'Dambusters'

1 portrait by Esten

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'Dambusters'

by Esten
bromide print, 22 June 1943
8 3/8in. x 11in. (213 mm x 278 mm)
Photographs Collection
NPG x76735

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  • Esten, Photographers. Artist or producer of 1 portrait.

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The commanders who led the 'dam busters' operation became famous and pictures of them, like this one from the Herald Tribune, were widely circulated. Thirty-four of the survivors from the raid were presented with medals and Guy Gibson was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honour. The raid became so famous that Bomber Command tried to prevent Gibson from flying missions, lest his death damage morale. However, he persuaded them to let him return to active service in 1944. He was killed in September of the same year, aged twenty-six.

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Current affairs

The War effort continues with women recruited to the Home Guard and Ernie Bevin introducing conscription of miners as coal output continues to flag.
There is panic when a new anti aircraft weapon is heard for the first time in London and 173 people die in the crush to enter an air-raid shelter at Bethnal Green tube station.

Art and science

Barnes Wallis's bouncing bomb is used during Operation Chastise - the Dam busters Raid - to destroy three dams in the Ruhr area of Germany. The raid was considered a success, knocking out hydroelectric power, cutting off the water supply to industry and causing devastation through flooding. The operation also, however, cost the allies many lives, and the bouncing bomb was not used again.

International

The invasion of Sicily is successful thanks to Operation Mincemeat, in which false documents were planted on the body of a dead airman to mislead Germany into thinking that the Allied target was Sardinia. The invasion led to the fall of Mussolini and Italy joining the Allies.
42,000 German civilians are killed in a firestorm in Hamburg caused by the Allied bombing in Operation Gomorrah.

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