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In 2022 the Association made a donation towards the installation of a stained-glass window, planned to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the formation of No 617 Squadron in 1943 and who, two months later, carried out the world-famous ‘Dambuster’ raid in May of that year.

Donors were invited to attend the Dedication of the window which is now in place in the church of St John the Baptist, High Street, Scampton, Lincoln LN1 2SE. It is installed next to a similar window, dedicated to RAF Scampton which was installed in June 2021 and dedicated in September 2022.

RAF Scampton, which sadly closed in December 2022, can claim to have had two of the three most well-known units in the Royal Air Force based there and which immediately spring to mind when the RAF is mentioned now in the 21^st century : these being the Red Arrows Aerobatic Team and No 617 Squadron’s (Dambuster) Lancaster bombers: the third name being that of the Battle of Britain Spitfire fighter which was never based there.

On 23 March 2023, Chairman Mike Westwood and Committee Member Dick King represented the 10 Squadron Association at the Service of Dedication of the new stained-glass window in the Scampton village church. The Service was well attended by about 200 in the congregation but sadly the Mayoress of the German town which lost 1600 inhabitants when the Mohne Dam burst, was unable to attend because of a recent ankle fracture. In her place a lady teacher from the German town, where the primary school children have links with the Scampton village school, spoke of forgiveness and reconciliation in her short talk to those present. Wg Cdr Stewart Campbell who is the present-day Officer Commanding 617 Squadron, based at RAF Marham, gave his response in gratitude and a plaque was then unveiled by Richard Barton, the grandson of Sqn Ldr Johnny Johnson who was the last remaining member of the Dambuster crews to pass away in December 2022.

To see images of the event open this pdf file:

The Dambusters Window

And to read about RAF Scampton and present-day plans for its Heritage Centre and possible temporary plans to house illegal immigrants on the former RAF base read on here:

RAF Scampton’s Future

Although not a Notification of a Recent Death of a member of 10 Squadron, which would then be in the Obituaries section, the following brief mention nevertheless of the passing of a former Squadron crew member has recently come to light and may be of interest to our viewers.

It follows a recent enquiry which put our Historian Ian Macmillan in touch with a member of the Newmarket Archives who then revealed the following to us:

EDWARD CHARLES JAMES GARDNER, DFM (24 August 1924 – 3 May 2010)

Born in Newmarket, Suffolk, James Gardner was a 10 Sqn Halifax Sergeant Air Gunner during WW2 and later became an English actor of some renown.

Having been posted to 10 Sqn at RAF Melbourne from No 1658 Conversion Unit based at RAF Ricall near Selby, Yorks in November 1943, he and his crew, captained by Sgt L. Fenny completed some 30 operational sorties before being screened in July 1944. Gardner was then posted to Abingdon where he joined No 10 OTU (Operational Training Unit) in an instructional role. (Readers are reminded that there was no direct link between that OTU and No 10 Squadron.)

Whilst there Gardner was awarded the DFM in October 1944 for his earlier 10 Squadron activities.

His first cinematic appearance was in 1964 in The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb and he subsequently appeared in numerous other films and TV shows as well as in stage performances. His talents ranged from Shakespearian appearances in the theatre, to roles in block-buster movies such as Harry Potter when he played Knight Bus driver Ernie Prang in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third film in the series of them.

Those interested in further reading might wish to follow these links.

Jimmy Gardner (actor) - Wikipedia

Gardner, Edward Charles James - TracesOfWar.com

Shown below is Chairman Mike Westwood presenting 98 year-old Roy Maddock-Lyon with his 10 Squadron Association Honorary Life Membership Certificate at Roy’s home in Stoke Orchard, Glos. on 5 December 2022. The Association had been notified of Roy's whereabouts by the son-in-law of the late captain of a WW2 Halifax, lost over Denmark after a mine-laying mission in the Baltic.

Roy is the last surviving member of the crew of the 10 Sqn Halifax MZ 793, which was shot down over Denmark on the night of 14/15 February 1945. Two of the crew, Fg Off John Grayshan (capt) and FS Albert Berry (nav) were killed in the incident and they are buried about 35 miles west of Copenhagen at Holbaek, Zealand. Two others crew members (Plt Off Chaderton the air-bomber and Sgt Andrews the WOp) were taken as PoWs. whilst the rest, including former Halifax flight engineer Roy managed to evade capture.

Sadly, we said ‘Farewell’ to another member of that crew only recently, at a funeral service held on 1 December 2022 for Peter (Andy) Andrews, who died on the 8^th November.