Dambusters' dog grave could move due to RAF Scampton asylum plan

The grave honouring the Dambusters' dog could be moved from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire due to plans to convert the site into a migrant camp.

The 617 Squadron's mascot, a Labrador, died on the day of the famous "bouncing bomb" raid on German dams in 1943.

The RAF heritage team have put in an application to move the grave and any remains to the squadron's Norfolk base.

It comes as a legal battle starts over Home Office plans to convert RAF Scampton into a migrant camp.

Proposals to move the grave have been called a "kick in the teeth for the community" by Roger Patterson, West Lindsey District Council Vice Chairman and Scampton councillor.

He added: "It's part of our heritage and has been there for 80 years."

Squadron Wing Commander Guy Gibson used his dog's name, which is a racial slur, as a code word to confirm which German dams had been breached during the famous Second World War raid.

The black Labrador retriever died the same night after being hit by a car, but his death was kept from the airmen as it was feared they might see it as a bad omen.

In 2020, the original gravestone, displaying the racial slur, was replaced with a stone that told the story of the dog.

At the time, the RAF said it did not want to give prominence to an offensive term that went against its ethos.

The RAF heritage team's application to West Lindsey District Council said there was "now no guarantee of a sustainable focused future for Scampton with careful management and interpretation of the story of the raid and Wg Cdr Gibson's dog".

It added as a result, it believed "the grave site is at risk and carries a significant reputational risk given the racial slur now associated with the dog's name".

It said it would be "better" to return the grave and remains to 617 Squadron, based at RAF Marham in King's Lynn, which would "take care of the story for the foreseeable future".

In March, news emerged of government plans to use RAF Scampton as a site for up to 2,000 asylum seekers with the council launching legal action against it because of the impact it would have on a £300m regeneration project of the site.

A hearing is due to take place at the High Court later as part of the authority's bid to block the plans.

A statement from Scampton Holdings Ltd, representing RAF Scampton, said: "In the hearts and minds of a significant proportion of the British public, the dog's story is synonymous with the Dambuster story.

"The links between RAF wartime aircrew and pets are well known, with many squadrons keeping dogs as mascots to provide comfort in down-time amidst stressful flying operations which went hand-in-hand with the loss of friends and colleagues."

It said it continued to work closely with West Lindsey District Council, adding: "Both entities strongly encourage the Home Office to engage in open and honest discourse about the future of former RAF base Scampton to ensure that the heritage and history of the site is preserved in Lincolnshire for the region's people and its economic growth."

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