Dambusters raid map on target at military auction

MEMORABILIA FROM SECOND WORLD WAR EXPERT WHOSE HOME IS LIKE A BOMBER COMMAND MUSEUM

- By MAIL REPORTER

A WELL-thumbed map used in the legendary Dambusters raid - the most famous bombing mission of all time - has gone under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers’ military memorabilia sale.

The map, which sold for £2,600 against an estimate of £750 to £1,000, was part of the collection of retired aviation engineer and Second World War expert David Lilley, who turned his home into a Bomber Command museum.

The raid holds a special place in Derbyshire hearts, because it was the reservoirs of the Peak District's Upper Derwent Valley where 617 Squadron practiced their low-flying skills, as Derwent Dam closely resembled the Möhne and Eder dams in western Germany.

The map’s owner, from West Sussex, caught the aviation bug during a stint in the Air Training Corps, which kickstarted a 50-year career as an aviation engineer.

It was there the now 85-year-old befriended a number of 617 Squadron and other Bomber Command squadron heroes, many of whom took up roles in civil aviation in the area after the war.