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Corporal Kenneth Lucas Signed Naval Art
Corporal Kenneth Lucas
Ken Lucas joined the RAF in June 1940, and trained as ground crew for bomber Command. He was sent first to 49 Squadron at RAF Scampton, before transferring to 617 Squadron upon its formation, Involved in all the major servicing of the aircraft before the raid including fitting the motors that drove the belt that spun the bomb, and attaching the critical lamps to the underside of the aircraft. Sadly, Ken Lucas passed away in January 2011.
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Inbound to Target - The Dambusters by Robert Taylor. The crews of 617 Squadron that took part in the epic Dambusters raid on the night of 16/17 May 1943 were among the finest in the RAF. They were the elite of Bomber Command, and when they left RAF Scampton that night, the skills of their pilots - some of the finest of the Second World War, would be tested to the limit. First, they must guide their aircraft across heavily defended enemy territory at altitudes often as low as fifty feet, dodging flak, trees, buildings and power lines. And then they must attack their targets with a precision unmatched in the annals of the RAF. Of all the pilots who took to the skies that night, no-one was more accomplished at low-level flying than Flight Lieutenant Mick Martin, and it is his aircraft, Lancaster AJ-P that is the subject of this artwork. In company with Flight Lieutenant John Hopgood in the distance, they follow one of the many canals of Holland, wingtips barely missing the sails of the windmills, en-route to the Mohne Dam. |
Tractor Girl by David Pentland. Lancaster AJ-T of No.617 Sqn being towed by tractor to its dispersal slot by a Women's Auxiliary Air Force driver at Scampton, May 1943, in preparation for Operation Chastise. |
'O' Safe Home by Ivan Berryman. Bill Townsend's Lancaster O for Orange, returns safely on the morning of 17th May 1943 after the success of the daring raids on the dams of the Ruhr Valley. |
Dambusters - The Morning After by Gerald Coulson. Just after midnight, on the night of 16/17 May 1943, Lancaster crews of 617 Squadron undertook what was to become the most remarkable and probably best remembered air raid of the Second World War. Flying all the way from their base in England in darkness at tree-top height, with just the light of the moon to guide them, the specially selected crews made a surprise attack on the mighty hydro-electric dams in the Ruhr. Flying specially modified aircraft, each Lancaster was equipped with the unique cylindrical hydro-statically detonated bomb as conceived by Barnes Wallis. This huge device when released from the aircraft flying at exactly 230mph and at the precise height of 60 ft spun onto the surface of the water. To achieve the critical height above the water at moment of release, two beams of light, from front and aft, were projected from the aircraft on to the surface of the water, creating a neat figure-of-eight on the surface below. As each bomb bounced across the water towards its target, it struck the dam wall, sank to the pre-set depth, and exploded. The results were devastating. Led by the mercurial Squadron Leader Guy Gibson, ignoring furious defensive gunfire while flying perilously close to the water, each crew made their precision run at the target, released their deadly bomb, and those lucky enough to survive the barrage of tracer shells and anti-aircraft fire, escaped into the darkness. Not all of them did. In the space of those few, highly charged minutes, the Lancaster crews of 617 Squadron wrote their names into history. Sixty-four years on, the memory of their exploits and the courage displayed by the crews on that historic raid, together with the genius of Bames Wallis, remain undimmed. Gerald Coulsons painting shows a single Lancaster of 617 Squadron, one of the lucky ones having made it safely back to base, proudly standing alone as if in tribute to those that didn't return. |
The Dambusters - Three Good Bounces by Robert Taylor. In the history of air warfare few missions come close in terms of courage and the highest skills of precision flying to the one carried out by 617 Squadron on the night of 16th-17th May 1943. Codenamed Operation Chastise, their mission was to destroy the great dams that were vital to the industries of the Ruhr and, to do so, they would use a radical new weapon designed by Barnes Wallis - a bouncing bomb that would skip across the water before detonating against the dam wall. On the night of 16th May, after seven weeks of intensive low level training, nineteen crews flew their Lancaster bombers from RAF Scampton to carry out what became one of the most legendary missions of all time. The result was the destruction of the Möhne and Eder dams. Robert Taylor's outstanding painting depicts a moment at the height of the successful attack on the Möhne Dam, the first of three primary targets that night, as 'Dinghy' Young powers Lancaster AJ-A over the wall of the dam just after releasing his bouncing bomb. Commanding Officer Guy Gibson, flying high with lights on to draw enemy flak, noted that Young's bomb made 'three good bounces' before successfully detonating against the dam wall to trigger its collapse. David Maltby in AJ-J will shortly deliver the final, decisive blow. |
