Eighty years ago tonight, Lancaster bombers of the RAF’s 617 Squadron flew the most amazing aerial mission of World War II, the Dams Raid, to break the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in the Ruhr Valley of Germany. It was a daring low-level raid and half the force didn’t come back.
Growing up in England, that story and film was highly significant. My mother was a WAF wireless operator, communicating with bombers via Morse code. Dad went to Sandhurst and served in tanks and intelligence. As a kid, I played in bombsites until they fenced them off and tore em down. I can still hum the theme of the movie which comes up as a topic on the British Antiques Roadshow on Britbox. On a recent episode, the flight logs and other equipment were shown.
I didn't know about your mom (amazingly cool...why DIDN'T I know?), but certainly remember stories about your dad. and I remember all your bombsite stories because I remember mostly everything. I assume you're a passionate fan of "Hope and Glory." I sure am.
and you obviously dig the avatar. this "new" tune (if something first "completed" in 1993 can be new) , btw, might actually be perfect. of course, it was perfect last month and then there were two more hours which finished just five minutes ago. Forman has become pretty tenacious in his old age.
Question: when I tell the story about my life at State Street, can I fairly say "I moved out, the Neville Brothers moved in," or is that a stretch? it just SOUNDS so good.
The real Lancasters used in the movie wound up flying lower than in the actual attack. Coming it at 60 feet actually looked too high, more like 200 feet, according to the director, Michael Anderson. So the RAF crews came in even lower. The pilots, who normally flew other planes, got a kick out of flying Lancasters.
Richard Todd had been a paratrooper with 6th Airborne on D-Day, landing a couple of miles
from what’s now called Pegasus Bridge. He would actually participate in helping to hold the bridge his character, Major John Howard, in “The Longest Day” captures. Hold until relieved.
since I recall Richard Todd also playing a D-Day guy (a casualty) in "The Sixth of June," can we claim he had some kind of record for being in more D-Days (including the actual one) than any other actor?
I still remember that movie!! Tension!! Especially using two beams of light on water to determine proper height above water . Went along with my ham radio operation then!! Thanks for all the links TC.
I'm a huge fan of the movie for many reasons, not the least of which being that I've always felt that, as an actor, Michael Redgrave could walk on water. I can't wait to open those links...tomorrow.
Growing up in England, that story and film was highly significant. My mother was a WAF wireless operator, communicating with bombers via Morse code. Dad went to Sandhurst and served in tanks and intelligence. As a kid, I played in bombsites until they fenced them off and tore em down. I can still hum the theme of the movie which comes up as a topic on the British Antiques Roadshow on Britbox. On a recent episode, the flight logs and other equipment were shown.
I didn't know about your mom (amazingly cool...why DIDN'T I know?), but certainly remember stories about your dad. and I remember all your bombsite stories because I remember mostly everything. I assume you're a passionate fan of "Hope and Glory." I sure am.
and you obviously dig the avatar. this "new" tune (if something first "completed" in 1993 can be new) , btw, might actually be perfect. of course, it was perfect last month and then there were two more hours which finished just five minutes ago. Forman has become pretty tenacious in his old age.
Question: when I tell the story about my life at State Street, can I fairly say "I moved out, the Neville Brothers moved in," or is that a stretch? it just SOUNDS so good.
Dear Tom, Great thanks for sharing this crucial mission and how we may come to appreciate it.
To the dreams of children, always, and to the bravery of women, men and the children.
The real Lancasters used in the movie wound up flying lower than in the actual attack. Coming it at 60 feet actually looked too high, more like 200 feet, according to the director, Michael Anderson. So the RAF crews came in even lower. The pilots, who normally flew other planes, got a kick out of flying Lancasters.
Richard Todd had been a paratrooper with 6th Airborne on D-Day, landing a couple of miles
from what’s now called Pegasus Bridge. He would actually participate in helping to hold the bridge his character, Major John Howard, in “The Longest Day” captures. Hold until relieved.
Yeah, Todd played his commander, and then had to relate to an actor playing himself. He later said it was the strangest acting moment of his career.
since I recall Richard Todd also playing a D-Day guy (a casualty) in "The Sixth of June," can we claim he had some kind of record for being in more D-Days (including the actual one) than any other actor?
Yes! :-) he played his commanding officer in 6th Para in the Pegasus Bridge segment of Longest Day.
I still remember that movie!! Tension!! Especially using two beams of light on water to determine proper height above water . Went along with my ham radio operation then!! Thanks for all the links TC.
These are the columns my husband likes best. Thanks!
Need to add: brave men !! Thanks to them ....
Watched last night - wow! That’ll as articulate as I can manage.
I'm a huge fan of the movie for many reasons, not the least of which being that I've always felt that, as an actor, Michael Redgrave could walk on water. I can't wait to open those links...tomorrow.