What is believed to be the only surviving bombsight from the famous Dambusters raid during the second world war is to be sold along with a collection of Dambusters memorabilia on January 20 at J P Humbert Auctioneers in the UK.
 The sight was given to Flight Lieutenant David Maltby's father following the raid |
The sight was used in a Lancaster bomber to target the Mohne dam in the legendary 1943 attack, also known as Operation Chastise. Using a specially developed bouncing bomb, the British Royal Air Force took out two dams, flooding the Ruhr valley.
The sight is estimated at £20,000-25,000 ($30,299-37,874).
Designed by Wing Commander C L Dann, the "Dann" sign was used by Pilot Officer John Fort, who flew aboard the fifth aircraft to attack the dam, AJ-J, which was piloted by Flight Lieutenant David Maltby. It was this bomb that first breached the Mohne dam, making the sight an incredibly important piece of military history.
Following the raid, it was given to Maltby's father, who placed it in the museum of the prep school he owned in east Sussex. It has since passed through the hands of a former headteacher of the school to a former pupil, the current owner.
Also selling is the map light and parallelogram used by Sergeant Vivian Nicholson, who navigated the flight on behalf of Maltby. A leather collar box belonging to Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the most famous of the Dambusters and commanding officer of the mission, is also set to sell.
