Lancaster bomber Sheffield: Delight for residents as iconic WWII aircraft flies low over city homes

The iconic World War Two bomber, part of the RAF’s Battle of Britain memorial flight – was spotted by residents both in the South West and the North West of the city, flying low over their houses, and it is believed to have been making its way between engagements.

It was due to flight at events in Derbyshire and West Yorkshire today, and back to its base at RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire.

But residents in both Greenhill and Stocksbridge have this afternoon reported seeing it flying low over their homes on social media, with some taking pictures of the aircraft.

One described is as ‘so low’.

The Avro Lancaster was one of the most famous aircraft of World War Two, best known for its involvement in the Dambusters raids on Germany in 1943, which wrecked the Möhne and Edersee dams, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley with two hydroelectric power stations destroyed along with factories and mines.

An estimated 1,600 civilians – about 600 Germans and 1,000 forced labourers, mainly Soviet – were killed by the flooding. Despite rapid repairs by the Germans, production did not return to normal until September. The RAF lost 53 aircrew killed and three captured, with eight aircraft destroyed.

A 1955 film, The Dam Busters, starring Richard Todd and Michael Redgrave, told the dramatic story of the raids.