Rare Dambusters victory dinner menu signed by legendary RAF hero sells for £4,000 at auction
The extraordinary piece of wartime memorabilia bears the signature of legendary Dambusters commander Guy Gibson – and even contains a curious spelling mistake.
A remarkable slice of Second World War history has gone under the hammer for £4,000 – a rare menu signed by legendary Dambusters commander Wing Commander Guy Gibson.
The “exceptionally rare” keepsake belonged to decorated RAF airman Flight Lieutenant Leonard “Len” Sumpter and was sold by Gildings Auctioneers in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, on Tuesday, October 13. It dates back to a lavish victory dinner in June 1943, celebrating the daring raid on Germany's Ruhr dams just hours after surviving airmen received honours at Buckingham Palace.
Hosted by aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe & Co. at London's Hungaria Restaurant, the banquet offered a far cry from the bacon, eggs, sausages and chips the crews were accustomed to. Instead, the heroes tucked into a gourmet spread of French-style delicacies, accompanied by cocktails and fine wines. Adding an unusual twist, the menu was headed “Damn Busters” – possibly a printing blunder or a playful take on the famous nickname of 617 Squadron.
Its signatures make it especially prized, including Gibson's, fellow Dambuster Terry Taerum's and those of other RAF figures and entertainer Arthur Askey.
Gildings director Mark Gilding said preserving such objects helped ensure the stories of those who served, and the extraordinary events they witnessed, would continue to be remembered. He added that valuing an item as rare and evocative as Sumpter's menu was no straightforward task, but it was wonderful to see it find a new owner who would treasure it.
Sumpter was a bomb aimer with the elite 617 Squadron, formed specifically for Operation Chastise. He flew 35 operations and was one of only two men recorded as taking part in both the Dambusters raid and the squadron's final wartime mission, targeting Hitler's Berghof retreat on April 25, 1945. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for his accurate bombing during the attack on the Eder Dam. The raid came at a terrible cost: of 133 aircrew who took part, 53 were killed and three captured. Only 11 of the 19 aircraft returned safely.
Other auction lots also drew interest. Sumpter's course and speed calculator, used during a 1942 bombing raid on Cologne, sold for £180. Meanwhile, a fragment from Lancaster bomber “F for Freddie”, damaged over Berlin in September 1943 while BBC journalist Wynford Vaughan-Thomas was aboard, fetched £550. It was sold with a cassette of the resulting broadcast.