Leslie Gordon Knight, of Camberwell, Victoria, Australia, applied to join the RAAF in 1941. Knight was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1943 for his part in Operation Chastise – the Dams raid, while flying with No. 617 Squadron RAF. Knight's crew, flying in N-Nan, attacked, hit and breached the Eder Dam, the second dam to be attacked, after his comrades had previously scored one hit and one miss.
Distinguished Service Order citation: "The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: — "On the night of i6th May, 1943, a force of Lancaster bombers was detailed to attack the Moehne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany. The operation was one of great difficulty and hazard, demanding a high degree of skill and courage and close co-operation between the crews of the aircraft engaged. Nevertheless, a telling blow was struck at the enemy by the successful breaching of the Mohne and Eder dams. This outstanding success reflects the greatest credit on the efforts of the following personnel who participated in the operation in various capacities as members of aircraft crew." - London Gazette No. 36031, Dated 1943-05-28
On September 16, 1943, during the Dortmund Ems Canal raid Knight sacrificed his life to save his seven-man crew — and those in the unsuspecting Dutch village of Den Ham below.
After his Lancaster JB144 was damaged by flying into a tree he was able to gain enough height for the rest of the crew to bail out but was unable to land the plane safely
According to The 1951 book The Dam Busters by Paul Brickhill, Knight radioed his flight commander: " 'Two port engines gone. May I have permission to jettison bomb, sir?' It was the 'sir' that got Martin. Knight was following the copybook procedure, asking respectful permission to do the only thing that might get him home. Martin said, 'For God's sake, Les, yes,' and as the bomb was not fused Knight told Johnson to let it go. Relieved of the weight they started to climb very slowly …"But it wasn't enough."
"The crew of Lancaster AJ-N drifted to earth in the darkness around Den Ham. Two were quickly taken prisoner by German forces.
The remaining five, however, were found by the villagers. At significant risk — they knew that they and their families would be shot if caught — the townspeople hid them. Resistance forces were contacted. Underground 'railways' activated. All five were soon back safely in England." (Find a Grave Memorial and The Herald Sun)
In 2018 the citizens of Den Ham organized a special event to honor the 75th Anniversary of Leslie Gordon Knight's heroic decision to save their village. A Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone now stands in place of the simple timber cross which initially marked his plot in the Den Ham General Cemetery in the Netherlands and a memorial stone stands where his bomber went down.
Generations later the community of Den Ham still honors the hero from Australia that saved their village. Flight Lieutenant Knight was just 22 years old at the time of his passing. Lest We Forget.
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🎨Colorization sourced by Colourised PIECE of JAKE
Original description and photo sourced by IWM, Australian War Memorial, The Dam Busters by Paul Brickhill, Find a Grave Memorial, The Herald Sun and the London Gazette No. 36031, Dated 1943-05-28.
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