On Saturday 14th May, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s (DWT’s) Chesil Beach Centre will be welcoming local author Jenny Elmes to give a fascinating talk about her new book ‘M-Mother’, which tells the story of one of the great unsung heroes of the Dambuster Raid, her uncle, Flight Lieutenant, John ‘Hoppy’ Hopgood.
Jenny will talk about how her uncle was 2nd in command in the Dambuster Raid, and one of the first to use the famous bouncing bomb, which was tested and adapted by Barnes Wallis on the Fleet at Chesil Beach, just a stone’s throw away from the Chesil Beach Centre.
Jenny said, “The Chesil Beach Centre is the ideal place to tell the story of my uncle, John ‘Hoppy’ Hopgood, who was the pilot of Lancaster M-Mother, and the second pilot to drop the bouncing bomb at the Mohne Dam, which was tested and developed on the Fleet at Chesil Bank. My uncle showed extreme courage, losing his life aged just 21 years during the Dambuster Raid in May 1943. His selfless actions allowed two of his crew to escape with their lives, and it seems appropriate to tell this story where it all started at the Fleet on Chesil Beach.”
DWT’s Centre’s Coordinator, Marc Smith, said, “We are delighted to welcome Jenny to the Chesil Beach Centre to talk about her new book and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors who can truly immerse themselves in Jenny’s story, near the site where the Bouncing Bomb was first tested on the Lagoon. The Fleet and Chesil Beach is so rich with not only wildlife, but history too, so Jenny’s story will be of interest to local people and history enthusiasts alike.”
Join this event on Saturday 14th May from 2–3.30pm. Tickets are £6 and include tea and cake. Booking is essential on 01305 206191. The Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre is halfway along the causeway between Weymouth and Portland on the A354. There is a pay and display carpark.
Copies of Jenny’s book, signed by herself and by Hoppy’s younger sister Betty aged 92 years, will be available at the special price of £18 on the day.
