David Shannon liked flying low and fast, skimming the waves and treetops – a heartbeat away from disaster – at the controls of a Lancaster bomber….

Unsurprisingly, he attracted attention from his first squadron commander, RAF Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who needed exceptional pilots for a special mission which was to become the most famous of World War II.

That was the dam busters raid of May 16, 1943, with Shannon piloting one of 19 Lancasters as one of 13 Australians involved in the operation.

Now Shannon’s medals, along with his uniform and logbooks, have gone on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

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