Richard Todd described filming the final scene with Michael Redgrave in an interview. As he walked away from the camera he was quietly weeping. He had his own experience of letter writing. I never watch that scene without shedding a tear for the ordinary people who sacrificed and achieved so much in extraordinary times.

Great video. One detail I heard of was the the dog who played Gibson's dog in the film was an Army dog of the same name. Richard Todd, himself a dog-lover, asked his handler to 'borrow' the dog, so he could build a rapport with him - something you can see in the film. He was even allowed to have the dog stay with him at the White Hart hotel in Lincoln, where they stayed during filming. Unheard of in those days, at least one other black labrador has stayed there - my own assistance dog, Lyla.

The losses suffered during this mission really hit home in the film and the stoic professionalism in the face of it. That's a tribute to the realism striven for by Michael Anderson and his cast and crew.

This movie always felt personal to me because Sir Harold 'Mick' Martin, the Australian pilot who was third in command of the raid and flew P For Popsy, was my father's commanding officer when he was based at RAF Nicosia in Cyprus in the 1960s. It was made all the more personal when I chose 617 Squadron as the subject of my extended history essay, which was as long as Paul Brickhill's book, for my History 'O' level in the 1980s and my mother wrote to Mick Martin to tell him about it and he wrote back with his appreciation and a copy of a Dambusters raid print signed with a personal message to me! She was also able to arrange a visit to 617 Squadron for me where I got to have lunch with some of the aircrew and had a personal tour of one of the glorious Vulcans they were flying at the time! God bless 617 Squadron, all who served in it and all who still do!

What a lovely documentary on this iconic film and war time mission. As a young boy, infatuated and obsessed with aviation (I still am!) and having been born only 17 years after the end of the Second World War, I was incredibly fortunate to discover that my older brother was at school with Barnes Wallis's two grandsons. (I think I was just about to leave my primary school at the time and join the same secondary school). He was also in a band with the older of the two. This led to a friendship between my family and theirs. One Sunday lunchtime, having been invited over to their house for the day with my parents while the 'boys' rehearsed their music, I found myself sitting next to the great Barnes Wallis himself, who was then living with his daughter, the mother of the two grandsons. I was completely overawed by the experience and my recollection of the day was of him being very kind to me and although by then an elderly man, he was gentle and calm and rather quiet. I have never forgotten that amazing opportunity. Tragically, a short while later, his younger grandson, Ricky, was killed in a terrible road accident on his way to our home, where he stayed with us once a week, having been to some late evening, extra classes at our school. I can remember that night so clearly and we never got over it. I can only imagine the terrible loss their family felt. The film is still one my favourite films but clearly has all sorts of deeper associations. Thank you to all involved in the making of this great documentary.

Hard to comprehend all Guy Gibsons achievements by the age of 25.

👍🇬🇧🇦🇺🦘I joined the RAF in July 1956 and was so proud at the time-the film and the music was front and centre during this time. Recreating real events made it so special, even today at age 83, it feels like only last week. Fantastic to view this again to see how it was all done.

When I was an Air Cadet in the 70s, the annual pre-Christmas screening of 'The Dambusters' was a time-honoured event. Then in 1975, our Annual Camp was to Scampton - where we climbed aboard 617 Sqn Vulcans and visited the Sqn Museum, complete with all the scale models of the dams that had been built for the briefings. The gate guards at the time were Lancaster NX611 and a Grand Slam bomb. (It is a regularly repeated urban myth that the Grand Slam was found later still to have explosive in it..)

Like the gentleman emphasized at the end, this story is about immortality. The final scene in the Damuster's film when guy Gibson walks off; he does so into eternity, into his own special place in Valhalla. From the epic tales of old, like Xenophon's 10,000, up to the more modern stories of heroism like Scott and Shackleton, all of us have benefited infinitely by these examples of selfless devotion to the most righteous principles of man's existence.

