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Historic World War II–dated hardbound log entitled "Royal Air Force, Form 1767, Observer's and Air Gunner's Flying Log Book," 5.25 x 8, annotated on the first page, "No. 617 Squadron," the squadron famously known as 'The Dambusters,' with Stephen Burns's air gunner certification filled out below.
The log book is filled with entries from September 15, 1942, to December 20, 1943, recording aircraft types, pilots, duties, and remarks—noting combat, aircraft/weapon malfunctions, and bombing targets. The most notable entry comes on May 16, 1943, recording pilot Geoffrey Rice's participation in Operation Chastise, commonly known as the Dambusters Raid: "Operation No. 13 Target Sorpe Dam Ruhr Valley hit the sea bomb exploded hydraulic system us so the operation abandoned." The book is signed throughout by famed 'Dambusters' pilots, including: Guy Gibson, Melvin Young (2), David Maltby (3), A. M. Paape (2), George William Curry, David Shannon (2), William Reid Suggitt (2), and Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire. Remarkably, five of these heroic pilots—Gibson, Young, Maltby, Suggitt, and Paape—were killed in action during World War II. In very good to fine condition, with expected overall wear.
This Royal Air Force Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book sits squarely within one of the most celebrated—and technically daring—episodes of the Second World War: the 1943 'Dambusters' raid carried out by No. 617 Squadron RAF. Formed in early 1943 under the command of Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the squadron was tasked with executing Operation Chastise, a precision attack on Germany’s Ruhr Valley dams using Barnes Wallis’s innovative 'bouncing bomb.'
The log’s entries, spanning late 1942 through the end of 1943, capture the buildup to and aftermath of this mission, reflecting the intense training, hazardous sorties, and evolving tactics of RAF Bomber Command at a moment when strategic bombing was central to Allied efforts to cripple German industrial capacity. In Operation Chastise, the 617 Squadron successfully bombed and breached the Möhne and Edersee dams, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley; the Sorpe Dam, referenced in the logbook, sustained only minor damage.
Beyond its operational record, the logbook is distinguished by the presence of multiple signatures from celebrated figures of 617 Squadron, including Guy Gibson, David Maltby, and Melvin Young—men who became emblematic of the courage and sacrifice associated with the Dambusters raid. The fact that several of these signatories were later killed in action highlights the staggering human cost borne by RAF aircrews, whose casualty rates were among the highest of any Allied service branch. A remarkable piece of World War II history.
