by John Nichol
CHAPTER 2 WHAT NEXT?
1 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
2 National Archives H385, CAS 2944
3 Tom Simpson, Lower than Low
4 Harry Humphries, Living with Heroes
5 As with many theories advanced in the post-war years, this is disputed by some
6 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
7 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
8 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
9 Tom Simpson, Lower than Low
10 Chris Ward, Dambusters: The Forging of a Legend
11 Sidney Hobday, Two Months in Occupied Europe. Account provided by Charles Foster
12 Bob Kellow, Paths to Freedom
13 Fred Sutherland, interview with the author
14 E. A. Eaton, Two Friends: Two Different Hells
15 Sidney Hobday, Two Months in Occupied Europe
16 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
17 ibid.
18 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
19 Peter Spoden, interview for What the Dambusters Did Next, Channel 5
20 David Fellowes, interview with the author
21 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
22 Sidney Hobday, Two Months in Occupied Europe
23 ibid.
24 This edited version of the letter appears in Charles Foster, Breaking the Dams
25 ibid., edited version
CHAPTER 3 PRESS ON, REGARDLESS
1 Quoted in A. C. Grayling, Among the Dead Cities
2 Chan Chandler, Tail Gunner
3 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
4 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
5 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
6 Tom Simpson, Lower than Low. There is some disagreement about whether Wallis was actually on the base at this time, but this is Simpson’s recollection
7 ‘“Tallboy” Wallis’, Daily Express, 15 November 1944
8 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
9 Sydney Grimes, interview with the author
10 Wilfred George Bickley, IWM Sound 14588
11 Sydney Grimes, interview with the author
12 Nick Knilans, ‘A Yank in the RCAF’
13 Tom Simpson, Lower than Low
14 Nick Knilans, ‘A Yank in the RCAF’
15 Loftus Hebbard, details supplied by his son, Bruce Hebbard
16 Martha Gellhorn, ‘The Bomber Boys’, Collier’s Weekly, 17 June 1944
17 ‘A Home for Heroes’, Memorial Flight, 2009
18 Chan Chandler, Tail Gunner
19 ibid.
20 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
21 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, IWM ID Number S01670
CHAPTER 4 DEATH OR GLORY
1 Tom Bennett, personal recollections supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
2 Wilfred George Bickley, IWM Sound 14588
3 ‘Squadron Leader Larry Curtis’, obituary, Daily Telegraph, 29 June 2008
4 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
5 David Fellowes, interview with the author
6 Anthony Cotterell, ‘Did I Ever Tell You about My Operation?’
7 Nick Knilans, ‘A Yank in the RCAF’
8 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
9 ibid.
10 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
11 Ossian Goulding, ‘Heart of Berlin Is Paralysed’
12 J. Walsh, IWM Documents 12812
13 John Bell, interview with the author
14 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
15 Les Munro, interview with the author
16 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
17 Harry Humphries, Living with Heroes
18 ibid.
19 Don Cheney, interview with the author. Sadly, Don died a few months after giving the interview
20 For a fuller account of Tom McLean’s extraordinary exploits, see Tom Bennett, 617 Squadron; ‘Warrant Officer Tom McLean’, obituary, Daily Telegraph, 15 August 2011; www.worldwarbirdnews.com; Après Moi!, Summer 2011
21 Daily Mirror, 22 May 1943
22 Tom Bennett, 617 Squadron
23 Wilfred George Bickley, IWM Sound 14588
24 Nick Knilans, ‘A Yank in the RCAF’
25 ‘Major Nick Knilans’, obituary, Daily Telegraph, 27 June 2012
CHAPTER 5 SPRING 1944
1 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
2 John Pryor, Juvisy, 18 April 1944, article supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
3 Tom Bennett, article supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
4 Chris Whitehead, Knights of the Air
5 Wilfred George Bickley, IWM Sound 14588
6 Tom Bennett, article supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
7 Richard Morris, Cheshire
8 Tom Bennett, article supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
CHAPTER 6 THE END OF THE BEGINNING
1 Some records show differing dates
2 Tom Bennett, ‘Operation Taxable’, Flypast, No. 40, November 1984
3 Ron Storey, ‘Mailly le Camp, “Like Falling off a Log”’, People’s War, BBC
4 Rusty Waughman, personal account and interview with the author
5 Ron Storey, ‘Mailly le Camp, “Like Falling off a Log”’, People’s War, BBC
6 Ron Eeles, ‘My Recollections’
7 Ron Storey, ‘Mailly le Camp, “Like Falling off a Log”’, People’s War, BBC
8 ‘Bill & Ben, Mosquito Men’, Memorial Flight, Spring 2009
9 Ron Eeles, ‘My Recollections’
10 Quoted in Yvonne Weldon, ‘Mailly le Camp – Sidney Lipman’, People’s War, BBC
11 Rusty Waughman account
12 Alan Cooper, Beyond the Dams to the Tirpitz
13 Ron Storey, ‘Mailly le Camp, “Like Falling off a Log”’, People’s War, BBC
14 Tom Bennett, ‘Operation Taxable’, Flypast, No. 40, November 1984
15 Arthur Poore, ‘Personal Recollections’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
16 Don Cheney, interview with the author
17 Alan Jordan, quoted in Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
18 Tom Bennett, ‘Operation Taxable’, Flypast, No. 40, November 1984
19 Gerry Hobbs, interview with the author
20 Nick Knilans, ‘A Yank in the RCAF’
21 Tom Bennett, ‘Operation Taxable’, Flypast, No. 40, November 1984
CHAPTER 7 THE FIGHT GOES ON
1 Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt, The Bomber Command War Diaries
2 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
3 ibid.