A wonderful documentary when being proud to be British was a good thing

What a SUPERB ACCURATE documentary - thank you. I first saw this film when I was about 8 years old and THAT made me always want to sign up to the Royal Air Force. Such a dynamic powerful emotional film. I was amazed at the flying sequences and NOW know how it was all done. At 16 I signed up as an apprentice, to serve my Queen and country and joined the RAF as an aircraft engineer. We had a camp cinema and once we had all had our heads clipped and uniforms issued we were marched in the base cinema for a 'special duty'. We were sat down, the murmur died down and the curtains opened across the screen.........We were to watch "THE DAMBUSTERS".........apparently shown to ALL entries as their first movie!! Due to this film and the Battle of Britain I also now fly myself training to be a pilot. The real crews were my heroes and it was an honour to carry on a small part of the RAF's history. We actually lived next door to one of the pilots for several years! RIP to all those who were lost in this and other air missions. High Flight my brothers unto thees is glory given, "I slip the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter silvered wings"......Per Ardua Ad Astra - Thank you for our freedom today.✝

Really enjoyed the documentary. A film close to our hearts as the film editor was my wife's grandad.

Seeing this film as a boy had an impact on me as my late father was a friend of the brother of RAF Officer Ottley who was shot down and killed in C for Charlie in the third wave. RIP.

THIS is one of my most favorite films....so THIS was a BIG TIME TREAT!

One of the greatest WWII films; I've watched it many times and enjoyed it immensely each time. I'll need to get the remastered version. The skill and heroism of those crews are well portrayed and the sight and sound of those Lancasters is wonderful. The photography, especially the aerial photography, is superb. The special effects in 1954 are nothing compared to today's computer generated effects. Nevertheless, you get the idea of the danger and incredible skill required for this mission.

I would love to see this film as it once was! Well done to the people that did this! This film has always touched me as my dad lost his brother who was a navigator back then! My mum was in the WRAF and died in September 2019 aged 95! We used to talk about those days and mum gave me a real flavour, just as my dad did with the work he did back then! Hence me loving this film as it is historical as well as factual! This documentary has been well done too! Thank you for doing this great work to allow us an insight on this wonderful and poignant film! R.I.P all the men in Bomber Command and all of the RAF and ARMY and NAVY in WWII We can never thank you enough!

Sadly RAF Scampton is now under threat, surely we can’t allow such an important base to become yet another faceless housing estate....history such as this is priceless, otherwise what’s the point in all this sacrifice.......

Thank you for posting this documentary about the making of a film that I have treasured since I first saw it in childhood.

In my book The Dam Busters is the best British film ever made. I always get a tear when when Richard Tod says he has letters to write at the end of the film.

It's been written that Barnes Wallace suffered greatly from grief and guilt over the loss of lives on the raid and was never the same enthusiast man after. Some idiots claim the raid was a failure because Germany re-built the dams, when the disruption to German manufacturing and morale boost to the UK were dramatic. Unfortunately they did not do follow up raids when the dams were being repaired, even high level bombing, it is felt by historians that this would have driven home the initial success of the first raid. It is also worth noting the age of those on the raid. They were all just out of their teens. Brave men every one of them.

Thank you. And we should never forget the heroism of the guys who were in this. It's stands for what and who we are. God bless x

Hollywood, take note, this is how you make a fine movie, and a brilliant war movie. It is understated, but portrays the reality of air warfare, with emphasis placed on the Characters portrayed, just ordinary men facing the likelihood of death. There are no Hysterics, soap opera performances, or deliberate handwringing emotion to play the audience. Its told with all the realism of a generation now virtually gone, their ideals and attitudes, beliefs and standards which today have little meaning. The film remains a classic that today may hold more relevance as pride in your country and to fight for your beliefs , no matter the sacrifice , appears to be an archaic concept.

Superb film. The books are even better. I have fond memories of my grandad reading me the book as a bedtime story and then seeing the film with him and my dad.

What an excellent documentary! I grew up watching great films like this....the highlight of my week would be when my dad would let us stay up late on Saturday night to watch the big war movies !

Quite a good documentary spoiled by the addition of tuneless music and the bizarre overlay of faux pencil "mark-up" graphics.

