Dambusters Exhibition Programme

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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