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Beck Parsons

Name : Beck Parsons

Vital to the whole Dambusters operation was the complete dedication by the ground crew of 617 Squadron. Personified by Beck Parsons. Joining the RAF in 1940, he trained as an electrician and worked with Avro Manchester’s with 207 Squadron at Waddington. In March 1943 he was posted to 617 Squadron at Scampton where he flew with Barnes Wallis during the tests on the bouncing bomb. As Electrical NCO Beck was responsible for the electrics on “B� flight at the time of the raid, together with ‘Top Maintenance’ on five of the Lancaster’s, including those of Guy Gibson and Mick Martin.

Artwork signed by this Pilot or Aircrew

Dambusters - The Impossible Mission by Robert Taylor. (AP)

Aircraft for : Beck Parsons
A list of all aircraft associated with Beck Parsons. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
Lancaster Click the name above to see prints featuring Lancaster aircraft. Manufacturer : Avro Production Began : 1942 Retired : 1963 Number Built : 7377	Lancaster The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' Operation Gomorrah in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992.
Manchester Click the name above to see prints featuring Manchester aircraft. Manufacturer : Avro	Manchester Full profile not yet available.

Squadrons for : Beck Parsons
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Beck Parsons. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
Squadron	Info
No.207 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st April 1918 Fate : Disbanded 30th June 1984 Semper paratus - Always prepared Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.207 Sqn RAF	No.207 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.
No.617 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 23rd March 1943 Apres mois, le deluge - After me, the flood Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.617 Sqn RAF	No.617 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.

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