A circular was sent around 5 Group asking for volunteer crews for a new squadron. This was how all but 4 of the crews arrived at Scampton. Of the other 4, Gibson invited Flt Lts John Hopgood, Dave Shannon and Mick Martin from his previous command, 106 squadron. The 4th crew led by Plt Off Geoff Rice were simply told they were being posted across from 57 Sqn, something they were not at all pleased about. In all, 22 crews arrived from March 24th onwards, on the whole ACM Harris principles were followed, most pilots were quite experienced. 13 of the 22 were decorated with at least one award, several having more. Having volunteered and been accepted , Flt Sgt Ken Brown was saying his goodbyes at 44 Sqn when his C/O told him that he and his crew would be the backbone of the new squadron. When they arrived at Scampton and started to look around, they noticed a lot of DFCs but not so many DFMs. They quickly realised that they were maybe not as important as they’d been set-up to believe. Browns radio operator commented “ Skipper, if we’re the backbone of this squadron, we must be damn close to the arse end”. Crew members were generally less experienced, with 2, including Gibson’s own bomb aimer yet to fly an operation. The two men chosen as Flight Leaders were Sqn Ldrs Henry Melvyn Young and Henry Maudsley, who would command A and B flight respectively. The three principal ground officers selected were, Plt Off Henry ‘Doc’ Watson (Armaments), Cliff ‘Capable’ Caple (Engineering) and George Hodgson (Electrical) As per orders, the other squadrons in 5 Group each relinquished a Lancaster B1 or BIII to 617 Sqn. Most were new aircraft, having made no operational flights prior to transfer. These aircraft were generally ferried to Scampton by crews joining the Squadron. The first aircraft to arrive were allocated to ‘A’ Flight…… W4921 from No 106 Sqn, W4929 from No 61 Sqn, W4940 from No 57 Sqn, ED756 from No 44 Sqn, ED763 from No 467 Sqn. ‘B’ Flight received… W4926 from No 97 Sqn, ED329 from No 207 Sqn, ED437 from No 50 Sqn, ED735 from No 44 Sqn and LM309 from No 9 Sqn. After arrival each aircraft was given a routine inspection before being painted with the new 617 squadron code letters A J. By Saturday 27th March 1943 inspections were complete and No 617 Squadron was pronounced ‘Ready To Fly’. The first training flight began later the same day when Flt Lt Bill Astell took off in W4940 / A J – B for a low level exercise around Leicester, Rugby and Birmingham, during which he photographed nine reservoirs. With no specific details of their target or the weapon they were to use, the crews were simply told to practice flying as low as they could ( something that was normally STRICTLY forbidden). After 3 years of high altitude, nigh time bombing this came as an exciting release. Les Munro recalled “ we were told to practice our low level flying, first by day and later by night…..we didn’t have to be told twice “. Flights took place over a number of set routes across the length and breadth of the country, out over the sea and across to Ireland. These missions often included a low level bombing run over the Wainfleet Range in Lincolnshire, with the Pilots as well as the bomb aimer executing drops, the gunners also carried out air-to-sea firing of their weapons. With so much low flying going on accidents were inevitable, very soon tailwheels were festooned with foliage and fuselages were dented and marked by treetops.