from lancaster to lightning: the dambusters fly again Royal Navy and RAF airmen recreate iconic images as squadron prepares to take to the skies again
No group of men and aircraft has ever captured the public heart like those of 617 Squadron. More popularly known as 'The Dambusters' for their daring raid on the dams powering World War Two Germany, they have been immortalised in film and print several times over.
Now the next incarnation of the squadron is taking forward the ethos of new technology and innovation into 21st century warfare with the world's most advanced fighter jet — the F-35B Lightning II.
Where Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC led the squadron from its 1943 birth in battle, Wing Commander John 'Butch' Butcher is picking up the baton in 2016, and he feels the weight of responsibility.
"Leading 617 Squadron as it starts this new chapter in its history is a huge privilege. If I could show Gibson around the F-35B Lightning and introduce him to the team, I hope he would feel the same spirit and determination that he created in 1943," says Butch.
"I also think he would be very happy to see the squadron once again re-forming for a very special purpose, staying true to the heritage of being at the cutting edge of aviation; I think he would like that."
British pilots under Wing Commander Butcher are learning to fly the F-35B at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina, USA, and will soon form up under the iconic 617 badge. They will bring the aircraft, plus fully trained pilots and ground crew back to RAF Marham in Norfolk in 2018.
Now 73 years since the famous mission, Butch is keen to advocate the huge technology step changes between Gibson's Lancaster squadron and its modern day equivalent.
"Gibson and his men flew at very low level to the target, with limited enemy awareness of what they were doing. When I flew the Harrier, much of our training was at low level preparing us to avoid enemy radars by hiding in the terrain," he said. "The F-35B Lightning uses stealth technology to hide from enemy radar systems, effectively making the aircraft invisible."
"This is a significant tactical advantage as an enemy cannot fight what he cannot see."
Wing Commander Butcher commands a number of men and women, who along with their colleagues on 809 Naval Air Squadron will work towards one goal: delivering operationally ready F-35B jets to the United Kingdom. They will fly from the UK's new super carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.
To mark the 73rd anniversary of the Dambusters historic raid, a United States Marine Corps photographer has recreated some iconic images of 617 Squadron from 1943...
The original black and white shots like this one of Wing Commander Guy Gibson (far left) with members of his squadron were captured for post-operation PR just days before the mission, should it be successful.
The pictures of the modern day 617 Squadron were captured by Corporal Jonah Lovey, a photographer based at MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina, where British pilots are training to fly the F-35B alongside the US Marine Corps.
"The most challenging part was faithfully recreating the exact photographs with different pilots and new gear," he said.
"Attention to detail was the most important thing but the cooperation and patience from the pilots being photographed made the shoot go smoothly."
"We needed to pay attention to the angle, framing, and light conditions of the originals while placing the subjects exactly where their predecessors stood."
Guy Gibson was the Commanding Officer of 617 Squadron in 1943 who led the daring raid to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley, codenamed Operation Chastise. The huge structures were breached using the innovative 'Bouncing Bomb' which skimmed the water like a spinning stone, resting at the base of the dams before exploding.
For his part in the mission Gibson was awarded Britain's highest military honour, the Victoria Cross.
Wing Commander John Butcher leads 617 Squadron as it takes its first steps towards reformation.
The squadron will grow to over 100 personnel in the next year while it trains alongside the US Marine Corps at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina on British and American F-35Bs.
Although Operation Chastise was a success breaching two dams and damaging another, almost half of the airmen taking part never returned with 53 killed and eight aircraft lost.
"It felt like we were standing in a piece of history as we recreated the same photos taken in another generation," said US Marine Corps photographer Cpl Jonah Lovey.
"I feel honoured to have had this opportunity to carry on a 617 tradition."
"It was an incredible privilege to help the squadron honour their heritage with these photos."
Photography by Cpl Jonah Lovey, USMC / Imperial War Museum