Thank u for posting this. Dambusters is 1 of my favourite films. I can honestly say i enjoyed it immensely. Very Very brave men and may we never forget what the brave crews did. I was once asked if i had chance to sit down with anyone from the past who has died i always reply 1 My mother 2 Barnes wallace I always rember in the film when Mr Wallace is asked How do you suggest i get Bomber command to allow you to use one of there aeroplanes Mr Wallace ? He replys ,perhaps if you tell them i designed it Case Closed

I love this film not only because I have always adored Richard Todd but the Lancaster's are just wonderful the sound of those engines are magnificent. If I was only allowed to have one film this would be it.

I was always in awe of Michael Redgraves portrayal of Barnes Wallis. His acting was superb and exactly how I imagined the real Barnes Wallis to be.

This was a cracking good documentary. I also enjoyed the person practising piano in the background.

It's monstrous what is proposed for RAF Scampton today! Desecrating the memory of these brave men! This government should be overthrown!

The crew are still heroes to me even after all these years. I pay my respects to them as often as possible. Last week Les Knight. #wewillrememberthem

These men were prepared to sacrifice their lives.

Between the age of 5 and 8 I sat on my father's lap and watched this film twice of a Sunday afternoon, my farther cried on both occasions, he died at 52 when I was 10. Watching this documentary at 51 I now am old enough to know why it affected him as it did, not only since it brings back memories of my farther (who served in the army at the end of the war) but as it reminds us of the ultimate sacrifice people made fighting the curse of Nazi Germany and their allies.

Thanks for a very informative documentary, so much background material included. The film its self is a masterpiece, well acted and capturing something of the raid itself. The pressures on the crews to train and carry out that mission is hard to comprehend and all such young men. Then, of course, there's Wallis himself having to pull it all together in such a short time. They truly were 'men of their time'. Documentaries with modern pilots flying so called re-enactments never fail to be astonished at what was achieved in that raid. An indication of their ability was revealed to me some years ago when a documentary featuring Ken Brown, the Canadian pilot, who flew in the back-up wave of planes explained something of his experience that night. Ordered to bomb the Sorpe dam, he relates arriving over it and only seeing the church steeple above the mist. He carried out his attack after having to do a stall turn in his Lancaster. Such a manoeuvre beggars belief with a plane of that size. I wonder if he warned the crew...

I was stationed at RAF Hemswell (along with fred trueman) when they were making this film and remember the lancasters taking off/landing - wish i'd had my smartphone in those days!

An amazing documentary and tribute to all those involved in Operation Chastise, and to those involved in making a much love classic British World War 2 movie.

Excellent documentary of a great film and a piece of British history that must be preserved.

I realised some years ago that war films made in the 50s/60s and even 70s were so much better than modern ones because the men who acted in them had usually been in the services, even if not actually during the war. Thus they knew how to stand, walk, react to and give commands. I think the difference for me was highlighted by the differences between the 'Colditz' story TV series in the mid 70s and one made about 20 years ago. Also better scripts, less political correctness etc etc- but I still think it's a significant factor.

Excellent documentary of one or the best films ever,the others being The Battle of Britain,The Blue Max,and 633 Squadron. All great films!

A wonderful documentary. Films like this should be shown on Rememberance Day to educate our young generations as to how they have the freedom they have today from the heroism and sacrifices of our forefathers.

DEAR ENGLAND, there are still YANKS that adore you and the R.A.F. All the best.

What must they think when they look down upon on the Britain of today?

After the war. Most people involved with the operation. Pilots, Wallis suffered a lot of guilt and wondered afterwards the cost of all the lives lost. Not only the pilots lost. But the surviving pilots guilt was about the villages and the people living around the Dams that were all killed. But if these Dams were no destroyed. So many more lives would have been lost in the war.

Classic movie... so glad I found this documentary ! Brave men,courageous & love of country... thank them one and all from heart !

Got a snicker, I was watching this and checked my computer's clock and it was 6:17.

If only some people could name all the crew that lost their lives. Instead, they obsess about a dog with a rude name. Some people's priorities are funny.

Excellent documentary and my most loved film. Brave men all of them.

Nice documentary about an amazing film, such a shame it was interrupted every five minutes by adverts.

This film seems very personal to me I was born on 17 May 1944 12 months after the raid don't know how many times iv'e watched it but the last time wont be the last time

👍🏻🇬🇧The Best of British Character that we all tried to live up to. Now, standards , integrity, honour and respect are in the gutter.

