RAF Scampton Dambusters' dog grave move rejected

Plans to relocate the grave of a dog which was a mascot to the Dambusters have been refused by councillors.

The 617 Squadron's mascot, a black Labrador, belonged to commanding officer Guy Gibson and died on the day of the raid on German dams in 1943.

The RAF applied for planning permission to move the grave from RAF Scampton as the site is to be used to house asylum seekers from August.

But councillors rejected the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday evening.

About 100 people attended a West Lindsey District Council extraordinary planning meeting at Lincolnshire Showground to discuss the application.

Following the decision, campaigner Melanie Newham said: "It is the last piece of heritage that we have left at Scampton.

"RAF Scampton is probably the most famous base in the whole of the UK, so to take that dog away would be an absolute disgrace and I'm absolutely over the moon."

In 1943, Squadron Wing Commander 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 World War Two raids.

The black Labrador retriever died on the day the squadron was setting off on the famous Dambusters mission after being hit by a car on the A15.

His death was kept from the airmen as it was feared they might see it as a bad omen.

The pet was later buried outside Hangar Two, a Grade II listed building which was home to the squadron and Gibson's office.

The RAF had applied for permission to move the grave to RAF Marham in King's Lynn, where it believed the memorial could be better preserved.

The planning meeting heard a petition against moving the grave had been signed by more than 5,500 people and the council had received 171 letters objecting to the plans from people living across the UK.

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