The signatories
Sergeant RAYMOND E. GRAYSTON RAF
Ray Grayston joined the RAF in 1940 and had been serving in Lancasters
with 50 Squadron at RAF Skellingthorpe, when, in March 1943,
he was posted to join Guy Gibson’s 617 Squadron at RAF Scampton.
Ray was the flight engineer on Lancaster AJ-N piloted by Les
Knight, and on the night of 16/17 May 1943 they attacked and
successfully breached the Eder Dam, arriving safely back at base
at 04.20. Four months after the Dams Raid on the night of 16
September,
Ray was shot down and taken Prisoner of War. He was sent to Stalag
Luft III where he remained in captivity until the end of the
war. |
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Squadron Leader GEORGE L. JOHNSON DFM RAF
Joining the RAF in 1940, George Johnson had flown 28 operations
on Lancasters with 97 Squadron at Woodhall Spa before joining
617 Squadron on 25 March 1943. Bomb Aimer on American Joe McCarthy’s
reserve Lancaster AJ-T, they attacked the Sorpe Dam. Being a
reserve aircraft, this Lancaster had not been fitted with the
twin spotlights necessary for accurate height keeping, and it
was on their tenth attempt that George released their bomb, hitting
the Dam successfully but the earth dam survived the blast. For
his actions he was awarded the DFM. Commissioned in November
1943, he remained in the RAF after the war and retired in 1962. |
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Squadron Leader LES MUNRO DSO DFC RNZAF
New Zealander Les Munro was the Captain and pilot of Lancaster
AJ-W assigned to attack the Sorpe Dam, and one of three flight
commanders on the Dams raid. Les Munro was forced to turn back
en-route to the target after his Lancaster received heavy flak-damage
over the Dutch island of Vlieland, which rendered his aircraft
unable to carry on with the operation. |
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Sergeant FREDERICK E. SUTHERLAND RCAF
Canadian ‘Doc’ Sutherland joined 50 Squadron in
September 1942 and was posted to 617 Squadron on 29 March 1943.
He was the front gunner on Les Knight ’s Lancaster AJ-N
that went first to the Möhne Dam, and then successfully
attacked and breached the Eder Dam.
Shot down four months later, he successfully managed to evade
capture and escaped back to England with the help of the Resistance
movements, returning through Holland,France and Spain. |
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Flight Sergeant GRANT S. McDONALD RCAF
Grant McDonald was the Canadian rear gunner on Lancaster
AJ-F flown by Ken Brown, flown in the third wave on the raid.
Flying at low level on the way to the Rühr they were forced
to take violent evasive action when they encountered flak, several
large electricity pylons and tall trees. Grant and the other
gunners still managed to shoot up and damage three trains in
this eventful trip before reaching, and attacking the Sorpe Dam. |
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KENNETH LUCAS RAF
Ken Lucas joined the RAF in June 1940, and trained as ground
crew for Bomber Command. He was sent first to 49 Squadron at
RAF Scampton, before transferring to 617 Squadron upon it's formation.
Involved in all the major servicing of the aircraft, Ken was
heavily involved in carrying out the modifications to the aircraft
before the raid, including fitting the motors that drove the
belt that spun the bomb, and attaching the crucial lamps to the
underside of the aircraft. |