The 1955 Dam Busters is one of the most famous of all classic British World War II movies.

It tells the true story of how Barnes Wallis developed the famous ‘bouncing bomb’, and the pilots who (spoiler alert!) successfully flew at very low altitudes over water to use it to destroy a strategically vital German dam. The resulting devastation floods a Nazi munitions factory in the valley below.

British acting stalwart Richard Todd leads the bombing mission and Michael Redgrave is Barnes Wallis, both excellent. The movie became the biggest film at the UK box office in 1955.

The bombing raid sequence also subsequently served as direct inspiration for the X-wing fighter attack on the Death Star in Star Wars.

Original posters for The Dam Busters are very rare. I was lucky enough to find this French ‘moyenne’, with great artwork by Jean Claude Trambouze.  The pilot doesn’t really look a whole lot like Richard Todd, but never mind. This is available to buy here.