Guy Penrose Gibson
Wing Commander, 617 Squadron Royal Air Force
- Register No.
- 448 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Wing Commander all Wing Commanders →
- Unit
- 617 Squadron Royal Air Force (register: No. 617 Squadron RAF) all No. 617 Squadron RAF VCs →
- Date of action
- 16 May 1943 on this day → all of 1943 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 28th May 1943 on this day → all of 1943 →
- Born
- 12th August 1918 at Simla, India
- Died
- 9th September 1944 near Bergen-op-Zoom, Holland
- Memorial / grave
- Buried in Steenbergen-en-Kruisland Roman Catholic Church
- Medal held by
- the RAF Museum, Hendon, London
Digest of citation
On 16/17 May 1943 over Germany, Wing Commander Gibson led the raid on the Mohne Dam, descending to within a few feet of the water and taking the full brunt of the enemy defences. He delivered his attack with great accuracy and afterwards circled very low for 30 minutes, drawing the enemy fire on himself in order to leave as free a run as possible to the following aircraft. He then led the remainder of his force to the Eder Dam where with complete disregard for his own safety he repeated his tactics and once again drew the enemy fire so that the attack could be successfully developed
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
GIBSON, Guy Penrose. (Reg.No. 448)
Wing Commander 617 Squadron Royal Air Force London Gazetted on 28th May 1943 Born on12th August 1918 at Simla, India.
Died on 9th September 1944 near Bergen-op-Zoom, Holland Buried in Steenbergen-en-Kruisland Roman Catholic Church. VCs Medal's Custodian is the RAF Museum, Hendon, London.
Digest of Citation reads: On 16/17 May 1943 over Germany, Wing Commander Gibson led the raid on the Mohne Dam, descending to within a few feet of the water and taking the full brunt of the enemy defences. He delivered his attack with great accuracy and afterwards circled very low for 30 minutes, drawing the enemy fire on himself in order to leave as free a run as possible to the following aircraft. He then led the remainder of his force to the Eder Dam where with complete disregard for his own safety he repeated his tactics and once again drew the enemy fire so that the attack could be successfully developed.
Additional information: 19 Lancasters took part in the raid. Only eight returned. Gibson had, apart from the VC, the DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar and The American Legion of Merit. Wing Commander Gibson had made raids on his so called 'rest nights'. He made a single handed attack on Tirpitz, the German battleship lying in Wilhelmshaven. He was only 25 when he led the raid on the dams. He begged 'Bomber Harris' for 'one last sortie' and it did indeed turn out to be his last. His final words, were to his accompanying aircraft crews by radio, "Nice work chaps, now beat it home." His Mosquito crashed in flames. His body was never identified until the end of the war and he was buried with honours at Steenbergen-en-Kruisland, Holland.
Additional information
19 Lancasters took part in the raid. Only eight returned. Gibson had, apart from the VC, the DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar and The American Legion of Merit. Wing Commander Gibson had made raids on his so called 'rest nights'. He made a single handed attack on Tirpitz, the German battleship lying in Wilhelmshaven. He was only 25 when he led the raid on the dams. He begged 'Bomber Harris' for 'one last sortie' and it did indeed turn out to be his last. His final words, were to his accompanying aircraft crews by radio, "Nice work chaps, now beat it home." His Mosquito crashed in flames. His body was never identified until the end of the war and he was buried with honours at Steenbergen-en-Kruisland, Holland.
Register note: Primarily for Operation Chastise; also for leadership as master bomber on earlier sorties
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: Buried in Steenbergen-en-Kruisland Roman Catholic Church
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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