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In Pictures: 75 years since the Dambusters’ daring bouncing bomb raid

Dambuster Johnny Johnson has looked back on the Second World War raid which broke open two German dams and became history.

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It’s three-quarters of a century since 617 Squadron flew off to break open major German dams in a mission to hit Nazi Germany’s war production.

Commanding officer of 617 squadron, Wing Commander John Butcher with Johnny Johnson, the last survivor of the original Dambusters (Joe Giddens/PA)
Commanding officer of 617 squadron, Wing Commander John Butcher with Johnny Johnson, the last survivor of the original Dambusters (Joe Giddens/PA)
A modern RAF Typhoon in a commemorative flypast over the Derwent dam in Derbyshire (Danny Lawson/PA)
A modern RAF Typhoon in a commemorative flypast over the Derwent dam in Derbyshire (Danny Lawson/PA)
Leader of the Dambusters raid Wing Commander Guy Gibson, with members of his Lancaster crew, (left to right) Pilot Officer PM Spafford, bomb aimer; Flight Lieutenant REG Hutchinson, wireless operator; Pilot Officer GA Deering and Flying Officer HT Taerum, gunner (Imperial War Museum/PA)
Leader of the Dambusters raid Wing Commander Guy Gibson, with members of his Lancaster crew, (left to right) Pilot Officer PM Spafford, bomb aimer; Flight Lieutenant REG Hutchinson, wireless operator; Pilot Officer GA Deering and Flying Officer HT Taerum, gunner (Imperial War Museum/PA)
PA Graphics
PA Graphics
Commanding officer of 617 squadron, Wing Commander John Butcher with Johnny Johnson (Joe Giddens/PA)
Commanding officer of 617 squadron, Wing Commander John Butcher with Johnny Johnson (Joe Giddens/PA)
Dr Barnes Wallis (right), in 1967, inventor of the ‘bouncing bomb’ which was used to breach the Mohne and Eder dams in May 1943, with the former Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Cochrane (PA)
Dr Barnes Wallis (right), in 1967, inventor of the ‘bouncing bomb’ which was used to breach the Mohne and Eder dams in May 1943, with the former Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Cochrane (PA)
A Second World War RAF Lancaster bomber (PA)
A Second World War RAF Lancaster bomber (PA)
A Lancaster bomber, a Spitfire and a Hurricane in a Battle of Britain memorial flight (Peter Byrne/PA)
A Lancaster bomber, a Spitfire and a Hurricane in a Battle of Britain memorial flight (Peter Byrne/PA)
Flight Lieutenant Nigel Painter holds a wreath as he stands among 53 pairs of flying gloves at the Bomber Command Memorial in London’s Green Park which represent the men who died in the Dambusters raids (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
Flight Lieutenant Nigel Painter holds a wreath among 53 pairs of flying gloves at the Bomber Command Memorial in London’s Green Park. The glove pairs represent the men killed on the raid (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
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