Operational Update - 26th March 2012. The Tornado GR4s of 617 ‘The Dambusters’ Sqn have undertaken a number of sorties this week providing armed overwatch for ground patrols. Other missions have involved observation of suspected insurgents and reconnaissance missions utilising the RAPTOR pod to provide essential intelligence data to ground commanders in support of their operations.

They have also flown Dambusters 2012's first H4H Teddy on Op's with Sqdn 'boss', Wg Cdr Taylor. How cool is that. Will post pictures as soon as I have them.

You can show your support for our servicemen and women by donating in line to Help for Heroes at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 . Thank you.

New format poster now available - A3 size. Email Dambusters2012@gmail.com for your copy today. It will look great on your office notice board!!! Come on!!

One of the amazing things about Dambusters2012 is when you come across the human side of the men who flew the bombers in WW2. They are old now, but are a very special generation to which we owe an enormous debt.
George Hatt will be 92 in July but back in 1940 he married his first wife on Christmas eve 1940 in a church in the East End caught by the blitz. Only the altar left standing. How romantic is that!
He went on to be based at St Athan in Wales and became a flight engineer on Lancasters.
He has never claimed his medals. As you would expect, his daughter Jo who passed this on to me via twitter is very proud of him. So she should be. 'Respect is due' as they say.
#bomberboys #lestweforget

Dates for your diary! Dambusters 2012 will be on-site and collecting in person at the following dates and locations with more dates to follow:
Trentham Gardens, Stoke on Trent on Saturday 7th April 2012. www.trentham.co.uk
Trentham Gardens, Stoke on Trent on Saturday 21st April 2012. www.trentham.co.uk

Touratech Travel Event 2012, Ystradgynlais, South Wales. 12th & 13th May 2012. www.touratech.co.uk

Come and see us and make your donation to Help for Heroes in person!! We'd love to meet you!!
If you cannot wait that long, don't forget - donate on line at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012
Thank you.

New poster which says it all!! Just follow the posters instructions!!! Nothing else to say.

More light hearted post today folks! Here we have our H4H Teddies getting used to their posting with Operation Herrick in the company of their new minders, Tia and Allana!
They are convinced that the bear with Tia (on the left in the first photo) is a boy because he has a paunch beer belly and the bear with Allana (on the right in the first photo) is a girl as it is nice and slim. No names yet but working on that one. Allana's bear has a small red 617 Sqn Tornado patch on his rugby shirt so we can tell them apart. Tia and Allana are armourers on 617 Sqn. How cute do they look? .... the Bears!!!

Are you all saving hard to be ready for the auction when the bears get back from active duty? The bears will come with certificates and photo CD's of their anticks on Op HERRICK 16 - this is a one off so get ready to bid.

Please enjoy the photo's but don't miss the real purpose behind this blog and the Dambusters Charity Motorcycle Ride 2012 itself. It is about supporting Help for Heroes and the amazing work they do to support our servicemen and women injured in the line of duty. PLEASE GO TO www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 AND DONATE ONLINE TO HELP FOR HEROES TODAY!!

Second and special post for tonight. I am not going to change or add a single word to that which my contact in 617 Sqdn wrote himself in his email. I think his words are awesome and to be honest have moved me enormously. If this does not make you put your hand in your pocket to donate to Help for Heroes I really don't know what will. www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012

My admiration for the men and women serving out in Afghanistan and in Iraq before in just huge. Their sacrifice unimaginable.

"The date is 20th March and the time 18.00 localtime at Kandahar Airfield. British and Foreign Coalition Forces assembled infront of the Union Flag and RAF Ensign on what we called Op VIGIL. We assembled to pay our respects to the 6 lads who were killed recently in their Warrior tank when it hit an IED.  There was a chilled gentle wind from the west, clear blue sky in the fading light of the early evening. After readings from the Padre and Officer Commanding 904 Expeditionary Air Wing the Bugler played the Last Post just before observing a 1 minute silence in heartfelt respect. The only sound was the Flag and Ensign flapping gently in the breeze as the sun went down. “And at the setting of the sun we will remember them” and we did……"

First of two posts tonight and in follow up to the earlier post confirming the safe arrival of the Dambusters 2012 Help for Heroes Teddies at Khandahar airbase where they are now sharing the company of the Dambusters, 617 Sqdn, and their own teddy called Guy!!! Our teddies will soon be flying on active service with 617 before returning home to the UK in need of a new owner and home. Start saving your pennies folks - all the sale proceeds will be going to Help for Heroes!

