I'm glad you found the 'Dambuster' information of interest, Nick.

Here's a little more - it's good to remember some of these men.

Lewis Burpee came from Ottawa and served with Guy Gibson in 106 Squadron, so he was one of Gibson's 'inner circle' of trusted comrades. After flying 26 operations with 106 he was awarded the DFM. In September 1942 he married an English girl and shortly after joining 617 Squadron Burpee found that his wife was expecting their first child.

Burpee's Lancaster was part of the third reserve wave and took off to attack the Ruhr Dams from RAF Scampton at 00.11 hours, May 17th 1943. Flying at an altitude of 150ft, Lancaster AJ-S strayed slightly off course and was hit by ground fire from Gilze-Rijen. The Lancaster was seen to imitate Luftwaffe practice by switching its navigation lights on, but the aircraft burst into flames and crashed among buildings on the airfield site. There was then a massive explosion as Barnes Wallis' dam-busting mine exploded causing severe damage.

Burpee's widow left England for Canada to live with his parents, and his son, Lewis J Burpee Jnr was born on Christmas Eve.

A twisted propeller blade from the Lancaster can be seen at the Newark Aviation Museum in England.

This is a superb thread...keep it up !

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson