"THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DAM BUSTERS"
THIS MEMORIAL COMMEMORATES THE BRAVERY AND HEROISM OF THREE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AIRMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE FAMED DAM BUSTERS RAID ON 17 MAY 1943.
SQUADRON LEADER DAVID SHANNON DSO & BAR DFC & BAR (BOMBER PILOT),
FLIGHT LIEUTENANT ROBERT HAY DFC & BAR (BOMB AIMER) AND
FLYING OFFICER FREDERICK SPAFFORD DFC DFM (BOMB AIMER)
WERE SECONDED FROM THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE TO ROYAL AIR FORCE 617 SQUADRON, ON ITS FORMATION IN MARCH 1943.
ALL THREE FLEW IN THE FIRST WAVE OF NINETEEN LANCASTER AIRCRAFT DETAILED TO ATTACK THE
MOHNE, EDER AND SORPE DAMS IN THE GERMAN RUHR VALLEY.
THE MOHNE AND EDER DAMS WERE SUCCESSFULLY BREACHED CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DISRUPTION TO KEY GERMAN WAR INDUSTRIES LOCATED DOWNSTREAM FROM THE DAMS.
THIS DARING OPERATION CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE DAM BUSTERS RAID. IT GREATLY UNDERMINED THE RESOLVE OF THE GERMAN WAR EFFORT AND PAVED THE WAY FOR AN ALLIED VICTORY IN EUROPE.
THE RAID WAS COURAGEOUSLY AND AUDACIOUSLY CARRIED OUT AT EXTREMELY LOW LEVEL AGAINST GREAT ODDS. OF THE NINETEEN LANCASTER AIRCRAFT DISPATCHED FROM SCAMPTON AIRFIELD IN ENGLAND, IN THE EVENEING OF 16 MAY 1943, ONLY ELEVEN RETURNED.
IN ALL, THIRTEEN AUSTRALIAN AIRMEN TOOK PART IN THE RAID, TWO OF WHOM WERE KILLED AND ONE OF WHOM BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR.
FLYING OFFICER SPAFFORD DIED IN AN AIR OPERATION OVER EUROPE ON 16 SEPTEMBER 1943 AND
FLIGHT LIEUTENANT HAY DIED SIMILARLY ON 13 FEBRUARY 1944.
SQUADRON LEADER SHANNON SURVIVED THE WAR AND DIED IN ENGLAND IN 1993
LEST WE FORGET
Squadron insignia
RAAF insignia |
