I first became interested in The Dambusters when I was about 13-14 years old after seeing the 1955 film of the same name with Richard Todd as Guy Gibson. Then my interest grew as I started to read books on it – how it was thought, why, also how the bombs would work against the dams. I needed to understand the practice of what it was all about and the real story itself behind the film.
Guy Gibson
It wasn’t until I was working in a Junior School that it really took off. The year I was helping out were doing World War II for that term. The teacher asked if I had any ideas what to do apart from what she had. I said I was interested in the Dambusters, explaining to her what they did, etc. She was really interested and asked if I would do a talk on it with the class divided into small groups. It went well. The children were all very interested, asking lots of questions and practically wanting to understand how and why and when, etc.
From then on I have been doing my own Project on the Squadron – contacting libraries, MOD archives, also RAF Scampton and Maizham as well as reading books and searching through the internet.
I talk to people about it and always get the same question asked back: ‘was it worth it?’ My answer is I don’t really know. Yes, it slowed the German industries … but only for 6 months. And no, it wasn’t worth the loss of lives on both sides.
However, of late, Janine Harrington (Editor of ‘Confound & Destroy) and myself have been doing some research, and unexpectedly came across a link between 100 Group and 617, The Dambusters.
The question then begged to be asked: How did 100 Group get involved? And in what other ops were they involved?
We have up until now credited the sinking of the Tirpitz to the 617 Squadron and Navy involvement, but suddenly, this line of thought opened a whole new wave of research.
Regarding the sinking of the Tirpitz, there is definite evidence now that 192 Squadron of 100 Group who were involved in secret operations during the war identifying and jamming radar were involved and more than that, actually took part in further raids working with 617 Squadron.
192 Squadron always took the lead, going out in all weathers, and it was on their information that other Squadrons in 100 Group went out. 100 Group were formed in March 1944, all men hand picked from other UK Squadrons to be based in Norfolk. All their work was secret, and most of what they did is still under 100 year rule.
The decision to use 192 Squadron to search for any gaps in the German coastal radar cover along the northern shores of Norway was a decision taken by Air Intelligence in the Ministry, in conjunction with tactical decisions by Bomber Command and 100 Group. So far as 192 Squadron was concerned and were led to believe, this was just another task to avoid highlighting any importance to the mission.
The outcome of that task by 192 Squadron was that a radar gap was discovered. The existence of that gap was then used, by Bomber Command and AOC 5 Group, to plan the attack by 617 Squadron in conjunction with 9 Squadron. Two squadrons took part in the attack; not just 617.
A great deal has been written about the attack on Tirpitz. One book is called 'Tirpitz' and specifically mentions 192 Squadron's involvement on p190/191. In another book 'Even When the Sparrows are Walking', which writes specifically about 100 Group, there is mention of the Tirpitz missions carried out by 192 Squadron - Phil James has written on that subject on p. 82/83.
Andy and I were invited to a special Christmas Sunday lunch at the Petwood Hotel, hosted by Jim Shortland, 617 Squadron Historian, and author. Unfortunately, something cropped up at the last minute and we were unable to attend. It was indeed a missed opportunity given that the crew of 617 Squadron was to be present, together with those who have gone on the Dambuster Tours which Jim Shortland and his wife conduct, manage and host each year. Jim is very interested in the link between 617 Squadron and 100 Group. He agreed to write a few lines to introduce himself to 100 Group Association members as we continue our research together:
Jim Shortland goes on to say: ‘I have no official connection with 617 Squadron whatsoever. The result is I only represent myself. The Association has their own official historian who I am not in contact with. I have been presenting lectures on the war-time operations of the Squadron for the past 25 years or so and for the past 8 or 9 years have been presenting them on power point and average about 22 lectures a year and it has taken me as far away as Norway, Canada, Germany, etc.
You can imagine being engaged with this hobby for the past 34 years I have collected a vast amount of material. For example, I have around five and a half thousand slides relating in some way to the Squadron’s history 1943-1945, as well as hundreds and hundreds of photographs, some of which can be seen in the Dambusters in Focus Book which I co-wrote with Mark Postlethwaite. He used around 70% of my photographs in the book. I have also written many articles for national and international magazines.
I wish all the RAF 100 Group Association members a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.'
One further snippet of information leading to a further link between 100 Group and 617 Squadron is that in April 1944, Cheshire was the C.O of 617. He was using a mosquito plane to drop Target indicator flares, given that Lancasters were too big to do this. On the night of the operation to Munich, Cheshire took off later than the Lancasters. He used the jet stream to get him there and hit a thunderstorm. He called his deputy on the radio to ask for a weather report. The reply he got was from Mick Martin in another Mosquito on an intruder mission to Bonn. Martin was then with 515 Squadron at Little Snoring, part of 100 Group. Martin left 617 in early 1944.
Thanks, Rod Vowler, for this additional piece of information.
Jim Shortland
Andy England
Janine Harrington
This article is from the Spring 2010 issue of Confound and Destroy
