Dambusters Exhibition Programme

THE DAMBUSTERS AND BEYOND CELEBRATING THE RAF An exhibition of photographs

and rare archive material 20th June – Tuesday 17th July THE NORTH WALL GALLERY

WARDEN’S INTRODUCTION

In 2018, as a nation, we mark the centenary of the establishment of the Royal Air Force as the UK’s aerial peace-keeping and fighting force. For St Edward’s, this is a particularly poignant anniversary: some four hundred of the School’s alumni have served in the RAF, including sixty- one in the Great War and two hundred and eighty five in the Second World War. St Edward’s alumni include many illustrious names from the history of aviation such as aircraft pioneers Geoffrey De Havilland and Louis Strange alongside celebrated RAF Officers Guy Gibson, leader of the Dambuster raid, maverick ace Adrian Warburton, the and legendary fighter pilot Douglas Bader. Every visitor to the exhibition will experience a very real connection with the seismic events that have shaped the RAF’s first 100 years. I would like to extend my particular thanks to two former pupils of the School whose work on this exhibition made it all possible. Mike Stanfield is the Chairman of The North Wall Trust and Dr Simon Innes- Robbins is Senior Curator at the Imperial War Museum.

On 19th November 1955, the School was officially presented with the Commemorative Window pictured above by the Air Council of the RAF in ‘recognition of the fine record of boys from St Edward’s in the Royal Air Force’. This exhibition is organised jointly by The North Wall and its principal sponsor, St Edward’s School. It draws on rare materials from the archives of St Edward’s and the Imperial War Museum, and photographic materials from the agency TopFoto. The exhibition is curated by Dr Simon Innes-Robbins OSE, Senior Curator at the Imperial War Museum.

Stephen Jones

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WELCOME TO THE NORTH WALL

THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AND ST EDWARD’S: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE EXHIBITION

We are delighted to be hosting The Dambusters and Beyond, a joint venture between The North Wall and our principal sponsor, St Edward’s School. As the RAF celebrates its 100th anniversary year, we are excited to share a very special collection of archive photography, military artefacts, and largely unseen private papers and diaries. We hope it provides some new insights into the exploits and ingenuity of these remarkable individuals, including many among them who are former pupils of St Edward’s. With such a strong connection to the School, it seems fitting to draw these exhibits together here at The North Wall and, perhaps, inspire a new generation to investigate and comprehend their extraordinary story.

The exhibition also highlights the vital roles played by women, from their significant contribution to the espionage activities of the Special Operations Executive in WWII right up to modern-day developments, where women are eligible to apply for ground close combat roles for the first time. We hope this unique collection provides a new perspective for people to reflect both on the history of the RAF in general and the very particular role played by the young pilots who spent their formative years at St Edward’s School.

By Basil Zirinis, Lower Sixth Historian

On 1st April 1918, against the backdrop of the Great War, the newly founded Royal Air Force emerged as the first independent air force in the world. This year, we celebrate its centenary. It is worth considering what exactly we are celebrating about the RAF. Perhaps, what we are truly celebrating is not simply the century that has passed since its founding, but rather the century that has passed in which the founding principles of the RAF have held strong. It was upon this bedrock of values that the RAF was built, and which has since allowed the RAF to be at the tip of Britain’s military might from WWII and the Falklands, to current engagements in Iraq and Syria. However, the founding values of the RAF were already well established before it was officially formed. It was Britain’s pilots in WWI (at the time part of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC)) who laid the foundation for what would become the RAF. Engaging in the first aerial combat in history, these men had shown themselves to be courageous and trailblazing, and as the very first pilots of the RAF, they defined the traits which would come to epitomise the RAF pilot. As we look back on the century that has passed, there is one legacy of the RAF I find particularly worthy of celebration: the RAF pilots from St Edward’s. 

Ria Parry and John Hoggarth Co-Directors of The North Wall

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In 1915, eight years after he left Teddies, Louis Strange, who was one of the very first pilots of the RFC to fly over northern France, found notoriety when his Camel fighter plane rolled over in combat. Hanging upside-down in mid-air from the

legacy of the most famous of the Teddies pilots who followed him: Douglas Bader. However, whilst Strange managed to avoid the risky consequence of his stunts, Bader’s lost him both of his legs just three years after leaving St Edward’s. Determined to fly in defence of his country in the summer of 1940,

by an eternally grateful nation: Guy Gibson and his Avro Lancaster. I will not attempt to describe the story of the ‘Dambusters’ raid, as to do so would not give justice to the awe-inspiring nature of the operation Gibson commanded (depicted in the 1955 film of the same title). However, I think it is worth noting something about Gibson’s legacy as we celebrate the RAF: Gibson, once again, was another courageous trailblazer. I have chosen to reflect on Strange, Bader and Gibson because they are famously, but not uniquely, trailblazing and courageous pilots. They embody the school’s collective legacy of nearly 400 OSE that have served in the RAF. 

The RAF has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. The dozens of model Spitfires, Hurricanes, and Typhoons I played with as a child still have their spot on the shelves in my bedroom. However, four years ago when I lived in the US, the RAF was never more than model planes and films like The Dambusters and The Battle of Britain . Looking back on my studies of the RAF at this School, from debates with my Shell history teacher about whether the RAF or Luftwaffe fighter had the edge, to my current EPQ on the Battle of Britain, I could never have imagined how close to the foundation of the RAF Teddies has brought me.

bullet drum of his machine gun, Strange managed, by thrusting upwards into the cockpit, to use his legs to yank the stick and roll his fighter upright – before turning to fly straight back into the dogfight.  Impressive as it was, this alone wasn’t what made Strange the first of the ‘Teddies pilots’. In fact, it was when, in 1912, Strange roared past the

Bader’s prosthetic legs would accompany him into the cockpit of his Hurricane. Bader would go on to develop the ground-

Strange roared past the pupils below him, who stood stunned by the sight of his airplane squeezing through the narrow gap between the Chapel and Main Building

breaking “Big Wing” strategy that gave the RAF the critical edge in the Battle of Britain. 242 Squadron, with Bader as its leader, had claimed 62 Aerial Victories against the Luftwaffe by the time Bader was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross ‘for his services during the Battle of Britain’.  Bader’s heroic contribution to Britain’s survival in the Battle of Britain would set the stage for its ultimate victory over Nazi Germany. However, as Winston Churchill told the British nation, “ The Fighters are our salvation but the Bombers alone provide the means of victory .” There is one bomber pilot particularly worthy of remembrance

pupils below him, who stood stunned by the sight of his airplane squeezing through the narrow gap between the Chapel and Main Building, that the ‘Teddies pilot’ was born. Strange may have been the first OSE pilot in the RAF to pull off such an iconic stunt, but he would not be the last. This combination of dare-devilry and immeasurable bravery would shape the

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THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AT 100 –ATIMELINE HISTORY

1920 Geoffrey de Havilland set up the De Havilland Aircraft Company

28 February 1911 Formation of the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers 13 April 1912 The Royal Flying Corps formed by Royal Warrant

7 December 1903 First powered flight by the Wright brothers at Kittyhawk

1900s

1910s

1920s

1930s

June 1938 Supermarine Spitfire I enters service with No 19 Squadron RAF

16 October 1908 First military flight by a heavier-than-air machine in Britain by Samuel Cody

4 August 1914 Outbreak of the

‘Great War’ 1 April 1918

Formation of the Royal Air Force 11 November 1918 Armistice on the Western Front

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June 1956 De Havilland Comet 2 is the first pure-jet aircraft in the world to be employed on military transport duties

15 May 1941 First flight of the Gloster Whittle E28/39, the first British jet-engine aircraft

Early 1942 Avro Lancaster I enters service with No 44 Squadron RAF

July 1944 Gloster Meteor I becomes the first jet aircraft to enter service with the RAF

