The Dambusters who didn't make it home: Fascinating checklist shows the RAF bombers that were checked back in after famous WWII raid - and the eight that were shot down by the Germans

  • Flight Sergeant Leonard Sumpter got hold of typed list of all RAF bombers involved in Operation Chastise 
  • Eight of the 19 Lancaster bombers were shot down while two others had to return to England due to faults
  • Next day he 'marked up the score' and wrote the word 'OK' next to the nine crews who survived raid in 1943
  • Fl Sgt Sumpter put red tick next to eight that didn't make it and a red line through the two that had to return

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A poignant document charting the fate of the 19 Dambusters crews which highlights the cruel and random nature of the famous Second War Two raid has been unearthed.

Flight Sergeant Leonard Sumpter, from Luton, Bedfordshire, got hold of a typed list of all the RAF bombers involved in Operation Chastise and ticked off the unfortunate crews who didn't make it back.

Of the 19 Lancaster bombers, eight were shot down resulting in the deaths of 53 airmen. Two others had to return to England after developing faults. The next morning, Fl Sgt Sumpter 'marked up the score' on the crew list.

Flight Sergeant Leonard Sumpter got hold of a typed list of all the RAF bombers involved in Operation Chastise and ticked off the crews who didn't make it back. He wrote the word 'OK' next to the nine crews who survived the daring raid to bomb three dams in 1943. He put a red tick next to eight that didn't make it and a red line through two that had to return to England

Flight Sergeant Leonard Sumpter got hold of a typed list of all the RAF bombers involved in Operation Chastise and ticked off the crews who didn't make it back. He wrote the word 'OK' next to the nine crews who survived the daring raid to bomb three dams in 1943. He put a red tick next to eight that didn't make it and a red line through two that had to return to England

Fl Sgt Sumpter took this photograph of a bomber aircraft in flight during the Dambusters raid of 1943. His document provides a stark reminder that, despite the raid being regarded as a success, nearly half the men who took part in it were killed

Fl Sgt Sumpter took this photograph of a bomber aircraft in flight during the Dambusters raid of 1943. His document provides a stark reminder that, despite the raid being regarded as a success, nearly half the men who took part in it were killed

A photo by Fl Sft Sumpter of a Lancaster bomber aircraft in flight over a reservoir. In the Dambusters raid, of the 19 bombers, eight were shot down resulting in the deaths of 53 airmen. Two others had to return to England after developing faults

A photo by Fl Sft Sumpter of a Lancaster bomber aircraft in flight over a reservoir. In the Dambusters raid, of the 19 bombers, eight were shot down resulting in the deaths of 53 airmen. Two others had to return to England after developing faults

He simply wrote the word 'OK' next to the nine crews who survived the daring raid in May 1943. He put a red tick next to eight that didn't make it and a red line through the two that had to return. 

The document provides a stark reminder that, despite the Dambusters raid to bomb three dams in Germany's industrial Ruhr Valley being regarded as a success, nearly half the men who took part in it were killed.

The piece of paper accompanied a letter Fl Sgt Sumpter wrote to a friend 40 years after the operation, which was famous for the use of the 'bouncing bomb' to breach the walls of the Mohne and Eder dams. 

In the letter the bomb aimer reflected on the good fortune he enjoyed to survive the mission.

 

 

The piece of paper accompanied a letter (above) wbhich Fl Sgt Sumpter wrote to a friend called 'Derrick' 40 years after the operation, which was famous for the use of the 'bouncing bomb' to breach the walls of the Mohne and Eder dams. In the letter the bomb aimer reflected on the good fortune he enjoyed to survive the mission

The piece of paper accompanied a letter (above) wbhich Fl Sgt Sumpter wrote to a friend called 'Derrick' 40 years after the operation, which was famous for the use of the 'bouncing bomb' to breach the walls of the Mohne and Eder dams. In the letter the bomb aimer reflected on the good fortune he enjoyed to survive the mission

Fl Sgt Sumpter, from Luton, had served in the Grenadier Guards before transferring to the RAF in 1941. By the end of the war he had flown 35 operations. He died in 1993

Fl Sgt Sumpter, from Luton, had served in the Grenadier Guards before transferring to the RAF in 1941. By the end of the war he had flown 35 operations. He died in 1993

He wrote: 'I have sent you the crew list on which I marked up the score next morning, OK's, losses and returns.

'...on both Dams it was a case of hold your breath for about two or three minutes on the run in and you were either lucky or otherwise. I am glad I was there (and here!)'