Riveting film first shown in the US on broadcast television in the 1960s. Cemented my love of the Avro Lancaster and the bravery of 617 Sqdn. One of two films that had a profound impact on me as a teen. Pestered my parents for the Brickhill book and Enemy Coast Ahead. Years later with the purchase of our first VHS player in the late '70s, went to the store selling VHS tapes to to my amazement found The Dam Busters. Bought that and Star Wars Episode IV ("I'd say there's 10 guns, some in the fields and some in the towers'). Each tape was was over $70US. Please release the restored version in Region One!

The Dambuster movie is a permanent fixture on my laptop. It stands the test of time, even the lack of CGI works.

I loved this film from being a child, I admired the bravery of the airmen, the Lancaster's and the story of inspired Barnes Wallis. The music stills stirs me and makes me tearful with pride. If only war wasn't such a tragic ghastly waste.

My late father was an engineering officer with 617 he didn't talk much about what happened but on the rare occasion he did talk some really funny stories were told.

We were on holiday in Margate in 1955 , we went to the pictures to see this film and couldn’t get in it was sold out.

Excellent, a great tribute to a magnificent movie making project.

Lovely to see the making of one of the true classics.

Does anyone else find the music really irritating?

I met Gilbert Taylor 'Gil' the camera man - he retired to the Isle of Wight, which is where I met him and whilst working at his house found out about his time as a camera man in Star Wars, I had no idea until now of just how many films he was involved in including the Dam Busters - fantastic filming of course.

LEST WE FORGET. PROUD TO BE BRITISH FOR EVER. SO SHOULD WE ALL!

Good doc but a couple of comments. The big secret of the bomb was not its shape but the fact that it was spun backwards. It was originally barrel shaped but kept breaking up when impacting the water. They found that the cylindrical core performed almost as well. Also consider one of the best scenes was where crews waiting to take off. Read somewhere that it was the longest single take at the time. Consider this contender for best war film ever made.

In about 1967 was at a recruitment evening for local Air Training Corps. Barnes Wallis gave a talk about his career followed by a showing of The Dam Busters.

Robert Shaw also starred in James Bond's "From Russia with Love", and portrayed the fanatical nazi Panzer commander in the "Battle of the Bulge" (his hair being dyed blond for the occasion)

It is a shame that a newer film will not be historically correct as I have no doubt, that Guy Gibson's dog will be missed out due to PC.

Excellent documentary, a fitting tribute to a wonderful, moving film which itself was a fitting tribute to those who risked their lives and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Lovely documentary. I also understand that two of Barnes Wallis’ relatives were in the film. The Testing tank at Teddington scene, that guy with glasses at the back of the crew firing the balls and, the lady in the pit recording the impact of the ball against the mocked-up wall.

So glad Hollywood didn't spoil the story like so many others.

Peter Jackson's Company had already received TEN life size fiberglass mock ups Lancaster from China delivered to his studio in New Zealand. They assembled one to see how it looked . All being put in storage after the project was cancelled.

A fantastic piece of accuracy was filming `Gibson ` ( Todd ) with out a flying jacket he flew in shirt sleeves as he new the flight path would not be at high altitude and so quite warm. For the real techy guys they even found a w.w.2 German Airforce life vest ( noticeable by the small horizontal oxygen bottle at the base ) Gibson actually used one on the raid, oh and next time you watch the film right at the very end when Wallis is taking to Gibson about all the deaths .. look center left of picture you will see a very feint black dog running about ...a ghost ?? well it wasn't there in production ! trust me its there and remember this is the man who said to his co pilot as they made their approach to the dam ' get ready to drag me out of my seat and take over if Im shot '

Wish there were still four flying Lancaster’s today.

My Father in the early fifties was in the RAF for a few years he had never been in a plane in his life and the first time he had to go on recognisance for ten hours in a Lancaster, he said it was great being up at the front in the bomb aimers seat and I said 'Yeah not so great getting shot at at night though' where he said 'Er well no!'

A brilliant documentary....well done

Hi great documentary really interesting I've read alot about the dambusters and it's just amazing how they pulled the operation off I mean flying at 60ft in the dark the crews had guts to fly so low just amazing!! thank you for sharing. cheers Gary from the 🇬🇧

The Dam Busters is right there with The Battle of Britain , for me ..A legend of a Film with great Acting and Model / real footage for its Time a Winner forever.

