"
("I change my body but not my spirit").

The Dambusters - Guy Gibson and crew.


The Mohne Dam Breached

This was the squadron from whom Wing Commander Guy Gibson used to select his crews for the famous Dam Busters raids over Germany, which Bomber Command would name “Operation Chastise” using the newly invented “Bouncing Bomb” designed by Barnes Wallis.The Moehne was struck first, after the initial explosion the dam fractured flooding the valley below with a massive torrent of 1,000,000 cubic metres of water that destroyed all in it's path. The Eder was struck next, as the last bomb exploded below the surface a massive tidal wave resulted, flooding a radius of (400kms) 250 miles of land below the dam.The Sorpe proved most difficult due to the concrete-earth construction, and was not breached, had it been, it would have caused far more devastating results to Industry in the Ruhr.

The raid proved reasonably successful despite the loss of 8 Lancaster bombers, and 56, aircrew.

R.A.F. Lossiemouth - Dambusters