The Dambusters 1954 otr australian radio


(4.9 stars; 22 reviews)

Taylor played pilot David Shannon in this dramatization of Paul Brickhill's best-selling novel about World War II. The documentary series focused on the 617 Dambusting Squadron and is full of air force adventure. There were 26 half-hour episodes, and the cast also featured Charles "Bud" Tingwell Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams carried out on 16â17 May 1943 by Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron, subsequently known as the "Dambusters", using a specially developed "bouncing bomb" invented and developed by Barnes Wallis. The Möhne and Edersee Dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley, while the Sorpe dam sustained only minor damage.All 26 episodes in excellent condition

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

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Reviews

Excellent Series


(5 stars)

This series on the famous No. 617 "Dambusters" Squadron is superb. The writing, production values, acting and clarity are all top notch.The series is the true story of the squadron, coupled with the story of inventor, aircraft designer and scientist Barnes Wallis. If you think you know the story from the famous film of the same vinatge, this series will enlighten you a lot further. Only the first half a dozen episodes cover the development of the bouncing bomb and the famous Dams Raid when the squadron destroyed three dams in the Ruhr Valley in May 1943. The rest of the series is a continuation on from there, the many more dangerous and highly technical raids that this very special squadron undertook, and the stories of the men who flew in the squadron. Some very famous men are dramatised in the series, Barnes Wallis, Guy Gibson VC (played by Charles 'Bud' Tingwell), Leonard Cheshire VC, Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris, Sir Ralph Cochrane, Micky Martin, Joe McCarthy, Davey Shannon (played by Rod Taylor) and Les Munro. Apparently Australasian Radio did dsome other adaptations of Paul Brickhill's books, like The Great Escape and Reach For the Sky. I'd love to hear them too now. I rate this very highly, an excellent series that everyone should hear, especially young kids who have no idea what these brave men did in the war. I discovered that the cast is mentioned at the end of the final episode. For those interested they are: Barnes Wallis = James Mills Ralph Cochrane = David Butler Guy Gibson VC = Charles 'Bud' Tingwell Leonard Cheshire VC = Alan Trevor James Tait = Barry Cookson Micky Martin = Max Osbasten Dave Shannon = Rodney Taylor Arthur Harris = Maurie Powell Joe McCarthy = Harp Maguire Ann Shannon = Coralie Neville Plus: David Eady Alexander Archdale John Ewart John Mallion Richard Davies Joe McCormick Len Bullen Don Crosby Lionel Stephens Gordon Chater

An Astonishing Piece of Radio History


(5 stars)

This radio drama is almost 60 years old but in terms of production technique, adaptation, and drama direction it could easily stand on its own today. Paul Brickhill's account of the famous dam busters' raid was a monumental best seller in the fifties and sixties. This radio drama was adapted by Morris West, himself a widely successful author. Together with a pretty good cast and Brickhill's direct involvement, the production makes for excellent listening. I have only sampled bits and pieces from the series so far but the quality is consistent. As far as audio quality goes I can only say that I am very impressed with how clean it is.

5 stars to the uploader


(5 stars)

So far I've only listened to the first episode and it's like listening to paint dry. Sound quality is decent and I'm sure my boredom in the story line is that I generally dislike war related stories. So my review is for the quality and efforts of the uploader, which deserves 5 stars.

Excellent!


(5 stars)

This is truly one of the best radio programs on WWII that I have listened to. Not only does it focus on the pilots and their missions, it deals with their personal lives and with the amazing group of scientists who invented the tools needed to win the war. This is a must hear.

Quite brilliant


(5 stars)

What an absolutely enthralling series. I wasn't born at the start of the war but it really brought home to me the bravery of these pilots and everyone working around them. The quality of the sound is excellent and I would thoroughly recommend it. Thank you so much for making it available.

Very well done


(5 stars)

It's good to see history through other eyes. Although, like the Dambuster's movie, the actual information about how the bombs worked was suppressed. I wonder if it was secret still when this was made.

Great, except . . .


(5 stars)

Many thanks for this - It is very well done, and I am enjoying it immensely, except that #18 has an incomplete file. Can the uploader fix this for us?

Outstanding!


(5 stars)

The storyline and sound quality are great. Production quality almost seems like watching a movie. Wish I could find more stories concerning World War II.