4 ibid.
5 ibid.
6 ‘Specsavers 62 Years On!’, Après Moi!, Autumn 2007
7 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
8 ‘Specsavers 62 Years On!’, Après Moi!, Autumn 2007
9 ibid.
10 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
CHAPTER 8 TERROR WEAPONS
1 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
2 Nick Knilans, ‘A Yank in the RCAF’
3 http://archive.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/4/dday/pdfs/VWeaponsCampaign.pdf
4 John Pryor, Mimoyecques V-3, 6 July 1944, personal account supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
5 Mimoyecques statistics from Yves le Maner, Mimoyecques
6 Quoted in Tony Iveson, Lancaster: The Biography
7 Tony Iveson, interview with the author
8 http://www.flyingbombsandrockets.com/storeys_summary.html
9 ibid.
10 G. H. Hobbs, personal account and interview with the author
11
John Pryor, Wizernes, 17 and 20 July 1944, personal account supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
12 G. H. Hobbs, personal account and interview with the author
13 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
14 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
15 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
16 Nick Knilans, ‘A Yank in the RCAF’
17 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
18 From V-2 factory fact sheets – Wizernes: La Coupole
19 This story is told in different ways by those who were there – it is likely that Tait was simply indicating the point to target rather than the notion of actually bombing his own aircraft
CHAPTER 9 MAC’S GONE!
1 Don Cheney, personal account and interview with the author
2 Tony Iveson, Lancaster: The Biography
3 London Gazette, Supplement 36285, 10 December 1943, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36285/supplement/5435 accessed 12 May 2014
4 Bill Reid, from a document titled ‘Irvin Parachute Editorial’
5 Bill Reid, handwritten account provided by Geoff Robertson
6 ibid.
7 Murray Vagnolini, interview with the author
CHAPTER 10 LIFE AND DEATH ON 617 SQUADRON
1 Anthony Cotterell, ‘Did I Ever Tell You about My Operation?’
2 Les Munro, ‘A Rude Awakening’, Après Moi!, Spring 2007
3 Tom Bennett, 617 Squadron
4 John Pryor, Brest, 12–13–14 August 1944, personal account supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
5 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
6 John Pryor, Brest, 12–13–14 August 1944, personal account supplied by Rob Owen, Official 617 Squadron Association Historian
CHAPTER 11 THE BEAST
1 Some witnesses maintain Wallis was not even on base that day – such is the confusion of wartime recollections.
2 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, Australian War Memorial, ID Number S01670, and research by Nobby Blundell, edited by Bruce Buckham, http://forums.diecast-aviation.eu/showthread.php?t=20887; see also Harold M. ‘Nobby’ Blundell, 463-467 Squadrons R.A.A.F. and They Flew from Waddington! 463-467 Lancaster Squadrons, Royal Australian Air Force
3 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
4 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
5 http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/bomber-pilot-captured-tirpitzs-demise-20110816-1iw9r.html#ixzz2vwFjnXHF
6 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
7 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, IWM ID Number S01670
8 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
9 Alan Cooper, Beyond the Dams
10 Basil Fish, interview with the author
11 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
12 Sydney Grimes, interview with the author
13 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
14 Harry Humphries, Living with Heroes
15 Tom Bennett, 617 Squadron
16 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
17 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
18 Alf Jackson, quoted in Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
19 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
20 ibid.
21 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
22 ibid.
23 Alan Cooper, Beyond the Dams
24 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, ID Number S01670
25 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
26 Dennis Cooper, ‘A Visit to Wartime Russia or Tirpitz Ahoy!’, Après Moi!, Winter 2009/10
27 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, ID Number S01670
28 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
29 Dennis Cooper, ‘A Visit to Wartime Russia or Tirpitz Ahoy!’, Après Moi!, Winter 2009/10
30 Chris Whitehead, Knights of the Air
31 Klaus Rohwedder, interview for What the Dambusters Did Next, Channel 5
32 Wilfred George Bickley, IWM Sound 14588
33 ibid.