The fascinating document and three page letter has now been put up for auction by the original recipient with a pre-sale estimate of £800.

Fl Sgt Sumpter's list references Wing Commander Guy Gibson's crew as one of the nine to return.

The legendary pilot received the Victoria Cross for his part in the raid which included deliberately using his plane to draw anti-aircraft fire away from other crews.

It also notes the loss of the crew led by Flight Lieutenant John 'Hoppy' Hopgood whose Lancaster crashed after being hit by anti-aircraft fire.

And the bomber on which Flying Officer George 'Johnny' Johnson served as bomb aimer on is also checked with an 'OK'.

Now aged 95, Mr Johnson is the last surviving member of not only the Dambusters raid but also 617 Squadron.

The documents are being sold by Nottingham-based International Autograph Auctions on Saturday.

Richard Davie, of IAA, said: 'The crew list is a very poignant and emotive item that gives the reader some immediacy to one of the most famous air operations of the Second World War. 

RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War: Guy Gibson (centre) with the air crews who took part in the raid on Cologne in 1942. The legendary pilot received the Victoria Cross for his part in the raid which included deliberately using his plane to draw anti-aircraft fire away from other crews

RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War: Guy Gibson (centre) with the air crews who took part in the raid on Cologne in 1942. The legendary pilot received the Victoria Cross for his part in the raid which included deliberately using his plane to draw anti-aircraft fire away from other crews

The Dambusters, with Wing Commander Guy Gibson front row (centre). On the night of 16/17 May 1943 they engaged in one of the most legendary air raids of the war, using hydro-statically detonated bombs to devastate the German dams

The Dambusters, with Wing Commander Guy Gibson front row (centre). On the night of 16/17 May 1943 they engaged in one of the most legendary air raids of the war, using hydro-statically detonated bombs to devastate the German dams

A Dambusters reunion at the home of RAF veteran Tony Iveson in Islington, North London.
Holding the picture is Les Munro (left), the pilot of ED-921 'AJ-W' and Basil Feneron (right), the flight engineer on board ED-918 'AJ-F', of 617 Squadron

A Dambusters reunion at the home of RAF veteran Tony Iveson in Islington, North London.Holding the picture is Les Munro (left), the pilot of ED-921 'AJ-W' and Basil Feneron (right), the flight engineer on board ED-918 'AJ-F', of 617 Squadron

A Dambusters reunion at their old billet, now the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, in 1993.
Members of the 617 Squadron include Mr Munro (fifth left) and Mr Feneron (fourth right)

A Dambusters reunion at their old billet, now the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, in 1993.Members of the 617 Squadron include Mr Munro (fifth left) and Mr Feneron (fourth right)

Guy Gibson and the legendary Dambusters

On May 16, 1943, 19 aircraft set out to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley - the Mohne, the Eder and the Sorpe.

The idea was to damage a vital source of power to a key industrial area of Germany. Wing Commander Guy Gibson assembled the squadron with only 11 weeks to prepare for their mission - using special bouncing bombs, invented by Barnes Wallis.

They were not told that they would be bombing the Ruhr valley until six hours before the raid began, after weeks of practice over Peak District reservoirs.

On the night of Operation Chastise itself, the 113 crewmen took off in three waves along two different routes to bomb the dams.

Gibson attacked first at the Möhne at 12.28am, but five bombs were dropped before it was breached. The first wave’s three remaining aircraft with bombs then attacked the Eder which finally collapsed at 1.52am. 

Aircraft from the other two waves bombed the Sorpe but it remained intact. Although the mission was hailed a success, eight aircraft and 53 crew were lost during the raids.

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'It is hard to imagine this man, having flown on this incredibly heroic and daring mission in which many of his friends and comrades were killed, sitting down the next morning at RAF Scampton and, being in a very tired and emotional state, ticking off those who had died.

'It must have been a very emotional exercise for him. I have never seen another document like it and this is the first time this one has been sold.

'No doubt all the crew members were given one of these lists at the time, but you have to remember that these men were still serving their country in the war, they weren't souvenir keepers or glory hunters.

'Most of them would have thrown them away. We expect it to exceed its pre-sale estimate.'

Fl Sgt Sumpter had served in the Grenadier Guards before transferring to the RAF in 1941.

After training in England and Canada, he was posted to 57 Squadron at Scampton, Lincolnshire, in 1942.

He then flew as the bomb aimer on 13 operations in Lancasters in a crew which were later broken up.

