Canadian Dam Busters

The Canadians of Bomber Command made a major contribution to the Dams Raid. Let's not forget these gallant Dam Busters.

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RCAF Aircrew who Returned from the Dams Raid.

Back Row: Oancia, Sutherland, O'Brien, Brown, Weeks, Thrasher, Deering, Radcliffe, MacLean, McCarthy, MacDonald
Front Row: Pigeon, Taerum, Walker, Gowrie, Rodger.

As with all aspects of the history of Bomber Command, Canadians played a major role in the Dams Raid. Of the 133 airmen that set out on the raid, 30 were Canadian and six were from Alberta. Fourteen were killed during the raid and one became a Prisoner of War. Exactly 50% of the Canadians who took off did not return. Four of the Canadians who survived the Raid were killed in action later in the war. Note that F/L Joe McCarthy was an American who flew with the Royal Canadian Air Force.


Sgt. James L. Arthur photo
(Coldwater, Ontario) (P/O Burpee's bomb aimer)
-Killed during the Raid

Sgt. Charles Brennan
(Calgary, Alberta) (F/L Hopgood's bomb aimer)
-Killed during the Raid

F/Sgt. Joseph G. Brady photo
(Ponoka, Alberta) (P/O Burpee's rear gunner)
-Killed during the Raid

F/Sgt. Ken Brown chronicle
(Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan) (pilot)
-Survived the Raid and the war (awarded Conspicuous Gallantry Medal)

P/O Lewis J. Burpee photo
(Ottawa, Ontario) (pilot)
-Killed during the Raid

Sgt. Vernon W. Byers photo
(Star City, Saskatchewan) (pilot)
-Killed during the Raid

Sgt. Allan Preston Cottam photo
(Jasper, Alberta) (S/L Maudsley's wireless operator)
-Killed during the Raid

F/Sgt. George A. Deering
(Toronto, Ontario) (W/C Gibson's front gunner)
-Survived the Raid but killed in action Sept. 16, 1943 (awarded the DFC)

F/O Kenneth Earnshaw chronicle photo
(Bashaw, Alberta) (F/L Hopgood's navigator)
-Killed during the Raid

P/O John W. Fraser chronicle photo
(Nanaimo, B.C.) (F/L Hopgood's bomb aimer)
-Taken Prisoner of War following the Raid and survived the war

Sgt. Francis A. Garbas chronicle photo
(Hamilton, Ontario) (F/L Astell's front gunner)
-Killed during the Raid

Sgt. Abram Garshowitz photo
(Hamilton, Ontario) (F/L Astell's wireless operator)
-Killed during the Raid

F/O Harvey S. Glinz photo
(Winnipeg, Manitoba) (F/L Barlow's front gunner)
-Killed during the Raid

Sgt. Chester B. Gowrie
(Tramping Lake, Saskatchewan) (P/O Rice's wireless operator)
-Survived the Raid but killed in action Dec. 20, 1943

F/O Vincent S. MacCausland photo
(Tyne Valley, P.E.I.) (S/L Young's bomb aimer)
-Killed during the Raid

F/Sgt. Grant S. MacDonald
(F/Sgt. Ken Brown's rear gunner)
-Survived the Raid and the war

Sgt. James McDowell photo
(Port Arthur, Ontario) (Sgt. Byer's rear gunner)
-Killed during the Raid

F/Sgt. Donald A. MacLean
(Toronto, Ontario) (F/L McCarthy's navigator)
-Survived the Raid and the war (awarded the DFM)

Sgt. Stefan Oancia
(Stonehenge, Saskatchewan) (F/Sgt. Brown's bomb aimer)
-Survived the Raid and the war (awarded DFM)

Sgt. Harry E. O'Brien
(F/L Knight's rear gunner)
-Survived the Raid and the war

Sgt. Percy E. Pigeon
(Williams Lake, BC) (F/L Munro's wireless operator)
-Survived the Raid and the war

Sgt. William Radcliffe photo
(British Columbia) (F/L McCarthy's flight engineer)
-Survived the Raid and the war

F/L David Rodger DFC photo
(Sault St. Marie, Ontario) (F/L McCarthy's rear gunner)
-Survived the Raid and the war

Sgt. Frederick E. Sutherland photo
(F/L Knight's front gunner)
-Survived the Raid and the war; Shot down Sept 16, 1943, evaded and returned to England

P/O Harlo "Terry" Taerum DFC chronicle photo
(Milo, Alberta) (W/C Gibson's navigator)
-Survived the Raid but killed in action Sept. 16, 1943 (awarded the DFC)

F/Sgt. John W. Thrasher
(Amherstburg, Ontario) (P/O Rice's bomb aimer)
-Survived the Raid but killed in action Dec. 20, 1943

F/O Robert A. Urquhart photo
(Spanish, Ontario) (S/L Maudsley's navigator)
-Killed during the Raid

F/O D. Revie Walker
(Blairmore, Alberta) (F/L Shannon's navigator)
-Survived the Raid and the war (awarded Bar to his DFC)

F/Sgt. Harvey Weeks
(F/L Munro's rear gunner)
-Survived the Raid and the war

P/O Floyd A. Wile photo
(Truro, Nova Scotia) (F/L Astell's navigator)
-Killed during the Raid

I am writing a 70th Anniversay book of the Dambuster raid, May 1943 and am looking for any pictures of the men who took part in this operation, 50% from Canada, can you help?

Alan cooper Author and historian

Hi

From Wiki:

Remake

Work on a remake of The Dam Busters, produced by Peter Jackson and directed by first time director Christian Rivers, began production in 2008. Jackson said in the mid-1990s that he became interested in remaking the 1954 film, but found that the rights had been bought by Mel Gibson. In 2004, Jackson was contacted by his agent, who said Gibson had dropped the rights. The rights were purchased by Sir David Frost, from the Brickhill family in 2005.[5] Stephen Fry is writing the script of the film.[6] It will be distributed by Universal Pictures and StudioCanal.[7] Filming was planned to commence in early 2009, on a budget of USD 40 million,[8] although no project-specific filming had begun as of May 2009.[9]

Weta Workshop is making the models and special effects for the film and have made 10 life size Lancaster bombers.[10]

The last living pilot of the strike team, Les Munro, joined the production crew in Masterton as technical adviser. Jackson will also use newly declassified War Office documents to ensure the authenticity of the film.[11]

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As long as Paul Gross is not in it, I'll be seeing that!!

regards
Darrell