29784
A sculpture in the gardens of the Grade II Listed Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa a village in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.
The Petwood Hotel is so called because it was originally built ain 1905 as a house for Grace, Lady Weigall, who had it constructed in her favourite wood, her "pet wood". Lady Weigall turned her former home into a hotel in 1933. The hotel was owned by the Maples family of Maples furniture and this accounts for the high quality of the fittings.
The hotel building served as a military hospital for injured soldiers during the Great War, but it is as the home of the legendary RAF 617 “Dambusters” Squadron in World War Two that Petwood is best known. Occupied from 1942, it was originally home to officers of the 97 and 619 squadrons, but with nearby Woodhall Airfield chosen as the operational base, 619 squadron moved away and the officers of 617 moved in.
Composed of Canadian, New Zealand and Australian as well as British Air Force personnel, 617 Squadron were a top secret group entrusted with the task of crippling three key German Dams. Carried out on May 17th 1943, this crucial attack was called “Operation Chastise” and utilised an ingenious “Bouncing Bomb” designed by engineer Barnes Wallis. The bouncing explosive was a stroke of genius, able to be launched directly at targets before it detonated underwater, creating a “bubble pulse” effect capable of causing huge damage to enemy targets. The Squadrons badge, picturing a breached wall, and motto “Apres moi, le deluge” (“After me, the flood”) pay homage to the deadly effectiveness of the mission.
Today, the Squadron Bar hosts a range of memorabilia and tributes to Guy Gibson VC, Leonard Cheshire VC and their Officers. Petwood was a scene of some jubilant celebrations with the breakthroughs made by Squadron 617, as well as tragic losses. We can only imagine the sheer bravery of the Squadron and the huge risks they took in enemy territory, facing death time and again. Guy Gibson alone, the Squadron’s heroic young Wing Commander, carried out over 170 raids by the age of 24. Just two years later he was killed in action.
The Squadron’s feats live on at the Petwood, which remains a fascinating testament to the Dambusters. Besides the attacks that destroyed two key dams in the Ruhr area of Germany, the Squadron also used cutting edge “Earthquake” bombs to score critical hits on the warship Tirpitz, and various other key targets including bridges, shelters and canals. In 2010 it was also uncovered that they were being considered for a special mission to target Mussolini himself.
Information gained from www.petwood.co.uk/about/history
29784
A sculpture in the gardens of the Grade II Listed Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa a village in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.
The Petwood Hotel is so called because it was originally built ain 1905 as a house for Grace, Lady Weigall, who had it constructed in her favourite wood, her "pet wood". Lady Weigall turned her former home into a hotel in 1933. The hotel was owned by the Maples family of Maples furniture and this accounts for the high quality of the fittings.
The hotel building served as a military hospital for injured soldiers during the Great War, but it is as the home of the legendary RAF 617 “Dambusters” Squadron in World War Two that Petwood is best known. Occupied from 1942, it was originally home to officers of the 97 and 619 squadrons, but with nearby Woodhall Airfield chosen as the operational base, 619 squadron moved away and the officers of 617 moved in.
Composed of Canadian, New Zealand and Australian as well as British Air Force personnel, 617 Squadron were a top secret group entrusted with the task of crippling three key German Dams. Carried out on May 17th 1943, this crucial attack was called “Operation Chastise” and utilised an ingenious “Bouncing Bomb” designed by engineer Barnes Wallis. The bouncing explosive was a stroke of genius, able to be launched directly at targets before it detonated underwater, creating a “bubble pulse” effect capable of causing huge damage to enemy targets. The Squadrons badge, picturing a breached wall, and motto “Apres moi, le deluge” (“After me, the flood”) pay homage to the deadly effectiveness of the mission.
Today, the Squadron Bar hosts a range of memorabilia and tributes to Guy Gibson VC, Leonard Cheshire VC and their Officers. Petwood was a scene of some jubilant celebrations with the breakthroughs made by Squadron 617, as well as tragic losses. We can only imagine the sheer bravery of the Squadron and the huge risks they took in enemy territory, facing death time and again. Guy Gibson alone, the Squadron’s heroic young Wing Commander, carried out over 170 raids by the age of 24. Just two years later he was killed in action.
The Squadron’s feats live on at the Petwood, which remains a fascinating testament to the Dambusters. Besides the attacks that destroyed two key dams in the Ruhr area of Germany, the Squadron also used cutting edge “Earthquake” bombs to score critical hits on the warship Tirpitz, and various other key targets including bridges, shelters and canals. In 2010 it was also uncovered that they were being considered for a special mission to target Mussolini himself.
Information gained from www.petwood.co.uk/about/history