In dealing out death and destruction from on high, bomber crews of all nations were often viewed as less than humane. However in December 1943, No 617 squadron CO Leonard Cheshire came up with a humanitarian plan that left Dave Shannon and Mick Martin less than enthusiastic. Cheshire's humanitarian scheme was to drop food parcels to PoW's in Stalag Luft III deep inside Germany on Christmas Day. Cheshire's idea was that he, Martin and Shannon should take their three Mosquitos, sneak in over the camp, drop the parcels and nip out again over the Baltic before the flak defences woke up. Shannon and Martin were even less cheerful about the notion when Cheshire told them that the drop would take place in broad daylight and to enable them to carry more food parcels all the guns would be taken out of the aircraft . It was a recipe for suicide and Cheshire's two flight commanders hinted as much to their optimistic leader. Luckily the plan was utterly vetoed at a higher level. It was thought a certainty that the PoWs would be mown down by German guards as they rushed out to pick up the parcels since their captors would assume it was an arms drop. A crestfallen Cheshire could understand the reasoning but he simply could not understand Shannon's very audible and very long sigh of relief when this decision was announced. Stalag Luft III was the scene of both ‘The Wooden Horse’ and ‘The Great Escape’. While the tunnel was being dug beneath the wooden vaulting horse, a young airman named Peter Butterworth was one of the prisoners who spent hours ‘vaulting’ the horse. After the war Butterworth became an actor and a stalwart member of the ‘Carry On’ movies. When he heard a movie was being made about the wooden horse escape, he auditioned for the part of himself. He was rejected on the grounds he was not the ‘athletic hero’ type they were looking for……charming! In 1975 The Geneva Convention adopted the following : Article 56. Protection of works and installations containing dangerous forces Works or installations containing dangerous forces, namely Dams, Dykes and Nuclear electrical generating stations, shall not be made the object of attack, even where these objects are military objectives, if such attack may cause the release of dangerous forces and consequent severe losses among the civilian population. Other military objectives located at or in the vicinity of these works or installations shall not be made the object of attack if such attack may cause the release of dangerous forces from the works or installations and consequent severe losses among the civilian population. I must thank the following : Dark Anvil who’s Home Farm stables appeared in Apre Moi Le Deluge (Part 4) ThunderR who’s Treeline, VogelEinze Germans and Eagle Valley railway appeared in several images. Touchwood who’s Flakvierlin appeared in A.M.L.D ( Part 6 & 11) and ‘Special Duties’ Becco_UK who’s RAF Control Tower appeared in A.M.L.D ( Part 8 ) And a HUGE special THANK YOU to Tryphon, who’s RAF gear and DB Tractor have played a huge part in making this possible……Thank you all And finally to all who have followed this and especially those who have taken time to comment….THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. When I started this it seemed like a bit of a ‘Titanic’ endeavour, a lot of work for something most people already knew the ending too. I hope it has entertained and maybe revealed bits you didn’t know. Although the story of just one squadron ( but what a squadron), I offer this as testament and thanks to ALL who did and gave so much in such dark times, and to those who continue the struggle. A few people have raised the question "what next" ?. Well I think one of these a year is plenty. I have a couple of ideas for the next epic and will be asking your opinion in the New Year. For now, thank you once again and the Lancaster is you know were :-) Now! where's my bed ?