special but unspecified target in Belgium on
December 22, 1943. The war load was 11 x
1,000lb (454kg) high-explosive bombs. The
aircraft is next noted as being used by Plt
Off N Ross on a 3hr 30min flight again to
Belgium on December 30, 1943. This time
ordnance was released.UPKEEP DISPOSALS
Relatively little is known about the aircraft’s
subsequent time with the unit. It is thought
to have undergone a change of code
during the latter days of World War Two,
becoming AJ-V. However, there is no known
photographic evidence of this.
According to its RAF movement
card, ED932 was transferred to the RAF
Lossiemouth-based 46 Maintenance Unit
on February 7, 1945 for storage. On August
27, 1946 it was allocated to 61 Sqn, which
at the time was stationed at Waddington,
Lincolnshire.
It is believed three Dambuster veteran
Type 464 Provisioning Lancasters – ED906,
ED909 and ED932 – were reactivated in
order to dump the unused Upkeep mines, a
weapon that was still top secret at that point,
into the sea. This is sometimes referred to
as Operation Guzzle.
The Lanc trio was transferred Scampton
for use by the Station Flight, coded YF-
A, YF-B and YF-C respectively. All three
were still configured in such a way that
they could carry and drop the mine without
major engineering work having to be carried
out, and there are photographs of ED932carrying the YF-C code. There is a largely
illegible entry on the aircraft movement
card dated November 8, 1946 which could
support the transfer.
Gibson’s aircraft is said to have suffered
an accident while at Scampton, but this
is unconfirmed by official records. ED932
was struck off charge on July 29, 1947 and
scrapped, along with ED906 and ED909. A
sad end to an historically important aircraft,
although some internal parts are thought
to have been saved and are now treasured
collectors’ items in private hands.THE DAM BUSTERS FILM
A version of Gibson’s Lancaster was
famously recreated for the 1955 Associated
British film The Dam Busters. Three RAF
Lancaster Mk.7s – NX673, NX679 and
RT686 – had their bomb bay doors and mid-
upper turrets removed for their screen roles,
with NX679 (a machine that briefly served
post-war with 617 in real life) portrayingED932. Sadly, NX679 suffered the same
fate as Gibson’s aircraft, and was scrapped
in July 1956.
The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial
Flights Lancaster also carried the
G-for-George markings in tribute to the
Dambusters and their leader in the late
1970s and early 1980s. (More recently it
flew in the markings of another 617 Lanc –
‘KC-A’ Thumper III.)
This anniversary year will see another
version of AJ-G in the sky, albeit in North
America. The Hamilton-based Canadian
Warplane Heritage’s airworthy Lancaster
Mk.X has had the markings of Gibson’s
aircraft applied to the port side and is due to
display as ED932 for the 2018 season. (This
Canadian-built aircraft, registration C-GVRA,
famously visited the UK four years ago.)
The legend of the Dambusters continues
to be a high point of RAF history – it’s such a
pity G-for-George isn’t here to pay tribute to
Bomber Command’s ‘finest hour’.http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 37G-FOR-GEORGE –
DAMS RAID CREW
Lead aircraft in the first wave of three attacks
Aircraft ED932 ‘AJ-G’
Primary target Möhne Dam
Pilot Wg Cdr Guy Gibson
Flight engineer Sgt John Pulford
Navigator Plt Off Torger Taerum
Wireless operator Flt Lt Robert Hutchison
Bomb aimer Plt Off Fred Spafford
Front gunner F/Sgt George Deering
Rear gunner Flt Lt Richard Trevor-RoperTop: The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster flew as AJ-G in the late 1970s and
early 1980s, but retained its PA474 serial number. It is seen here at Abingdon on September 11,- AirTeamImages.com/Carl Ford
Below: Canadian Warplane Heritage’s airworthy Lancaster Mk.X in its ED932 AJ-G markings on
March 10. Al Mickeloff
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