30524A HISTORIAN from west Wiltshire has marked the 50th anniversary of The Dam Busters by chronicling the making of the epic movie in a new book.

Jonathan Falconer, of Downs View, Bradford on Avon, interviewed members of the cast and RAF pilots for Filming the Dam Busters, helping to give a unique insight into the 1954 classic.

Mr Falconer, 43, said: "One of the reasons behind writing it was to mark the 50th anniversary of the film premiere. But another reason was that it's a film I have been keen on since I was a small child.

"The book sets the film in the context of the dam raid to show how it was, and I concentrate particularly on the flying side of the film."

The book includes interviews with director Michael Anderson, lead actor Richard Todd, who played Wing Commander Guy Gibson and RAF personnel who flew the Lancasters.

Mr Falconer was at a special screening of the movie at the National Film Theatre in London on Monday night, alongside surviving actors and the sons and daughter of bouncing bomb creator Sir Barnes Wallis.

More than 350 people turned out for the showing, and were treated to an overview of the film by Brad King of the Imperial War Museum, which included footage of the bouncing bomb being tested.

Mr Falconer said: "We actually sat down to watch the film at roughly the same time as the dam busters took off on the bombing raid 62 years ago, and exactly 50 years since the film premiere.

"A lot of people had not met for 50 years since the film so it was a kind of reunion for them. It was very impressive and really did strike a chord with them."