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 to donate on-line to help for Heroes.

I have just had confirmation by email that the two Help for Heroes teddy bears sent to our friends in 617 Sqdn have arrived with the squadron and are now being prepared for their active service sortie on board a 617 sqdn Tornado GR4! How cool is that!! Keep watching this blog for details of when these amazing bears get back to the UK, with their photo's and certificates of authenticity from 617 Sqdn. They will be put up for sale to the highest bidder ..... with every penny of the sale proceeds going to Help for Heroes! In the meantime, please go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation today to demonstrate your care and support for the troops injured and scarred by their service in Iraq or Afghanistan. Support Help for Heroes!

 

DONATE TO HELP FOR HEROES

New photos from our friends in 617 sqdn. We often see the hot sunny conditions from Afghanistan but don't often see the sandstorms and dust which makes operating modern equipment so difficult for our guys in theatre! Here are some shots taken in todays sandstorm!!

... and then we find the artwork on the blast walls from the 'Dambusters' last trip to Afghanistan!!

Reminder - the purpose of the Dambusters 2012 Charity Ride is to raise cash for Help for Heroes and the amazing work they do to help support our servicemen and women when things go wrong!! Please donate on-line at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 . Thank you.

New pictures. As a show of their support, 617 Sqdn have made up the lettering and codes so that my Suzuki can be marked up as AJ-J, the Lancaster flown Sqdn Ldr David Maltby on the 16th/17th May 1943. They have also sent me their latest squadron flashes to link the Dambusters of 1943 with with Dambusters 2012. I am hugely proud to have my 'bike lettered up as a 'Dambuster' and enormously grateful to our friends in 617 Sqdn!!

These pictures are a good reminder of what Dambusters 2102 is all about. It is a charity motorcycle ride and we are looking to raise shedloads of cash for Help for Heroes by following the route that Lancaster AJ-J took on the Dams Raid of 1943 and on the same dates, 16th/17th May. Please make your donations on-line at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012

Photo's from our friends in 617 Sqdn on active service in Afghanistan.

I feel immensely honoured that, amongst all they have to do in Afghan' to provide the air support that our troops on the ground desparately need, 617 Sqdn feel sufficiently strongly about what we are doing to suppport Help for Heroes to find the time to send me these photo's!

They provide a small glimpse into the air operations in theatre and I hope will provide whoever looks at this blog with the incentive to go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and show their support for our troops, and for what help for Heroes is doing for all those injured in the line of duty by making a donation.

Please, please, please do it now! Every penny you donate is vital to the work of Help for Heroes. If you want to see what it will do then go to www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Donate on line at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012

One of six photo's received by Dambusters2012 from 617 Sqdn in Afghanistan today. Will be posting the full set tomorrow! The photo shows the cockpit of one of 617 Sqdn's Tornado GR4 with the two crew giving the thumbs up. Brave men doing their duty.
Dambusters 2012 Motorcycle Ride is about supporting others like them who have put the life and limb on the line and now need our support to help them recover from their injuries.
Please show your support by making a small donation on line today at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012
Don't put it off till tomorrow. Do it now before you forget!!! Thank you.

With my thanks to @Linc_Imp on twitter here is a photo taken today of the BBMF Lancaster PA474 undergoing engine runs at RAF Conningsby. How cool does she look??
Remember - please show your support for the troops in Afghanistan and also those who served in Iraq by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and donate on line to help for Heroes.

Thank you.

Photos from the official handover from 12 (Bomber) Sqn to 617 Dambuster Sqn at Noon today in Afghanistan. Wing Commander Frampton on the right of 12 (B) Sqn hands over the reigns to Wing Commander Taylor of 617 Sqn today at noon local time. The second picture is of the two Sqn Bosses chatting after the handover.

In my contact Paul's words .. "Thats us for 4 months now". 

Today, in addition to doing all they have to do in theatre to provide air support to 'our lads and lasses' the operating conditions for 617 Sqdn can be really challenging. Again, Paul's words "Experincing one hell of a thunderstorm at the moment (time 22.00 local). Had a pretty bad dust storm earlier on today which was like driving in fog but very gritty fog which you can taste."

This makes it all very real - this is 'real time' and we simply have to support these guys and all our troops in Afghanistan. These photo's were taken today whilst we all enjoyed our sunny Sunday afternoon!

Please, please, please go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes. Your donation really will make a difference when members of our armed forces really need it!!!

Dambusters 2012's two Help for Heroes bears are on their way to 617 sqdn in Afghanistan. They went in the post yesterday bound for Op HERRICK via the BFPO!!

Once there, they will be flown on an active mission on board a 617 Sqdn Tornado GR4 by our friends on the squadron. Each will be photographed and given a certificate of authenticity with details of the mission flown. Once back here in the UK I will post notification here on our blog and via twitter of the time and date for the two separate eBay auctions of both Hero Bears to the highest bidders. ALL proceeds will go directly to Help for Heroes. It is a unique opportunity - own a Help for Heroes Bear that has actually been on active service over Afghanistan with the Dambusters, 617 Sqdn, RAF!!! How cool is that???? Can you 'bear' to wait??

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 Donate on-line today!!

Please show your support for Help for Heroes and all those who they are currently supporting, for the troops on the ground in Afghanistan putting their life and limbs on the line on our behalf and also for the 617 Sqdn team who are providing air support in theatre by donating on line at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 It doesn't have to be much but lots of small donations add up so come on - donate today! Thank you.

New photos taken by our friends in the Dambusters, 617 Sqdn RAF. The 'Dambusters' are currently in Afghanistan providing vital air support to our troops on the ground. Please show your support for what they and all our servicemen and women are doing on our behalf by donating on-line for Help for Heroes at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012
Thank you.

Start saving up folks. Two help for Heroes bears are on their way to 617 sqdn in Afghanistan. Once there, they will be flown on an active mission on board a 617 Sqdn Tornado GR4 by our friends on the squadron. Each will be photographed and given a certificate of authenticity with details of the mission flown. Once back here in the UK I will post notification here on our blog and via twitter of the time and date for the two separate eBay auctions of both Hero Bears to the highest bidders. ALL proceeds will go directly to Help for Heroes. It is a unique opportunity - own a Help for Heroes Bear that has actually been on active service over Afghanistan with the Dambusters, 617 Sqdn, RAF!!! How cool is that???? Can you 'bear' to wait??

617 Sqdn, the Dambusters, are now in theatre in Afghanistan providing support for 'our blokes' when they need it most; under Taliban fire and ambush. Dambusters 2012 is a charity ride that is raising money for Help for Heroes to provide support and rehabilitation to 'our blokes' hurt and maimed in the line of duty, service men and women who have given their all for us and our country. Donations are what this blog and the Dambusters 2012 is about so please don't move on, go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make an on-line donation of whatever size you want! Thank you.

Quick update. Had an email in from our contact in 617 Sqdn tonight, Flt Sgt P Peden, who is now in place in theatre in Afghanistan supporting his squadron colleagues as they go into operations to support coalition forces on the ground. This is what Dambusters 2012 is all about. It is about the blokes who are putting their lives and bodies on the line for us as a nation, for you and for me, every day that turns over. It is about raising money for Help for Heroes, a charity dedicated to looking after 'our blokes' when things go wrong. We need your cash folks - and we need it now. Please go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation on line NOW. Don't let our guys down and 'walk on by' - they need us as a nation to stand behind them. Thank you.