Fl Sgt Sumpter and his colleague, Flight Engineer Bob Henderson, then joined the crew of Flight Lieutenant David Shannon in 617 Squadron.

During the Dams raid their Lancaster, call sign AG-L, hit their target of the Eder dam but their bombing failed to breach the wall.

Fl Sgt Sumpter was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal the following year for his service in marking bombing targets while flying in Mosquito planes.

By the end of the war he had flown 35 operations. He died in 1993.  

617 Squadron: Dambusters crew list 

RED = One of the 53 men killed

 

A-FLIGHT

 

ED-932 "AJ-G"

Pilot : Wing Comander G.P. Gibson, DSO*, DFC*

Navigator : Pilot Officer H.T. Taerum, RCAF

Flight Engineer : Sergeant J. Pulford

Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer F.M. Sparfford, DFM, RAAF

Wireless Operator: Flight Lieutenant R.G. Hutchinson, DFC

Front Gunner : Flight Sergeant G.A. Deering, RCAF

Rear Gunner : Flight Lieutenant R.D. Trevor-Roper, DFM

 

ED-864 "AJ-B"

Pilot : Flight Lieutenant W. Astell, DFC

Navigator : Pilot Officer F.A. Wile, RCAF

Flight Engineer : Sergeant J. Kinnear

Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer D. Hopkinson

Wireless Operator: Warrant Officer A.A. Garshowitz, RCAF

Front Gunner : Flight Sergeant F.A. Garbas, RCAF

Rear Gunner : Sergeant R. Bolitho

 

ED-929 "AJ-L"

Pilot : Flight Lieutenant D. J. Shannon, DFC, RAAF

Navigator : Flying Officer D.R. Walker, DFC, RCAF

Flight Engineer : Sergeant R.J. Henderson

Bomb Aimer : Flight Sergeant L.J. Sumpter

Wireless Operator: Flying Officer B. Goodale, DFC

Front Gunner : Sergeant B. Jagger

Rear Gunner : Flying Officer J. Buckley

 

ED-936 "AJ-H"

Pilot : Pilot Officer G. Rice

Navigator : Flying Officer R. McFarlane

Flight Engineer : Sergeant E.C. Smith

Bomb Aimer : Warrant Officer J.W. Thrasher, RCAF

Wireless Operator: Warrant Officer C.B. Gowrie, RCAF

Front Gunner : Sergeant T.W. Maynard

Rear Gunner : Sergeant S. Burns

 

ED-910 "AJ-C"

Pilot : Pilot Officer W.H.T. Ottley, DFC

Navigator : Flying Officer J.K. Barrett, DFC

Flight Engineer : Sergeant R. Marsden, DFM

Bomb Aimer : Flight Sergeant T.B. Johnston

Wireless Operator: Sergeant J. Guterman, DFM

Front Gunner : Sergeant H.J. Strange

Rear Gunner : Sergeant F. Tees

 

B-FLIGHT


ED-937 "AJ-Z"

Pilot : Squadron Leader H.E. Maudslay, DFC

Navigator : Flying Officer R.A. Urquhart, DFC, RCAF

Flight Engineer : Sergeant J. Marriott, DFM

Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer M.J.D. Fuller

Wireless Operator: Warrant Officer A.P. Cottam, RCAF

Front Gunner : Flying Offcier W.J. Tytherleigh

Rear Gunner : Sergeant N.R. Burrows

 

ED-909 "AJ-P"

Pilot : Flight Lieutenant H.N. Martin, DFC

Navigator : Flight Lieutenant J.F. Leggo, DFC, RAAF

Flight Engineer : Pilot Officer I. Whitaker

Bomb Aimer : Flight Lieutenant R.C. Hay, DFC, RAAF

Wireless Operator: Flying Officer L. Chambers, RNZAF

Front Gunner : Pilot Officer B.T. Foxlee, DFM, RAAF

Rear Gunner : Flight Sereant T.D. Simpson, RAAF

 

ED-825 "AJ-T"

Pilot : Flight Lieutenant J.C. McCarthy, DFC, RCAF

Navigator : Flight Sergeant D.A. MacLean, RCAF

Flight Engineer : Sergeant W.D. Radcliffe

Bomb Aimer : Sergeant G.L. Johnson

Wireless Operator: Flight Sergeant L. Eaton

Front Gunner : Sergeant R. Batson

Rear Gunner : Flying Officer D. Rodger, RCAF

 

ED-912 "AJ-N"

