Remembrance Sunday was the most appropriate day for the screening before a Pembrokeshire audience of a remarkable film, narrated by the last surviving ‘Dambuster’ of the RAF’s 617 Squadron.

The RAF’s Air Officer Wales, Air Commodore Rob Woods, and World War II veteran Duncan Hilling, of Saundersfoot, were chief guests at the Torch Theatre for the showing of ‘Attack on the Sorpe Dam’, one of three large dams in Germany attacked by 617 Squadron in May 1943.

They were joined by service representatives, air cadets and many locals – the evening being a fundraising event for the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincolnshire.

On display at the evening was a replica of a Lancaster bomb aimer's panel, made by Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre trustee, Dr Andy Watkin.On display at the evening was a replica of a Lancaster bomb aimer's panel, made by Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre trustee, Dr Andy Watkin. (Image: PDHC)

Exquisitely created in digital format, the film describes the story of Avro Lancaster bomber AJ-T which attacked the Sorpe Dam, with the narration by the late Squadron Leader Johnny Johnson, who died in 2022. He was the bomb aimer on the aircraft which dropped an ‘Upkeep’ bomb on the dam.

The film is the culmination of six years of work by film producer Andrew Panton and Pitor Forkasiewicz and is now part of the IBCC archive.

Also shown was a short film ‘Remembering the Avro Lancaster’ in which four wartime aircrew visit a preserved Lancaster at a Lincolnshire museum. The film was launched that day by the IBCC, with the Torch audience being the first to see a live screening.

The event was organised by Andrew Panton’s brother, Ian, of St Davids, who commented: “There was no doubt that many found this a very special occasion for Remembering Them, and so many others, on Remembrance Sunday.”

On display during the evening was a Lancaster bomb aimer’s panel, re-created by Dr Andy Watkin, a trustee of the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.