Dambusters collection sells for £75,000

[MontyB]

Dambusters collection sells for £75,000 at Northamptonshire auction house

The original bomb sight used in the Dambusters raids during the Second World War sold for auction on Tuesday night for £41,500.
Bomb aimer John Fort used the sight to deliver the decisive ‘bouncing bomb’ that breached the Mohne Dam in May 1943.
It featured in a collection of memorabilia that sold at auction at J P Humbert Auctioneers in Towcester for a total of £75,000.
Some of the actual marbles that Dr Barnes Wallis used to design his bouncing bomb realised £27,200.
Humberts also sold the map light and parallelogram used by Vivian Nicholson, the flight navigator for £2,700 and £2,650 respectively.

The leather collar box once belonging to Wing Commander Guy Gibson sold for £750.
Commenting on the sale, auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said: “The overwhelming interest we have had in these items is testament to the bravery and heroism of the the men who risked their lives in Operation Chastice.
“These historical items, much like the story of The Dambusters, have really captured the imagination and I am delighted that the auction has met with such resounding success.”
Remnants of the Perspex bomb-aimers bubble through which only-surviving ‘Dambuster’ George ‘Johnny’ Johnson aimed and dropped a bouncing bomb on the Sorpe dam sold for £520 which is being donated by the vendor and auctioneers ‘fee free’ to the RAF Bomber Command Memorial Fund.


The items all sold to private buyers.


http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/n...0-at-northamptonshire-auction-house-1-6532961

 

[BritinBritain]

One of the most amazing operations of WW2.

If I remember correctly Winston Churchill was in the US at the time of the raid, which he mentioned in his speech to congress receiving a standing ovation.

Another operation in my mind that should go down in history as one of the greatest is the Doolittle raid on Japan. It put the Japanese on notice they were not safe from attack.

 

[MontyB]

It is good to see that the money went to a worthwhile cause as well, it is just unfortunate that the items will now disappear into private collections and out of public view.

 

[BritinBritain]

I once spoke to a pilot of 617 Squadron here in SA years ago. He mentioned when loaded with the 22,000 pounder it was touch and go whether they got airborne or ended up a blazing big hole at the end of the runway.

 

[MontyB]

I guess to be fair even in 1945 the aircraft had only been invented less than 40 years so its development had been fairly rapid and they were constantly pushing the envelope as to what could be done.

 

[JOC]

It is good to see that the money went to a worthwhile cause as well, it is just unfortunate that the items will now disappear into private collections and out of public view.

Yes that is a shame it's going into a private collection. It's quite amazing that they could compute this given the analog-mechanical methods used for such a heavy payload. The bomb itself was also quite a step in technology: skipping across the water to avoid obstacles, then hitting the dam underwater. If I recall they did a bit of flooding in the Ruhr.

 

[JOC]

I guess to be fair even in 1945 the aircraft had only been invented less than 40 years so its development had been fairly rapid and they were constantly pushing the envelope as to what could be done.

I believe both sides were pushing the envelope in most technology's during the war. The examples are virtually endless.

 

[BritinBritain]

Yes that is a shame it's going into a private collection. It's quite amazing that they could compute this given the analog-mechanical methods used for such a heavy payload. The bomb itself was also quite a step in technology: skipping across the water to avoid obstacles, then hitting the dam underwater. If I recall they did a bit of flooding in the Ruhr.

Actually Barnes Wallace got the idea from Lord Nelson who bounced cannon balls off the surface of the sea to cause greater damage and longer range at the Battle of the Nile 1st August 1879.

Barnes Wallace was so affected by the deaths of so many aircrew he vowed never to put another mans life in danger again.

 

[JOC]

Actually Barnes Wallace got the idea from Lord Nelson who bounced cannon balls off the surface of the sea to cause greater damage and longer range at the Battle of the Nile 1st August 1879.

Barnes Wallace was so affected by the deaths of so many aircrew he vowed never to put another mans life in danger again.

I've heard it quoted that ~ 80 thousand RAF airman died in the European theater and > 70 US airmen died in European theater of WW2. I believe the majority were from bomber crews but a lot of fighters went down as well. The airmen suffered terrible losses. Just in the Normandy battle I believe ~ 20 thousand airman were lost.

 

[BritinBritain]

I've heard it quoted that ~ 80 thousand RAF airman died in the European theater and > 70 US airmen died in European theater of WW2. I believe the majority were from bomber crews but a lot of fighters went down as well. The airmen suffered terrible losses. Just in the Normandy battle I believe ~ 20 thousand airman were lost.

If I remember correctly 55 thousand died in Bomber Command. I have no idea how many died in Fighter Command and Coastal Command. A family relation was rear gunner on Lancasters, his aeroplane was shot down during the 1000 bomber raid. He's buried with his crew in the Black Forest.

Then there are those who were accused of cowardice and branded LMF ,or Lack of Moral Fibre, PTSD didn't exist according to the RAF. They were stripped of their rank and wings then posted away from the station. Then top of that there were those who were too badly wounded to fly again.

 

[JOC]

If I remember correctly 55 thousand died in Bomber Command. I have no idea how many died in Fighter Command and Coastal Command. A family relation was rear gunner on Lancasters, his aeroplane was shot down during the 1000 bomber raid. He's buried with his crew in the Black Forest.

Then there are those who were accused of cowardice and branded LMF ,or Lack of Moral Fibre, PTSD didn't exist according to the RAF. They were stripped of their rank and wings then posted away from the station. Then top of that there were those who were too badly wounded to fly again.

They weren't very forgiving back then. Sorry for your relation. My great uncle was the only survivor of a bomber that went down. The fact that he was the only survivor landed him in an institution after the war. It took him several years to recover. But your right he continued to wars end and had the breakdown afterwards. Something about the military structure keep him together until he had to much time to think about it.

 

[BritinBritain]

They weren't very forgiving back then. Sorry for your relation. My great uncle was the only survivor of a bomber that went down. The fact that he was the only survivor landed him in an institution after the war. It took him several years to recover. But your right he continued to wars end and had the breakdown afterwards. Something about the military structure keep him together until he had to much time to think about it.

So many survivors of WW2 suffered long after the war.

A friend of my dad had nightmares of his time in Burma with the Chindits until he died, an uncle survived Dunkirk but ended up in a mental hospital wit hwhat was termed in those days Bomb Happy. My dad went to visit him and walked past his bed. He didn't recognise his own brother. After extensive treatment he was able to lead a fairly normal life. Then in 1967-68 where he worked in North London the Battle of Britain was being filmed, seeing so many German planes flying over head set him back years. He had a nervous breakdown. Some never got over their ordeal.