"Operation Chastise"

by Brian Fare

‘Operation Chastise’
Avro Lancaster B.III ED865 AJ-S

Operation Chastise was the official name for the attacks on the German Mohne Eder and Sorpe dams on 17 May 1943 during the Second World War using a specially developed 'bouncing bomb' invented by Barnes Wallis. The attack was carried out by 617 Squadron which was specially formed for the operation and subsequently became known as "The Dambusters".



Guy Gibson of 106 Squadron was chosen to form and lead this new squadron because of his formidable operational record and reputation for seeing through a task due to his leadership skills and strict discipline. He was asked to do this one more operation after completing his tour with 106 squadron. He agreed to undertake the operation with no idea of what was being asked. Chastise was top secret.



ED865 AJ-S flown by Pilot Officer Lewis Burpee took off as part of the third wave. He drifted slightly off course over Holland and flew too close to the night fighter base at Gilze-Rejen. Although the flak defences did not have time to open up, a single search light did and dazzled the pilot who in an attempt to escape flew through some trees and then into the ground. The aircraft exploded, followed a few seconds later by the bomb. The aircraft struck the airfields MT section and also blew over the operations control building in the resulting explosion.



The crew consisting of Pilot Officer Lewis Johnstone BURPEE, DFM, RCAF; Sergeant Guy PEGLER, RAF; Sergeant Thomas JAYE, RAFVR; WOII James Lamb ARTHUR, RCAF; Pilot Officer Leonard George WELLER, RAFVR; Sergeant William Charles Arthur LONG, RAFVR; and WOII Joseph Gordon BRADY, RCAF were killed during the crash are are buried in Bergen-op-Zoom Cemetery, Netherlands.

Open edition printed on 300 gsm archival quality, acid free white board using lightfast inks.



Overall Print size: 297mm x 420mm