1940-1

1942-43

1944-45

1950/60s

July- October 1940 The Battle of Britain

16-17 May 1943 The Dambusters raid using the “Bouncing Bomb”

August 1945 The USA drop two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945 to bring the Second World War to a close

1957-1969 V-bombers provide Britain’s nuclear deterrence until Polaris becomes operational

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A FIRST WORLD WAR ACE: JOHN GILMOUR FROM THE EXHIBIT

Captain John Gilmour, an ace with 39 ‘kills’, is shown here in front of a Martinsyde G.100, which was nicknamed the ‘Elephant’ because it was large and unwieldy. Gilmour flew this aircraft with No 27 Squadron and the Sopwith Camel with No 65 Squadron. The notification (below) was signed by Winston S Churchill on 1 March 1919 to confirm that Captain John Gilmour was mentioned in Despatches by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig on 8 November 1918 “for gallant and distinguished services in the field”. This Certificate (right) appoints Captain John Gilmour, a leading ace of the RAF, who had formerly served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, to be a member of the Distinguished Service Order, 3 August 1918. IWM: Private Papers of Captain J Gilmour DSO MC** (80/15/1)

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ST EDWARD’S CCF AND THE RAF

St Edward’s continue their long-running connection with the military, and the RAF in particular, through pupils’ involvement with the Combined Cadet Force (CCF). This year we welcomed Air Marshall Sir Christopher Harper CBE as our contingent Inspection Officer. The prize winners below are those who have distinguished themselves this year.

Sword of Honour Sgt Rob McKersie (RAF) Wakeling Stick Sgt Oliver Ferneyhough (Army) Sultan Award Sgt Huw Neville (Army) Hopes Award CPO Tom Glover (Navy)

Commendation Awards Cpl Ella Davis (RAF) Cpl Kian Akhavan (RAF) Sgt Nellie Bates (Army) Cpl Nick Elliott (RAF) Cpl Danielle Lim (Army) Cpl Yves Rowe (RAF) Cpl Jack Verschoyle (Army)

Squadron Leader Bader (left) was photographed with Flight Lieutenant Eric Ball (out of shot) and Pilot Officer Willie McKnight as the Battle of Britain came to a close. They are admiring a cartoon of a jackboot kicking Hitler on the nose of Bader’s Hawker Hurricane. DOUGLAS BADER AND A FELLOW PILOT OF NO 242 SQUADRON AT DUXFORD, OCTOBER 1940

©IWM CH 1412

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Military Decorations of former pupils of St Edward’s in the First and Second World Wars serving in the RFC and RAF St Edward’s former pupils have a proud and distinguished history with the RAF, not least whilst serving in the two World Wars. Sixty-one OSE served during the Great War and two hundred and eighty-five in the Second World War, with some serving in both conflicts. Among these, honours were bestowed on seventy-two and seventeen were mentioned-in-despatches. Some of these honours are detailed below.

Geoffrey de Havilland DSO, CBE Louis Strange DSO, MC, DFC and Bar, Mentioned in Despatches, Legion of Merit (USA) Michael Nethersole DSO, Croix de Guerre (Fr) Cyril Gardner MC, AFC, Croix de Guerre (Fr) John Quested MC, DFC, Croix de Guerre (Fr) Guy Gibson VC, DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar, Commander of the Legion of Merit (USA) Adrian Warburton DSO and Bar, DFC and 2 Bars, DFC (USA) Douglas Bader DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar, Croix de Guerre, Legion d’Honneur, Mentioned in Despatches, CBE

Arthur Banks George Cross (Posthumous), Mentioned in Despatches Alec Cranswick DSO, DFC James Leathart DSO, Mentioned in Despatches Antony Carlisle DFC and Bar Donald Paton DFC and Bar Alexander Heyworth DFC and Bar, Mentioned in Despatches Ronald Baxter DFC, Mentioned in Despatches Paul Carlyon DFC, Mentioned in Despatches

DSO – Distinguished Service Order, MC – Military Cross,

DFC – Distinguished Flying Cross, AFC – Air Force Cross

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