Dambusters

Standing with Giants’ First Permanent Tribute in the Netherlands

On 14 June 2026, Standing with Giants proudly unveiled its first permanent overseas installation in Castricum, the Netherlands.

The installation honours the seven crew members of Avro Lancaster ED887, call sign AJ-A, who took part in Operation Chastise, the famous Dambusters Raid, before losing their lives on the Dutch coast while returning home.

From a Temporary Display to a Permanent Memorial

The journey began in 2024, when silhouettes created by Standing with Giants were displayed in Castricum for a single day as part of a remembrance event.

The powerful imagery resonated deeply with local residents, historians and civic leaders, inspiring a shared ambition to establish a permanent memorial.

Since then, members of the Castricum Remembrance Committee, the Mayor and Municipality of Castricum, local businesses and supporters have worked alongside Standing with Giants to turn that vision into reality.

Standing with Giants has always sought to honour those who fought for our freedom by helping communities tell their stories through powerful remembrance art. To see one of our installations permanently established overseas is both humbling and incredibly special.

Lancaster ED887, AJ-A

Avro Lancaster ED887 was delivered to RAF Scampton on 19 April 1943 and converted to Type 464 standards in preparation for Operation Chastise.

The aircraft was first test flown on 30 April by Squadron Leader Henry Melvin “Dinghy” Young, the commander of 617 Squadron’s A Flight. Young claimed AJ-A as his crew’s aircraft, and it was used extensively during the demanding low-level training undertaken before the raid.

At 9.47pm on 16 May 1943, AJ-A took off from RAF Scampton as part of the first wave of Operation Chastise.

AJ-A was the fourth aircraft to attack the Möhne Dam. Its Upkeep mine struck the target and caused an initial breach. A few minutes later, AJ-J, piloted by Flight Lieutenant David Maltby, released another mine, causing a major collapse in the dam.

Young then flew towards the Eder Dam, ready to assume command should anything happen to raid leader Wing Commander Guy Gibson. With the attack completed, AJ-A turned for home.

Shortly before 3am on 17 May 1943, the Lancaster reached the Dutch coast. Just a few hundred yards from the relative safety of the North Sea, it was struck by German anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Castricum aan Zee.

All seven members of the crew lost their lives.

During the following weeks, the sea returned their bodies to the Dutch coast. Squadron Leader Young and Sergeant David Horsfall were found first, on 29 May. They were buried at Bergen General Cemetery two days later. The remaining five members of the crew were recovered over the following thirteen days and laid to rest alongside them.

The Crew of AJ-A

The seven men remembered by the permanent installation are:

  • Squadron Leader Henry Melvin “Dinghy” Young DFC and Bar, pilot and deputy leader of the raid

  • Flying Officer Vincent Sandford MacCausland RCAF, bomb aimer

  • Sergeant David Taylor Horsfall, flight engineer

  • Flight Sergeant Charles Walpole Roberts, navigator

  • Sergeant Lawrence William Nichols, wireless operator

  • Sergeant Gordon Arthur Yeo, front gunner

  • Sergeant Wilfred Ibbotson, rear gunner

Their individual skills, courage and teamwork carried AJ-A to its target and helped create the first breach in the Möhne Dam. They came within moments of reaching the North Sea and beginning the final journey home.

A Lasting Place of Remembrance

The permanent silhouettes now stand close to the place where AJ-A and its crew were lost, ensuring their names and their story remain visible for generations to come.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone in Castricum who helped make this memorial possible, including the Castricum Remembrance Committee, the Mayor and Municipality of Castricum, local businesses, supporters and members of the community.

This permanent tribute represents more than one aircraft and seven crew members. It reflects the enduring relationship between the people of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, united by remembrance, gratitude and a determination that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

We will remember them.