Pilot : Pilot Offcier L.G. Knight, RAAF

Navigator : Flying Officer H.S. Hobday

Flight Engineer : Sergeant R.E. Graystone

Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer E.C. Johnson

Wireless Operator: Flight Sergeant R.G.T. Kellow, RAAF

Front Gunner : Sergeant F.E. Sutherland, RCAF

Rear Gunner : Sergeant H.E. O'Brien 

ED-887 "AJ-A"

Pilot : Squadron Leader H.M. Young, DFC*

Navigator : Flight Sergeant C.W. Roberts

Flight Engineer : Sergeant D.T. Horsfall

Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer V.C. MacCausland, RCAF

Wireless Operator: Sergeant L.W. Nichols

Front Gunner : Sergeant G.A. Yeo

Rear Gunner : Sergeant W. Ibbotson

 

ED-906 "AJ-J"

Pilot : Flight Lieutenant D.H. Maltby, DFC

Navigator : Sergeant V. Nicholson

Flight Engineer : Flight Sergeant W. Hatton

Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer J. Fort

Wireless Operator: Sergeant A.J.B. Stone

Front Gunner : Sergeant V. Hill

Rear Gunner : Sergeant H.T. Simmonds

 

ED-927 "AJ-E"

Pilot : Flight Lieutenant R.N.G. Barlow, DFC, RAAF

Navigator : Flying Officer P.S. Burgess

Flight Engineer : Pilot Officer S.L. Whillis

Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer A. Gillespie, DFM

Wireless Operator: Flying Officer C.R. Williams, DFC, RAAF

Front Gunner : Flying Officer H.S. Glinz, RCAF

Rear Gunner : Sergeant J.R.G. Liddell

 

ED-934 "AJ-K"

Pilot : Pilot Officer V.W. Byers, RCAF

Navigator : Flying Officer J.H. Warner

Flight Engineer : Sergeant A.J. Taylor

Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer A.N. Whitaker

Wireless Operator: Sergeant J. Wilkinson

Front Gunner : Sergeant C.McA. Jarvie

Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant J. McDowell, RCAF

 

ED-918 "AJ-F"

Pilot : Flight Sergeant K.W. Brown, RCAF

Navigator : Sergeant D.P. Heal

Flight Engineer : Sergeant H.B. Feneron

Bomb Aimer : Sergeant S. Oancia, RCAF

Wireless Operator: Sergeant H.W. Hewstone

Front Gunner : Sergeant D. Allatson

Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant G.S. MacDonald, RCAF

 

ED-925 "AJ-M"

Pilot : Flight Lieutenant J.V. Hopgood, DFC*

Navigator : Flying Officer K. Earnshaw, RCAF

Flight Engineer : Sergeant C. Brennan

Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer J.W. Fraser, DFC

Wireless Operator: Sergeant J.W. Minchin

Front Gunner : Pilot Officer G.H.F.G. Gregory, DFM

Rear Gunner : Pilot Offcier A.F. Burcher, DFM, RAAF

 

ED-921 "AJ-W"

Pilot : Flight Lieutenant J.L. Munro, RNZAF

Navigator : Flying Officer F.G. Rumbles

Flight Engineer : Sergeant F.E. Appleby

Bomb Aimer : Sergeamt J.H. Clay

Wireless Operator: Warrant Office P.E. Pigeon, RCAF

Front Gunner : Sergeant W. Howarth

Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant H.A. Weeks, RCAF

 

ED-865 "AJ-S"

Pilot : Pilot Officer L.J. Burpee, DFM, RCAF

Navigator : Sergeant T. Jaye

Flight Engineer : Sergeant G. Pegler

Bomb Aimer : Flight Sergeant J.L. Arthur, RCAF

Wireless Operator: Pilot Officer L.G. Weller

Front Gunner : Sergeant W.C.A. Long

Rear Gunner : Warrant Officer J.G. Brady, RCAF

 

ED-886 "AJ-O"

Pilot : Flight Sergeant W.C. Townsend

Navigator : Pilot Offcier C.L. Howard, RAAF

Flight Engineer : Sergeant D.J.D. Powell

Bomb Aimer : Sergeant C.E. Franklin, DFM

Wireless Operator: Flight Sergeant G.A. Chalmers

Front Gunner : Sergeant D.E. Webb

Rear Gunner : Sergeant R. Wilkinson 

 

KEY 

RAAF - Royal Australian Air Force / RCAF - Royal Canadian Air Force / RNZAF - Royal New Zealand Air Force / DSO - Distinguished Service Order / DFC - Distinguished Flying Cross / DFM - Distinguished Flying Medal / * Indicates a second award (a bar) to that award

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