617 Sqdn. Operation Herrick 16, March to July 2012

First of two posts today - and this is now my Laptop background! It has been a particular privilege arising from my small efforts to raise some money for Help for Heroes that I have been able to develop a link, via one particular Sqdn member who I will be buying a very large amount of beer on his return(!), with 617 Sqdn. 617 Sqdn is perhaps the most famous Sqdn in the Royal Air Force with a history routed in the spectacular Dams Raid on the night of 16th/17th May 1943. Led by Wg Cdr Guy Gibson VC, 19 Lancasters set out with their radical bouncing bombs to the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams. By the end of the raid both the Mohne and Eder dams were breached and the Sorpe damaged but 8 of the 19 Lancasters were lost, only 3 aircrew surviving the losses. 53 bomber command aircrew were dead along with significant casualties in the valleys below the dams.

617 arrived in Afghanistan in March 2012 to take over the role of delivering fast jat air support for Coalition forces on the ground in Operation Herrick 16. Aside from performing the tasks given to them operationally, they have also found the time to fly two Help for Heroes teddies on operations for Dambusters2012 along with carrying out their own charitable efforts too. The Dambusters2012 teddies will be sold at the Birmingham Help for Heroes Ball in November with every penny raised going directly to H4H.

What more can I say - as a nation we are incredibly lucky to have these incredibly dedicated and brave men and women who are willing to put their life and limb on the line to protect our freedom and way of life. Yes, 617 Sqdn is just one element of the whole and the whole is very much greater than the sum of all the parts but this blog is about the Dambusters, 617 Sqdn and the small part I have enjoyed in raising money for Help for Heroes (www.helpforheroes.org.uk) in 2012.

Ladies and Gentlemen - I give you 617 Sqdn, the Dambusters! Apres moi le deluge!

If you feel the pride that I do in what our service men and women do for us then please go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes. It is safe, easy and the money goes directly to the charity itself. Thank you.