A LANCASTER bomber has swooped over a Peak District reservoir to mark the 65th anniversary of the Dambusters raid.
The historic Avro Lancaster – similar to the ones used by the RAF's 617 Squadron to successfully bomb two German dams in 1943 – flew along the Derwent valley in a thrilling fly-past.
Squadron Leader Les Munro, 89, the last surviving pilot from the mission, was one of the guests of honour.
Poppies
During the service, 88-year-old Richard Todd, who played Gibson in the classic 1955 film The Dam Busters, scattered poppies on the water of the reservoir.
On May 16, 1943, 19 aircraft set out to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley – the Mohne, the Eder and the Sorpe – and so damage a vital source of power to Germany's the key industrial area. The mission was hailed a success after the Mohne and Eder were breached. But eight aircraft and 53 crew were lost.
He said: “We're very humbled – in thinking that all those people lost their lives so that we could be here today. My grandfather was always very upset about what happened, how many of the pilots and aircrew died. It pained him for the rest of his life, that he felt in some way responsible."
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