15 May 2013

Dam Busters expert to give anniversary talk

University of Dundee lecturer Dr Iain Murray, author of the best selling Haynes `Dam Busters Manual', will speak to local Air Cadets this week to mark the anniversary of the famous World War II raid.

Thursday 16th May marks the 70th anniversary of the "Dam Busters" raid, during which nineteen RAF Lancasters of 617 Squadron breached two German dams using specially-developed "bouncing bombs", bringing chaos to the Nazi war machine.

The raid is remembered as Bomber Command's greatest raid of the war, and the first precision bombing raid in history. The 1955 film "The Dam Busters", a perennial favourite on TV, tells the remarkable story of the conception of the unusual bomb, the challenges of getting it accepted by the Air Ministry, and finally the tension of the attack itself.

Dr Murray will be speaking to Air Cadets at their Dundee base on Friday. His talk will look at the contribution made by Sir Barnes Wallis, the inventor of the special bomb which made the raid possible.

"The Dam Busters raid is probably the most famous in RAF history, being a combination of a fantastic invention and great flying skills by the aircrews, who had to drop their bombs in exactly the right place, or they would not work," said Dr Murray.

Dr Murray is the author of the Haynes "Dam Buster Manual", currently riding high in Amazon's best-sellers list as interest in the raid reaches its peak.

The anniversary is being commemorated by several events across the country, including a service at Lincoln Cathedral on Friday attended by Les Munro, one of only three surviving aircrew who took part in the raid. Special TV and radio programmes are also marking the event.

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