The One That Broke The Dam by Ivan Berryman. Amid a hail of defensive fire, Flt Lt D J H Maltby holds Lancaster ED906/G AJ-J steady for his bomb aimer John Fort to perfectly choose his moment to release the Upkeep Bomb that would ultimately breach and destroy the Mohne Dam during the famous Dambuster raids on the Ruhr on the night of 16th / 17th May 1943. |
Dam Defenders by David Pentland. Mohne Dam, Ruhr Valley, 16th-17th May 1943. On the fifth and final attempt to breach the Mohne dam, Flt. Lt Maltby was flanked by the aircraft of Gibson and Martin who attempted to suppress the German flak defences. |
The Secret Weapon by David Pentland. RAF Scampton, 16th May 1943. Ground crew deliver the top secret bouncing bombs to the Lancasters of 617 Squadron in preparation for Operation Chastise. |
Bomb Away! The Third Assault by Robert Taylor. On the night of 16th - 17th May 1943 nineteen specially modified Lancasters of No.617 Squadron departed from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire on one of the most secret and daring bombing operations undertaken during World War Two. The ultra-secret operation to destroy the huge hydro-electric dams that powered a significant part of Germany's industrial war machine in the Ruhr valley, codenamed Operation Chastise, had been planned in stealth for months. Using a revolutionary 10-ton 'bouncing bomb' designed by the brilliant designer Barnes-Wallis, a special squadron comprised of the most talented crews that RAF Bomber Command could muster would be formed to attack primarily the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams. Using highly modified Lancaster bombers to carry the secret bomb, Operation Chastise.was to become one of the most dangerous precision bombing raids ever undertaken, and Robert Taylor astutely captures all the atmosphere in his drawing Bomb Away!. At 00.38 hrs the attack on the Möhne dam is already well underway. The Commander of No.617 Squadron and leader of the raid, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, had made the first successful attack, but the dam wall held firm. Tragedy then struck as Flight Lieutenant Hopgood's Lancaster, hit by flak during his attack, exploded in a ball of flame. Gibson called in Flick Lieutenant Mick Martin to make the third assault. As enemy flak and tracer illuminate the night sky, Guy Gibson boldly attempts to draw the enemy's fire as Martin holds Lancaster AJ-P steady at 60ft above the waters of the Möhne dam to release the cylindrical, bouncing bomb and send it spinning towards the dam wall. In a few moments a huge explosion will erupt up into the night sky as the hydrostatic bomb detonates against this might granite wall. Once again though, the öhne dam held, but not for long. Following Martin, Squadron Leader Dinghy Young would approach in Lancaster AJ-A, his bomb also successfully hitting the target but this time the dam, already weakened, will slowly crack. Water will start to seep through the granite wall as Squadron Leader David Maltby in Lancaster AJ-J finishes the job. With a thunderous roar the Möhne dam was breached, its waters unleashed like a giant tidal wave sweeping through the valley below. |
Clipped Signature - Kenneth Lucas. Bomber Command ground crew who served with No.49 Sqn before moving to No.617 Squadron. As ground crew, he played a crucial role in preparing the Lancaster bombers for the Dambusters Raid. He died in 2011. |
Operation Chastise - The Night They Broke the Dams by Ivan Berryman. Guy Gibsons Lancaster having unsuccessfully dropped its bomb, draws enemy fire from the aircraft of Sqn Ldr Young as his bomb explodes spectacularly on the Mohne Dam during the audacious Dams Raids of 16th/17th May 1943. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-A by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-A attacking the Mohne dam, successfully causing a small breach. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-A pilot Sqn Ldr H M Young. This aircraft was shot down over the Dutch coast on the return journey, with the loss of all crew. Crew of A for Apple : Pilot : Sqn Ldr H M Young Flight Engineer : Sgt D T Horsfall Navigator : Flt Sgt D W Roberts Wireless Operator : Sgt L W Nichols Bomb Aimer : Flg Off V S MacCausland Front Gunner : Sgt G A Yeo Rear Gunner : Sgt W Ibbotson. |
