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Dambusters Raid
Bomber Command

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FLYING TO THE DAMS - Low Level

P/O Burpee and crew.

Five Lancasters were lost en-route to the Dams. Sgt. Byers was hit by flak and crashed as he reached the enemy coast. F/L Astell and F/L Barlow struck high-tension lines. P/O Burpee and P/O Ottley were shot down by flak. Two aircraft returned to base without reaching the enemy coast. P/O Rice flew so low that his aircraft struck the sea tearing off part of the Lancaster's belly and his weapon. F/L Munro's aircraft was struck by flak. His radios and intercom systems were knocked out so he was forced to return to base.

"P/O Burpee was about a mile and a half off the north coast. They opened up on him and he blew up over the airport. So I knew we had one less."
- F/Sgt. Ken Brown

"Right under the bloody thing!"
- P/O George Gregory (F/L Hopgood's front gunner) after passing under a high-tension power line

"Ottley was on my starboard side and they hit him. He immediately blew up. His tanks went first and then his store (bomb) . . .the whole valley was just one orange ball."
- F/Sgt. Ken Brown

"I'm sorry boys. We've had it."
- P/O Ottley

"Hopgood had been hit himself -in the head- and blood was pouring out of the wound, but he yelled to the engineer, 'Carry on and don't worry.'"
- F/O Burcher (F/L Hopgood's rear gunner)