RAF: Marking anniversary of Spitfire Memorial and Dambuster Raids in Grangemouth

This month it is ten years since the unveiling of the Spitfire Memorial in Bo’ness Road after years of campaigning and fundraising by Grangemouth air cadets, while May 16 and 17 is the 80th anniversary of the daring Dambuster Raids of WWII.

The memorial is a tribute to the young men who were based at Grangemouth Airfield during the war years to train as Spitfire pilots to defend the skies from the German Luftwaffe. They came from Britain and all parts of the Commonwealth, as well as Poland, Holland and Czechoslovakia, and in particular it remembers the 60 who lost their lives during training, many of whom are buried in Grandsable Cemetery in Polmont.

The Dambusters were all members of 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force and led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson. Their audacious bombing mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, was to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley, the industrial heartland of Germany.

The dams were fiercely protected with torpedo nets in the water to stop underwater attacks and anti-aircraft guns defending them against enemy bombers.

But 617 Squadron had a secret weapon: the bouncing bomb. Over 130 aircrew in 19 specially adapted Lancaster bombers were used and although their mission was judged successful, 53 RAF men were killed in the raids.

The event on Saturday afternoon was organised by ASA Scotland (Ancre Somme Association), whose chairperson is Bonnybridge councillor Billy Buchanan, and was attended by Provost Robert Bissett, HM’s Depute Lord Lieutenant Sir Iain McMillan, and the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh Łukasz Lutostanski, as well as veterans and local residents.

There were also air cadet representatives of 1333 (Grangemouth Spitfire) Squadron, 470 (Falkirk) Squadron and 867 (Denny) Squadron. Following the ceremony, ASA Scotland presented a cheque for £500 to the 470 (Falkirk) Squadron.

A spokesperson for the ASA charity said: “Thank you to everyone who attended. It was a very successful event.”

ASA Scotland is a voluntary organisation which aims educate and inform young people across Scotland about our Armed Forces heritage from WWI and WWII to the present day in Afghanistan.