Photograph taken by Flying Officer Jerry Fray RAF 1944. In public domain.
One of the most audacious Royal Air Force operations of the Second World War was Operation ‘Chastise’, better known as The Dambusters Raid. Immortalised by the 1955 film The Dam Busters, the mission has become embedded in the British imagination as a story of wartime ingenuity, determination, courage and achievement in the face of overwhelming odds.
There’s a talk on The Dambusters Raid on 1st October at Barnsley Town Hall.
Presented by Andrew Radforth, a volunteer from the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln, this fascinating talk explores the true story behind the Dambusters Raid. Discover how the film altered certain events for dramatic effect, hear a detailed account of the attacks on all three dams, and learn about the operation’s impact and effectiveness.
The talk is hosted by Barnsley Civic Trust in partnership with Barnsley Archives and Local Studies. It is at Barnsley Town Hall on Thursday 1st October.
Doors open at 5pm and the talk starts promptly at 5:30pm.
Free Admission and no need to book. Donations welcome.
Note the time, different from previous Barnsley Civic Trust talks.
The presentation will also shine a light on the extraordinary experiences of one crew, offering a personal perspective on one of the most famous aerial operations in military history.
Memorial to the downed Lancaster bomber crew at Castricum aan Zee
Images: Barnsley Civic Trust (right) and TriumphTR7RV, CC BY-SA 4.0, (left) https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69522839
Barnsley Civic Trust recently placed one of its Blue Plaques on the childhood home of David Horsfall where he lived until he joined the RAF aged 16. Andrew Radforth gave a well-received short talk at its unveiling. We are looking forward to hearing more at this presentation on Thursday 1st October.