Breaching the Möhne by Anthony Saunders. The Dambusters - Target X. Twenty minutes had passed and three Lancasters had attacked but there was still no sign of a breach in the Möhne Dam, the first of three primary targets for the newly-formed elite 617 Squadron under the command of Wg Cdr Guy Gibson. Gibson and Flt Lt 'Mick' Martin had made successful attacks but Flt Lt 'Hoppy' Hopgood, whose bomb bounced over the dam wall and exploded on the power station below, had been shot down by deadly flak. Now it was the turn of Sqn Ldr 'Dinghy' Young in Lancaster AJ-A. With Gibson and Martin heroically drawing enemy fire, Young's Upkeep 'bouncing bomb' was spot on target with Gibson later noting it made 'three good bounces' before detonating against the dam wall. It held but Gibson was feeling upbeat, he was sure he'd seen movement in the wall after the explosion and called up David Maltby to begin his attack. He, too, was successful, and just as Flt Lt David Shannon was about to begin his attack the dam disintegrated - the Möhne had finally been breached. 'There was a great breach 100 yards across' Gibson wrote later, 'and the water, looking like stirred porridge in the moonlight, was gushing out and rolling into the Ruhr valley...'. An hour later the Eder dam was also breached, but the operation was a costly, if stirring, success; of the nineteen Lancasters sent out from RAF Scampton, eight would never return; of the 56 aircrew aboard only two survived. To perpetuate the legend of the Dambusters, artist Anthony Saunders has once again created a stunning work depicting the scene at 'Target X' - the codename originally given to the Möhne dam. Always a master of his craft, Anthony portrays 'Dinghy' Young's Lancaster AJ-A as he clears the dam wall moments after releasing his bomb. On his starboard side Guy Gibson, navigation lights ablaze, heroically draws enemy fire whilst below Young, the inferno created by Hopgood's bomb lights up the sky. Printed onto borders that were personally signed over many years, each copy carries the authentic autographs of six highly-regarded veterans who took part in Operation Chastise on the night of 16 / 17 May 1943. Since signing, most have sadly passed away giving even greater meaning to this print release which provides both aviation art and Dambuster enthusiasts a remarkable collector's piece to be cherished. |
Dambusters - Breaching the Eder Dam by Robert Taylor. Mist and fog swirled eerily over the Eder Lake on the night of 16/17 May 1943 as four specially modified Lancasters of 617 Squadron, under the leadership of Wing Commander Guy Gibson, circled overhead. Their target, the mighty Eder Dam, was barely visible in the valley below. Immediately following the successful breach of the Mohne Dam, Gibson had led his remaining aircraft 50 miles to the south-east to hit their second target, the Eder Dam. Surrounded by high ground with thousand feet ridges, the Eder was altogether a more testing target. The Lancaster pilots would need to dive steeply into the gorge that formed the Eder lake before undertaking a steep turn towards the Dam itself. As if this were not demanding enough in the darkness of night, they then had to fly towards the target at precisely 60ft above the lake at the exact speed of 230mph, before releasing their Barnes Wallace designed hydrostatic bouncing bombs. Pilots Shannon and Maudsley tried time and again to position their laden bombers correctly before managing to release their weapons - but the dam still held. Now success depended solely on Knight carrying the last bomb! With time and fuel now a concern, Knights first effort to position, like Shannon and Maudsley before him, failed, but his second run favoured the brave. Knight released his bomb with absolute precision, striking the wall at precisely the crucial point. With a tremendous explosion the Eder Dam collapsed before their eyes. Robert Taylors sensational new painting vividly shows the dramatic moment of impact. In the cockpit Knight and flight engineer Ray Grayston fight the controls to clear the dam, combining their physical strength to haul the lumbering Lancaster up and over the dam and to clear the high ground that lies ahead. Below and behind them, the second of Germanys mighty western dams lies finally breached. |
Topping Up by David Pentland. Lancaster of 617 Sqn refueling at Scampton, May 1943, in preparation for Operation Chastise. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-L by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-L lining up for the attack on the Eder dam. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-L pilot Flt Lt D J Shannon. The first aircraft to attempt an attack the Eder dam, AJ-L made several unsuccessful attempts at lining up to drop the bomb, hampered by the difficult approach to the dam. After allowing AJ-Z to drop its bomb, AJ-L made a final successful attack on the dam, its bomb exploding accurately, but failing to cause a breach. The aircraft returned to base safely. Crew of L for Leather : Pilot : Flt Lt D J Shannon Flight Engineer : Sgt R J Henderson Navigator : Flg Off D R Walker Wireless Operator : Flg Off B Goodale Bomb Aimer : Flt Sgt L J Sumpter Front Gunner : Sgt B Jagger Rear Gunner : Flg Off J Buckley. