Abberton, Essex Giclée Travel Poster

Original illustration of Abberton Reservoir, near Colchester in Essex, depicting No. 617 Squadron RAF's dress rehearsal ahead of Operation Chastise. On 14th May 1943, the 'Dambusters' flew thier final dress rehearsal for the upcoming Dambusters raid on the Mohne, Eder, and Sorpe dams in Germany; Abberton Reservoir - dubbed 'Colchester Lake' in pilot Guy Gibson's notes - served as a stand-in for one of the dams. Shown in this illustration is Gibson's Lancaster bomber, AJ-G, as well as those of Flight Lieutenant John Hopgood and Flight Lieutenant Harold Martin.

Abberton Reservoir was at the time one of the country's newest reservoirs, having been finished in 1939 after four years of works. The reservoir was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1988, due to its unique wetlands and wildlife; particularly birds including waterfowl and cormorants. A visitor centre opened to the public in 2012, and in 2013 work to expand the reservoir's capacity was completed, with the water level raised.

This Essex illustration by artist Rob Wisdom is a high-quality Giclée travel poster on cotton-rich fine art paper. It is also available as an Abberton, Essex Art Print.

12x16" print shown. Cropping and title position (if applicable) may differ slightly on 'A' size prints.