On the night of 14 May 1943, something new and terrifying hurtled towards the dam holding Abberton Reservoir in place. Flying at a well-calculated 232mph and altitude of 60ft, the Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command made their approach, but did not drop their bouncing bombs. That would happen two nights later, when 53 airmen and 1,600 civilians lost their lives in Germany.
Historians differ over whether it changed the course of the war, but had Britain not spent the time from the Industrial Revolution to the start of the 20th century building reservoirs, it’s unsure whether the Dambusters would have had anywhere to practise. Eight decades on, those reservoirs – from Colchester to Derwent – are still in use. As climate change and drought threatens the UK’s water supply, they are becoming more critical than ever. In meeting rooms and computer simulation programmes, a battle is
