Guy Gibson

WING COMMANDER GUY GIBSON VC / DSO & Bar / DFC* (12th August 1918–19th September 1944). Distinguished British bomber pilot of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was the first Commanding Officer of 617 Squadron and the leader of the "Dam Busters" raid of May 16-17th 1943 which famously resulted in the breaching of two large dams in the Ruhr area of Germany. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces in the aftermath of the raid. He became the most highly decorated British serviceman at that time. He completed over 170 war operations. He was killed in action aged just 26 on September 19th 1944 flying a Mosquito on an operation in Steenbergen Netherlands

On 19th December 1944 Winston Churchill wrote to Eve Gibson ; "I had great admiration for him – the glorious Dam-buster. I had hoped that he would come into Parliament and make his way there after the stress of the war was over, but he never spared himself nor would allow others to spare him. We have lost in this officer one of the most splendid of all our fighting men. His name will not be forgotten ; it will for ever be enshrined in the most wonderful records of our country ....."