Dambuster Les Knight saviour of a Dutch village who sacrificed his life
for his crew
Dambuster Flt. Lt. Les Knight DSO sacrificed his life for his seven man crew on 16 September 1943. At the same time he steered his doomed Lancaster bomber away from the centre of a Dutch village averting possible further death and destruction.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of his great sacrifice. The village of Den Ham have never forgotten the bravery of this Australian pilot. His grave has always been immaculately kept. This year the village will be commemorating his death with a simple and dignified ceremony of Remembance.
Villagers are working on plans to mark with event. If all the plans can be realised it will be a truly remarkable event.
All Knight’s crew survived. They bailed out above the frontier village of Den Ham during darkness after their mission to bomb an aquaduct on the vital supply route Dortmund-Ems canal failed. The mission was called Mission Garlic failed.
Les Knight and his crew attacked the canal in Ladbergen, Germany, exactly four months after the famous Dam Busters raid in the Rhur. Les Knight became world famous because his bouncing bomb was the first to breach the Eder dam and cause serious damage.
The raid on Ladbergen proved to be fatal for Les Knight. His plane damaged when flying at low level for the whole mission hit tree tops near the target area. He realised the plane was so badly damaged that he could never get it back to England. Above the village of Den Ham he ordered the crew to bail out.
Two were directly taken prisoner by the German occupying army but the other five all returned safely to England -- thanks to the extreme bravery of the local population.
They risked their lives and that of their families to secure these five airmen. Each airman have an incredible tale to tell of great sacrifice, bravery, honour, fear, survival.
And so, with each day, week, month, year passing since that fateful night in September ‘43 Les Knight lies in rest in the old general graveyard in Den Ham. His grave often visited, flowers laid, his headstone cleaned, respects and thanks paid.
Les Knight. Never been forgotten by Den Ham. He will never be forgotten....that’s why we are
Remembering Dam Buster Les Knight.
Let Us Be Worthy
"Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends"
John 15:13
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Our Vision: To Remember Les Knight
Our Charity was formed to Remember the heroic sacrifice made by Australian Dambuster Flt.Lt. Les Knight DSO.
We now also commemorate the two airmen buried next to him: pilot Thomas Mair & navigator Kenneth Blow DFC.
At the going down of the Sun, and in the Morning
We Will Remember them.
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Our Vision: To Educate
Together with three local schools we offer guest lessons on the lives of the allied airmen who lost their lives in Den Ham during the second world war. We often come across grandchildren of the local Resisatnce during our interactive lectures.These often unexpected meetings give the lessons and extra dimension.
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Our Vision: To Inform
We inform the world on how a small Dutch frontier village has never forgotten the heroic deeds of Les Knight and the other Fallen Heroes via this website, our Facebook page and other social-media.
We also give lectures to interested parties and clubs in the UK and Europe.
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Our Vision: To Commemorate
We lay flowers and wreaths at all three war graves and the Les Knight monumnet in Den Ham on significant dates and anniversaries throughout the year.
On Christmas Eve we place special Remembrance Candles at each grave. Opdat we niet Vergeten.
Lest we Forget.
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Our Dream: The Ultimate Tribute
Our dream has been realised. To see Europe's only airworthy Lancaster aircraft fly over the Les Knight monument. We see this as an ultimate tribute to a great man and a token of thanks to the good people of Den Ham for their decades of keeping a brave man's name alive. We Remember Les Knight with great pride and gratitude.
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Do you, dear reader, have any wishes to be fulfilled or ideas how we can further commemorate the Allied Airmen who died in Den Ham for our Freedom? Drop us a line at
VIDEO LINKS
If a picture is worth a thousand words these videos are priceless
List of Services
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Private flypast tribute by six warbirds
Video-archivist Johan Lohuis captures a private flypast tribute to Les Knight by six warbirds from Egmond Vintage Wings. The antique aircraft were returning to their base at Hoogeveen airport on 10 April 2021 after a memorial flight above neighbouring villages of Hellendoorn and Nijverdal. Both villages were celebrating their 76th anniversary of their Liberation by the Canadian army. Film runs for 1 minute.
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Resistance Heroes Remembered
How the villagers of Den Ham and neighbouring Vroomshoop united in Remembering seven members of the local Resistance Group by placing remembrance-stones where they lived. In this impressive movie the granite stones are placed by family members of those brave men who perished in the Nazi death camps. The stones are a variant on the now long established Stolperstein which are placed at 55,000 plus Jewish homes throughout Europe. These men now have their own permanent monument. It bears silent witness to their fight against the hate and tyranny of a ruthless wartime regime. It was a solumn event which adhered to the current Covid restrictions. The movie is in Dutch and runs for nearly seven minutes. Resistance fighters; the most under valued combatants of the last war. Lest We Forget. Runs for 6 minutes 58 seconds
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Documentary - Mainly in Dutch with English sub-titlesList Item 1
BIG HERO OF A SMALL VILLAGE
A short documentary by film-maker Cars Bijlstra. Runs for 18 minutes, 25 seconds.
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Les Knight's best friend in the NetherlandsList Item 2
This amazing film was made by film maker Johan Lohuis in 1992.
Les Knight's childhood friend airman Arnold Easton DFC is given a warm welcome by Burgemeester of Den Ham Hans van Overbeeke. Runs for 3 mins 23 seconds.
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Fly-past at the Les Knight MonumentList Item 3
Another totally unique documentary by film-historian Johas Lohuis. Here he records the events on Saturday 15 September 2018 in and around the monument. Johan is a local legend and has developed his own movie style. Well worth the watch.
Runs for 30 minutes, 19 seconds.
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Live TV report RTVOost
The whole village supported the Memorial service at the monument site on 15 September 2018. Regional TV station RTVOost broadcast live from the Janmansweg. Runs for 1 minute 40 seconds.
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Actually 500+ attend the monument ceremony
A teaser report from regional TV station RTVOost reprorting over 200 attending the monument ceremony. Actually we had professional counters all those who attended... it was well over 500 people. Runs for 51 seconds.
Our Mission
Stichting Remembering Dambuster Les Knight DSO have a number of goals to commemorate the life of Australian airman Les Knight and those who gave their lives for our freedom.
Want to get involved?
Send us a Message
About us
We are a Dutch charity who Remember Dambuster Les Knight & other war heroes in a dignified & worthy manner.
Useful Links
Contact info
Contact address:
On request.
Email:
info@rememberingdambusterlesknightdso.org
Chamber of Commerce number (KvK):
71621067
Bank account:
NL50 RABO 0330236334.
For donations from outside The Netherlands,
please use the following details:
BIC code Rabobank: RABO NL 2U
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