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Dambusters logbook represents 'Who's Who' of raid

IAA Dambusters logbookIAA
The logbook lists training missions and crew as well as the results of the main raid

A logbook which represents a "Who's Who of the Dambusters" has made more than double its estimate at auction.

The volume, which every airman used to record missions, belonged to Leonard Sumpter, a bomb aimer in the attack.

The raid on 17 May 1943 saw experimental bouncing bombs used to break two important dams deep within Nazi Germany.

Flt Sgt Sumpter's book, which fetched £7,000, described the mission as "satisfactory".

IAA Leonard Sumpter's scrapbookIAA
The scrapbook shows Sumpter returned to the dams after the war and bought a postcard 'for 1 cigarette'

Nineteen planes and 133 men took part in what was codenamed Operation Chastise, with eight planes lost and 53 crew killed.

The military impact is still hotly debated but it provided a huge morale boost to Britain and was later made into classic movie.

Flt Sgt Sumpter's aircraft - L for Leather - hit the target but did not break the dam.

The logbook was sold alongside a scrapbook containing cuttings and photographs about the raid and later missions. It sold for £3,000.

Carl Buck, from Nottingham-based International Autograph Auctions, said: "These kind of items come up very rarely and there is always a lot of interest.

"It had an estimate of around £3,000 and it is easy to see why it went for so much, as it had signatures from other airmen like Guy Gibson and David Maltby, making it a Who's Who of the Dambusters."