Dambusters: Rare memorabilia collection sells for £2k at auction

A "rare" collection of memorabilia related to the famous World War Two "Dambusters" raids has been sold for £2,000 at auction.

The collectables included a school book signed by Dambusters hero Guy Gibson and an autograph book signed by Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb.

It was sold by Lincolnshire researcher Di Ablewhite to help raise funds for a sculpture honouring RAF Bomber Command.

Almost 58,000 men and women from Bomber Command died between 1939 and 1945.

The bouncing bomb raids by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command were launched on targets in Germany from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire on the nights of 16 and 17 May 1943.

It was one of the most dangerous air operations of the war, with 53 men killed and three captured.

Also included in the collection sold at auction, which had been amassed over 10 years, was a Dambusters print by artist Robert Taylor which was signed by pilots and crew of 617 Squadron involved in the World War Two raids.

The signatures included those of Bill Reid VC, Mick Martin DFC, AFC, Les Munro DFC and 10 other members of the squadron.

The autograph book containing the signature of Barnes Wallis, dated 28 July 1956, also featured signatures of other wartime airmen and civilians, while Wing Cdr Guy Gibson's Latin school book was signed and dated 1934.

A Blu-ray copy of the Dam Busters film, signed by Sqn Ldr George "Johnny" Johnson MBE, DFM, the last surviving original crew member who carried out the raids, also went under the hammer as part of the auction in Derbyshire.

Proceeds from the sale went to the Bomber Gateway Trust charity, which is currently raising £200,000 to build a full-size sculpture of an Avro Lancaster bomber, similar to the aircraft flown in the Dambuster raids, near the A46, on the county border of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

Ms Ablewhite, 62, who lives near Grantham and is part of the charity's fundraising committee, said she was "delighted" by the result of the auction.

"It's given a new boost to our project. We can now buy our next lot of steel and the funds will help make the tail section.

"We're delighted we've got to the next stage," she added.

Ms Ablewhite, who has been researching Bomber Command history for 23 years, said the commemorative statue would be "bigger than the Angel of the North" when installed near the former RAF Swinderby.

"It should be an amazing sight," she said.

"It'll be a massive landmark and hopefully it will make people think about all those from RAF Bomber Command who lost their lives - those who flew and didn't come back."

Hansons Auctioneers said they had expected the entire Dambusters collection to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000 as it was "very rare".

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