One of my favorite movies. Very well done.

Gibson went to my old school, we got a fly past on the 50th anniversary. I used to coach at RC Sheriffs old school, the boat house I coached from was call- RC Sheriff Boat House!

Great documentary. I am a native of Grantham and my grandfather worked at the Ministry of Public Works at St Vincents (which was the HQ of 5 Group, Bomber Command) in the 60's when the caretaker there was the same chap that was there during the war. He gave my grandfather a couple of old postcards of the Mohne Dam that the Air Ministry had asked people to come forward with for info regarding possible targets etc. It seems there were quite a number of postcards of items or interest for possible targets and he was ordered to dispose of these after the war, but he kept these two for posterity. It turned out that one of the civil engineers who worked on the Ladybower Dam in the early 30's had gone over to Germany in the late 20's and early 30's to study the Mohne and on the back of one of the postcards is a load of technical stuff about the dam. I expect these should go to the right museum one day, but I cant make my mind up which?

Great documentary

As a former member of the RAAF; then journalism as a film reviewer and critic. Now a military historian for over 20 years; I really enjoyed this documentary except for one strange visual affectation. The constant 'scribble' of 'Chinagraph' pencil mark effects 'defacing' almost every second scene or sequence. It's pointless, mildly irritating and adds nothing to the information of the script. It smacks of some filmmaker or ‘studio suit’ lacking confidence in the period stills and footage to carry the importance of a truly great story. It's a pity. Apart from that strange fault, I'm grateful to see that the basic, hitherto little known production details, were accurately presented, for instance; down to the need to re-draw each frame of the real 'Chastise' bombs as their design was still classified at the time of filming. With my critic’s hat on; the only shot that detracts from the, otherwise excellent accuracy, is the brief super imposing of real 'airborne' water spouting footage at the point where the biggest dam is breached. Still, this is no one's fault. Apart from the relatively tiny budget, (which blew out) the special effects technology just wasn't up to scratch at that time. Otherwise, the model making creativity was first rate. Another asset is some great 'behind the scenes' information, made even better as it comes from the film's crew members. The production was capped off by a magnificent score that features the now famous 'Dam Busters' March'. This film was, upon reflection, probably one of the several reasons why I chose to join the RAAF. I well recall being on large, O.C.'s parades and public events where one of our RAAF bands, invariably, played the Dam Busters March at some point. Truly, stirring stuff. In the RAAF, during my time in uniform, we were all keenly aware of the horrendous losses on 'Chastise' but also extremely proud of the Australian aircrew members that were involved and, indeed, all of the brave flyers who volunteered for a complex, “dangerous” mission, most of whom would have had that unspoken feeling this could be their last flight. For too many good men; it was. In more recent times, I've been aware of some historians pushing the barrow that 'Chastise' didn't do the lasting damage that was intended and that there was a large loss of life among 'innocent civilians', some even reporting deaths of foreign POW or 'slave' workers. There may be elements of truth in this, however, as we all learn in 'History 101', we should never impose personal or present day values upon historical events. Period records notwithstanding; no modern historian can accurately 'editorialise' on a slice of history unless they were present at the time. Besides, even if 'Chastise' didn't meet all operational expectations; the destruction or damage of these enemy assets was a totally successful morale booster for the British people and their allies. Also, again, sending the enemy the message that nowhere in the occupied countries or Germany was safe from Allied bombing. Finally, although some recent documentaries on 'Chastise' have been made using simple computerised graphics, which is helpful. I genuinely hope that the movie is never remade using full-on CGI technology. I believe that might be visually impressive yet provide a 'shallow' end result. Why? Because who would be available to advise on the accuracy that would be needed to make the CGI historically correct. It’s safe to say all the ‘Chastise’ members are in the big ‘All Ranks Mess’ in the sky. Don't get me started on 'colourising' period footage; that's just beyond the pale. Thank you for this documentary. Perhaps in a re-release the phoney 'Chinagraph pencil' look could be 'erased'. 😉 Cheers, Bill H.