34 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, ID Number S01670
35 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
36 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
37 Alan Cooper, Beyond the Dams
38 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
39 Klaus Rohwedder, interview with the author
40 Chris Ward, Dambusters
41 Klaus Rohwedder, interview with the author
CHAPTER 12 ‘WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING TODAY?’
1 Quoted in Richard Morris, Guy Gibson
2 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
3 Basil Fish, interview with the author
4 Loftus Hebbard, information provided by Bruce Hebbard
5 Alan Cooper, From the Dams to the Tirpitz
6 Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt, The Bomber Command War Diaries
7 Correspondence with John Saunders, great-nephew of Bruce Hosie, and Max Lambert, Night after Night
8 http://www.traffordwardead.co.uk/index.php?sold_id=s%3A17%3A%22594%2Cstretford_ww2%22%3B&letter=W&place=&war=&soldier=Wyness+DFC
9 Tony Iveson, interview with the author
10 Quoted in Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
11 Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
12 Tony Iveson, Lancaster: The Biography
13 Dennis Cooper, ‘A Visit to Wartime Russia or Tirpitz Ahoy!’, Après Moi!, Winter 2009
14 Tommy Trebilcock, in Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
15 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
16 Letter provided by John Saunders
17 Lord Russell of Liverpool, Scourge of the Swastika
18 Max Lambert, Night after Night
19 John Saunders, letter to the author, April 2014
20 Willie Tait, in Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
CHAPTER 13 BACK TO THE TIRPITZ
1 Benny Goodman, interview with the author
2 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
3 ibid.
4 Bob Barry, quoted in Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
5 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
6 Sydney Grimes, interview with the author
7 Malcolm Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
8 Iris Grimes, interview with the author
9 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, IWM ID Number S01670
10 George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, interview with the author
11 Campbell Muirhead, diary
12 Bernard ‘Barney’ Gumbley, letters supplied by his nephew, John Gumbley
13 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
14 Porjus (Sweden) town archive
15 Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
16 Tom Bennett, 617 Squadron
17 Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
18 ibid.
19 Harry Humphries, Living with Heroes
20 Alan Cooper, Beyond the Dams to the Tirpitz
21 Chris Ward, Dambusters
22 Malcolm Lennox Hamilton, IWM Sound 8264
23 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, IWM ID Number S01670
24 Tom Bennett, 617 Squadron
25 Colin Cole, interview with the author
26 Murray Vagnolini, interview with the author
27 Tom Allett, ‘First Op Tirpitz’
28 Kurt Schultze, interview for The Da
mbusters’ Great Escape, Channel 4
29 Lawrence Wesley Curtis, IWM Sound 92111
30 Phil Tetlow, interview for The Dambusters’ Great Escape, Channel 4
31 Colin Cole, quoted by Tom Allett in ‘First Op Tirpitz’
32 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
33 ibid.
34 Patrick Bishop, interview for The Dambusters’ Great Escape, Channel 4
35 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, IWM ID Number S01670
36 Colin Cole, interview with the author
37 Alfred Zuba, ‘Tirpitz: A German Sailor’s Eyewitness Report’, Après Moi!, Winter 2009/10
38 Quoted in Jim Shortland, ‘Tirpitz Survivors Recall Raids’, Après Moi!, Autumn 2006
39 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
40 Tony Iveson, interview with the author
41 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
42 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
43 Colin Cole, interview with the author.
44 Bruce ‘Buck’ Buckham, DSO, DFC, Australian War Memorial, IWM ID Number S01670
45 ibid.
46 Frank Tilley, interview with the author
47 Chris Ward, Dambusters
48 Chan Chandler, Tail Gunner
49 Sydney Grimes, interview with the author
50 Alfred Zuba, ‘Tirpitz: A German Sailor’s Eyewitness Report’, Après Moi!, Winter 2009/10
51 Quoted in Alan Cooper, Beyond the Dams
52 Quoted in Alan Cooper, Beyond the Dams
53 Jim Shortland, ‘Tirpitz Survivors Recall Raids’, Après Moi!, Autumn 2006
54 Alfred Zuba, ‘Tirpitz: A German Sailor’s Eyewitness Report’, Après Moi!, Winter 2009/10
55 Kurt Schultze, interview for The Dambusters’ Great Escape, Channel 4
56 Alan Cooper, Beyond the Dams
57 Kurt Schultze, interview for The Dambusters’ Great Escape, Channel 4
58 Bob Barry, quoted in Colin Burgess, ‘617 Squadron: The Later War Operations’
59 Arthur Ward, ‘With Tait to the Tirpitz’, Après Moi!, Summer 2010
60 ibid.
61 Reproduced from research by Nobby Blundell.
http://forums.diecast-aviation.eu/showthread.php?t=20887; Harold M. ‘Nobby’ Blundell, 467-463 Squadrons R.A.A.F. and They Flew from Waddington! 463-467 Lancaster Squadrons, Royal Australian Air Force