It was rumoured that ED825 had come down 30 kilometres north of Amiens. Tragically there were no survivors and ED825 was destroyed. As Weeden steered away from the town, a large hill loomed out of the darkness and ED825 struck the ground just short of the summit. As F/O Gordon Weeden and his crew approached the town, a mobile Flak gun hit the aircraft in the fuel tanks setting it on fire. On 10th December 1943, ED825 was flown from RAF Tempsford on a mission to drop supplies to the French resistance near Doullens. Discovering ED825įollowing Operation Chastise, ED825 was flown by a variety of crews on training sorties up and down the UK, and in October 1943 converted back to a standard configuration and allocated the new codes KC-E. It is this tragedy alongside the heroism and skill displayed that night, that makes the Dambuster’s one of the most incredible stories of WW2. Another two had to return after being damaged crossing the Dutch coast.Ħ17 Squadron therefore lost eight Lancasters and 54 men, (with two POWs), on its first operation. Those extra attacks would never be forthcoming as four Lancasters were shot down or crashed on their way to the targets. With both the Möhne and Eder breached, the third main target, the Sorpe Dam was attacked by two crews, both of whom achieved direct hits using a different method that didn’t require the Upkeep to bounce but the Sorpe dam held firm with Barnes Wallis believing that it would take at least five direct hits to break it. The fact that four out of the eight aircraft that attacked these dams are believed to have achieved this accuracy, is astonishing, especially as they were under heavy fire at the Möhne. Two dams, (the Möhne and Eder), were to be attacked from a height of just 60ft at a designated speed, with the Upkeep being dropped at a precise distance from the target… at night. The bare facts are that this was one of the most daring and skilled precision bombing raids in history. Secrecy was such that very few people outside the squadron knew where they were going or what they were about to do. When the 19 Lancasters of 617 Squadron took off from Scampton on the night of 16/, nobody could have imagined that history was being made. Of the 19 Lancaster crews that flew that night only 11 returned, having completed what many thought was an impossible mission. The DB-1 embodies a Time and Place, through the recognition of Operation Chastise, the most audacious bombing raid of all time. This is where the motto ‘recovered, recast, reinvented’ comes in and none so special as the Dambuster DB-1 watch, featuring a rare piece of ED825 Lancaster in the back of the watch. Zero West creations really stand out with their distinctive cases and incorporation of a salvaged piece of material which links to the story and history of each watch. Zero West take the pilot watch to the next level, with each design being a living memento of history. There is massive competition in the pilot watch market but also a great demand for this type of watch. Their watches are Inspired by history and led by innovation, with many featuring rare material from their chosen subject. The success of this pairing comes from a dynamic collaboration between Andrew Brabyn, a designer, and Graham Collins, a military engineer. Their limited-edition watches seamlessly marry the concept of time and place, matching iconic moments in history with modern style. If you’ve not heard of them before, Zero West are an independent, British watch brand from Hampshire. Share facebook twitter linkedin View comments
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |