After a short but intense training period, the volunteer group of crack airmen who made up the new RAF No.617 Squadron took off from RAF Scampton on the night of 16/17 May 1943, at the start of the most daring bombing raid in history.

Led by their enigmatic and inspirational commander Guy Gibson, he is known to have said: "This squadron will either make history or it will be utterly wiped out", but nevertheless each man was determined to play their part in this historic raid. Nineteen "Special" Lancasters and their crews sent a message to the German nation that could not be concealed by their propaganda ministers.