Lincolnshire Dambusters memorial unveiled on 80th anniversary

The metal silhouettes of the airmen are made from recycled traffic signs

Metal silhouettes of the 53 airmen killed in the Dambusters raid have been erected to mark the 80th anniversary of the famous World War Two mission.

Made from recycled traffic signs, the Men of the Dams sculptures have gone on display at the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC), near Lincoln.

The 1943 mission destroyed dams in Nazi Germany's industrial heartland, using specially designed bouncing bombs.

The statues are the work of artists Dan Barton and Simon Smith.

The focus of the new artwork is the crew of Lancaster bomber ED887, who, having breached the Möhne Dam, were shot down over the Dutch coast on their way home.

In total, eight out of the 19 bombers involved were shot down. Three men were captured - and 53 were killed.

Chief executive of the IBCC Nicky van der Drift said the sculptures remembered the aircrews' sacrifice for our freedoms

Chief executive of the IBCC Nicky van der Drift said the sculptures were an important part of ensuring that we "never forget".

"The history is not only as a country, but is of our county," she said.

"This is Bomber County and [we must] make sure that we preserve the sacrifice and the duty of all of those who served.

"The sacrifice of the 58,000 who didn't come home, just for our freedom."

• Listen: Dambusters- their own story

The Dambusters raids, known as Operation Chastise, were launched from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire on the nights of 16 and 17 May 1943.

Their targets were three giant dams in the Ruhr region, where Germany's steel and armaments industries were based.

Nineteen Lancaster bombers were equipped with bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis that skimmed along the surface of the water allowing them to hit the dams head on.

Water from the damaged dams flooded factories and mines and killed an estimated 1,000 people.

The raid was led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who was later awarded the Victoria Cross.