My Mums partner was a Canadian in 407 Squadron RCAF after the war, flying Lancaster's on maritime operations when Joe McCarthy was its commanding officer. He remembered witnessing an incident when some new crewman said: "Here comes Dam Buster Joe McCarthy!!" as the man entered the mess. McCarthy, flushed with rage, simply walked up to him and laid him out cold and then walked back out. Nothing was ever said - but I suppose when you're a legend, you can take liberties like that now and again.

Great Docco.....apart from little Johnny practicing his scales on the piano in the next room...most irritating.

When Gibson toured the usa after the raid the americans were amazed at his number of missions 174 Their airmen only had to do 25 Before going home

Great film, it makes you proud to be British - even in these covid times. Well made documentary. Thank you.

Superb - thanks you

Very well done video.

A remake would be fraught with controversy. Not so much the dog who could easily be written out as it has no real part in the story but with a lot of the consequences. These bombs would be considered weapons of mass destruction today and the breaching of the dams caused a huge amount of what we would call collateral damage. This I believe included large numbers of forced laborers who were locked in their barracks and unable to escape the floodwaters. Wallis was a genius who worked on everything from steamships to rigid airships (the history of the R100 is an untold story of its own) and swing-wing jets. The Dambusters march is a truly great piece of music. I've been very fortunate to hear it live many times as my children's brass band used to play it as a stage march. Never failed to bring a lump to my throat.

Brilliant film

It was made just before I was born. It's a movie that will always be engrained in my memory. The fact that it' real, a "true story" only made it better.

This movie was shown in my country in 1957 & how did I was raring to see it. Then on that Sunday I was coming to the scene of the successful experiment and power failure ! The theater stamped our tickets for watching on Monday. Bad luck I couldn't skip school ! So I had to wait until 2002 to get the DVD. It was worth the wait !

Excellent documentary on perhaps the best war movie ever made. The sacrifices those young men went through should never be forgotten.

Say the dog's name!! Say it!! Say it!!!

The Dam buster film was originally printed/ processed at my grandfathers film laboratory (Henderson's Film Laboratories) in Norwood south London. In the film the footage of the bombs being dropped at the beach (Hearn Bay, Kent) was also printed in the war at Henderson's film labs

A shame that the remake is unlikely to be made.

enjoyed this doc thanks

Great stuff, a most enlightening documentary. First time I'd seen this account about the movie. No mention about the dag of course.. (heh, I mean to say that's pc gone plumb crazy). And Robert Shaw, I had no idea about the part he played at all. That detail had slipped past me throughout all the countless times I'd watched the flim. I had already been aware of Patrick McGoughan's part however. I have a feeling that this is a rare example of a flim without Sam Kydd's name on the credits? How can this be? The most prolific actor of the era and he wasn't included in the cast of the Dam Busters! The orderly who told Gibson about his dag's accident bore a slight resemblance to Kydd but it wasn't he. I agree about the ending being the most poignant moment, when Gibson replies to Barnes-Wallis "No, I'm afraid I have some letters to write first.." I'm so glad I bought the DVD box-set when I did several years ago of a/ The Dam Busters, Ice Cold In Alex and The Cruel Sea. Sam Kydd was in the latter but perhaps not in John Mills' adventure. I may be wrong?

What's never shown in the film is that Gibson hardly did any practise bombing or flying with his crew at all. He also wasn't so friendly in real life as depicted.

Mmmm ... a very good Doco ... alas no mention by name of the 'token' Aussie Actor n the movie Bill Kerr even though a still picture of him was used used on 5 or 6 occasions thru the doco ... after this film he would often appear as a comedic actor notably with Tony Hancock and Sid James ... he eventually returned to serious acting in many quality movies in Britain and Australia ....

I can't make out the dialogue because of the overpowering piano music. Really we don't need music at the same time as dialogue.

Did the new restored version of the movie censor the dog"s name? As much as I want to buy this product, I will not do that if the poor dog is now called Trigger or Digger. History should not be changed to suit the whims & manipulations of our political masters.

I wish they'd use a bit of CGI on the film to sort out the bits that were like that for Official Secrets reasons. The shape of the bombs, show them spinning etc. And turn that Mosquito into a Lancaster too.