Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
High Peak
Town
Upper Derwent Valley
County
Derbyshire
Country
England
Commemoration
Second World War (1939-1945)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 02 October1986
    Attended by: UNKNOWN
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
14270

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Current location

Against the Northern wall inside the gatehouse
visible through a gate which is normally kept locked. Also
a few metres north of the gatehouse
the Severn Trent Water Authority have erected a memorial to the Dambusters - images of this memorial were added to this record for completeness in April 2023.
Derwent Dam
Unamed Western Access Road.
Upper Derwent Valley
High Peak
Derbyshire
S33 0BB
England

OS Grid Ref: SK 16885 92501
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Freestanding white rectangular stone tablet with shallow rounded top on rectangular stone base. Badge of 617 Squadron at the head. Tablet inscription incised in upright capital Roman lettering coloured black, base inscription in relief in upright capital block lettering with a dark coloured background. The associated plaque - WM reference 14271 - is on the wall about 18 inches above the tablet.
Inscription
Tablet: 617 squadron badge at top followed by THIS STONE ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION/ TO THE GALLANT MEN OF/ 617 DAMBUSTER SQD. R.A.F./ WHO SUCCESSFULLY BREACHED THE DAMS OF/ WESTERN GERMANY IN WWII/ USING THE BOUNCING BOMB DEVISED BY/ DR BARNES WALLIS./ DERWENT DAM WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE OF ITS/ CLOSE RESEMBLANCE TO THE GERMAN DAMS/ FOR INTENSIVE LOW LEVEL PRACTICE/ AND BOMB AIMING TECHNIQUES. Base: THEY PAID FOR OUR FREEDOM.
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Tablet
    Measurements: depth c 100mm, height c 900mm, width c 850mm
    Materials: Stone - Sandstone
  • Base
    Measurements: depth c 150mm, height c 150mm, width c 900mm
    Materials: Stone - Sandstone
Listing information
Condition
History
The site lies within the Peak District National Park.
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
The building forms part of the structure of Derwent Dam, owned by Severn Trent Water Ltd.
Reference
  • BRITAIN'S AVIATION MEMORIALS & MEMENTOES by SMITH, DAVID J P 42 Source: Image Library IWM Published:PATRICK STEPHENS LIMITED 1992 SPARKFORD
  • The Seven Blunders of the Peak by Brian Robinson (Ed) 91-98/ 1994 Published:Scarthin Books 1994

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-14270

For queries, please contact [email protected].