Milford Mercury | Local News, Sport & Entertainment

Dambusters hero remembered

From the Milford Mercury, first published Friday 23rd May 2003.

SIXTY years ago last week a Pembroke Dock man climbed into a Lancaster bomber and took part in one of the most famous missions in wartime history.

Tail gunner Flight Sergeant Eric Jephcott (then Eric James) was just 19 years-old when he flew with 617 squadron in the celebrated Dambusters raids, made famous by Barnes Wallis' bouncing bomb. Now 79, Eric's memories are as clear as ever about the night of 16 May 1943 when 19 specially-adapted Lancasters left RAF Scampton to attack four dams in Germany's Ruhr heartland. "If anyone said they weren't frightened they were total bloody liars," he said. "For the actual job we had to fly 60 feet from the ground at a max speed of about 220. "The Mohne dam was heavily defended and there was a lot of ack-ack fire. We had to run in a few times but eventually I could see the dam go. "We had to keep radio silence and the only time we broke that radio silence was to use the code word that the dam had been breached, that was Nigger, the name of Guy Gibson's dog, he was the boss on the job." Asked how it felt when his Lancaster the 'O for Orange' returned, he said: "It was sheer relief that it was all over, I just wanted a cigarette and a good cup of tea, I didn't drink alcohol at that time." Eric - known as the tail-end Charlie because of his gun position - was awarded the distinguished service medal for the mission. The attacks resulted in the Mohne and Eder dams being breached but the Sorpe and Schwelme remained intact. During the raids eight aircraft and 53 crew were lost. "I lost a lot of good friends and that's why I never go to reunions, it brings back too many bad memories," said Eric. As for the Dambusters film, he says: "There is about three minutes of fact, the rest is just hearsay." Eric joined the RAF at the age of 17 and flew in 38 missions over Germany before the famous raid, being shot down twice. Said Eric: "The first time we had been on a raid over Hamburg and on the way back the ack-ack brought us down. The skipper was killed and the rest of us bailed out over France. The resistance got us back to England soon after." Originally from the Midlands, Eric moved to Pembrokeshire in 1951 and has stayed since.

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