The Lost Dambuster Lancaster

Book Review:

The Lost Dambuster Lancaster

Authors: Trevor Kerry and Gaëtan Sagot

Air World (2025)

235 pages illustrated

Here we have an unorthodox book. It tells the story of the attack by No 617 Squadron on the V-2 site at Wizernes in the Pas-de-Calais on 24 June 1944 and the story of one crew who took part and did not come home.

The structure is more of a scrapbook than a start to finish account of its two subjects. There is much to be said for an original approach and this one just about works. I learnt much about the raid and, of course, about the eight men (there were three air gunners), who  took off from RAF Woodhall Spa in Lancaster DV 403, carrying a Tallboy bomb. The authors have the ability to stir the reader’s emotions about the losses as well as to impart information and have succeeded in memorialising this mixed Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force crew.

I said “just about” works and there are indeed problems. Much of the book is written in the first person. That is usually a mistake and it is here. The authors intrude into the story.

We could easily have been presented with a rather shorter but even more effective tale. Tangents are gone off at, verbiage creeps in and the blindingly obvious is stated.

The first definite article of the title might cause an unwary reader to assume that 617 only suffered one loss in the war.

Chapter 11 is about the ethics of the bombing campaign. At the start Messrs Kerry ad Sagot suggest that some readers may wish to skip it. My suggestion is that they skip it in any future edition. The arguments cannot be developed effectively in the space available and the writing descends into eccentricity.

Finally, a small subjective point. Books from the Pen and Sword stable normally have excellent covers. I thought this one well below the usual standard.