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-P by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-P attacking the Mohne dam. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-P pilot Flt Lt H B Martin. This aircraft was the third to attack the Mohne dam, and although the bomb was dropped successfully, it veered to the side of the dam and exploded off target. The aircraft returned safely. Crew of P for Popsie : Pilot : Flt Lt H B Martin Flight Engineer : Plt Off I Whittaker Navigator : Flt Lt J F Leggo Wireless Operator : Flg Off L Chambers Bomb Aimer : Flt Lt R C Hay Front Gunner : Plt Off B T Foxlee Rear Gunner : Flt Sgt T D Simpson. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-G by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-G attacking the Mohne dam. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-G pilot Wing Cdr G P Gibson. The very first aircraft to attack the dams, AJ-G dropped its bomb short of the Mohne, but drew anti-aircraft fire away from the following Lancasters, before returning home safely Crew of G for George : Pilot : Wing Cdr G P Gibson Flight Engineer : Sgt J Pulford Navigator : Plt Off H T Taerum Wireless Operator : Flt Lt R E G Hutchison Bomb Aimer : Plt Off F M Spafford Front Gunner : Flt Sgt G A Deering Rear Gunner : Flt Lt R D Trevor-Roper. |
Low Pass Over the Möhne Dam by Anthony Saunders. Operation Chastise, the plan to destroy the mighty Ruhr dams, was bold, audacious and dangerous. It was also set to become one of the most legendary combat missions ever undertaken in the history of aviation warfare. In late February 1943 a unique decision was taken by the RAF to form the now legendary 617 Squadron, a highly specialised unit within Bomber Command. Its task was to be the destruction of the huge Möhne, Sorpe and Eder dams, which provided vital services to German industry. Tasked with providing the crews for this new squadron was the young, outstanding, bomber and night-fighter pilot Wing Commander Guy Gibson, already a veteran of 174 bomber operations. On 21st March 1943 the unit was formed at RAF Scampton under his command, and the chosen men had just eight weeks to prepare for the task in hand. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-N by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-N pulling away after its successful breach of the Eder dam. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-N pilot Plt Off L J Knight. This aircraft was the third aircraft to make the tricky attack on the Eder dam. Despite the approach being made difficult by the terrain, AJ-N successfully breached the Eder dam with its bomb, and returned home safely. Crew of N for Nan : Pilot : Plt Off L J Knight Flight Engineer : Sgt R E Grayston Navigator : Flg Off H S Hobday Wireless Operator : Flt Sgt R G T Kellow Bomb Aimer : Flg Off E C Johnson Front Gunner : Sgt F E Sutherland Rear Gunner : Sgt H E O'Brien. |
The Dambusters - Last Moments of the Möhne Dam by Robert Taylor. As they cleared the surrounding hills the valley unfolded to reveal the black waters of the lake glistening in the crystal clear moonlight. And then, away in the distance, they saw the target they had come to destroy - the Möhne Dam. The largest dam in Europe, the fortress-like walls of Möhne held back nearly 140 million cubic metres of water essential to the industry and factories of the Ruhr. The Air Ministry had long ago decided that if the Möhne dam, and the two other major Ruhr dams - the Eder and Sorpe - were destroyed, it could deliver a massive blow to the Nazi war machine. But cracking open the mighty dams would require exceptional flying skills; and so, on 21 March 1943, a new squadron was formed specifically for the task, the only time this ever happened in Bomber Command. Known as 617 Squadron and led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, it was not only the squadron that was unique, so was the weapon they would be using - Upkeep - a cylindrical, hydrostatic 'bouncing' bomb. The brainchild of Barnes Wallis, Upkeep was designed to skip across the surface of the water, sink against the dam's massive wall, and explode with enormous force at a precise depth. In Robert Taylor's sensational new painting Guy Gibson and Mick Martin draw the enemy's fire as 'Dinghy' Young clears the dam's parapet seconds after releasing his bomb. A few moments later Young's bomb will successfully detonate against the dam leaving it mortally wounded allowing David Maltby in AJ-J to finish the task. With the Möhne Dam breached Gibson, with the remaining crews, will turn south to repeat the operation at the Eder Dam. |
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