Service honours Dambusters

Kyt · Sep 14, 2008

BBC NEWS | Wales | Service honours WWII Dambusters

A service commemorating 65 years since the World War II Dambusters mission is being staged in the county where the bombs were tested.

The raid saw bouncing bombs being dropped from British aircraft onto German dams to blow out the walls.

The bomb designer used the Nant-y-Gro dam in the Elan Valley in Powys to test the explosives for the bouncing bomb.

A memorial service to mark the mission and the Battle of Britain is being held at St Bride's Church, Rhayader.

The Dambusters raid saw the RAF's 617 squadron set out to destroy three dams in Germany's Ruhr valley, while the Battle of Britain which was the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force.

The Dambusters missions started in May 1943.

Nineteen aircraft set out to destroy the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany's industrial heartland.

They used specially-designed drum-shaped bouncing bombs which skimmed across the water, rolled down the dam wall and exploded at depth.

Only 11 of the aircraft returned from the perilous low-level mission in which they flew at just 150ft (45m) from England before descending for the bombing run to foil German radar.

It resulted in the largest award of medals at any time during the war.

Rhayader's connection with the missions go back to the early 1940s when the aviation engineer Barnes Wallis went to the Elan Valley to test the explosives for the bouncing bomb on the Nant-y-Gro dam.

The dam, 35ft (10m) high, and 180ft long (55m) dam was used for the secret experiments by government officials who needed a testing site for the bombs.

The area was already used as a firing range by the military and was the perfect location because of its remoteness.

Two trials were carried out on the dam. The first was in May 1942, but they did not damage it, and further work was needed.

Two months later, a second experiment was carried out using a 500lb (226kg) anti-submarine bomb containing 279lb (126kg) of explosive.

It was suspended in the middle of the dam dam and detonated, blasting away a massive section of the central wall.

Douglas Jones, 84, from Dutlas, who attended Sunday's service, said it was important to recognise their efforts.

"My brother was one of the policemen who was responsible for safeguarding the test - it was such a secret and hidden affair at the time," he explained.
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