On Thursday 14 May 2026 at 12pm, Ewen Cameron will consider the experiences of 57 Squadron during its time at RAF Scampton. This lecture will be hosted virtually via Crowdcast and livestreamed from the RAF Museum's Midlands site.

To many people, RAF Scampton is synonymous with No 617 Squadron and Operation Chastise. The Dams Raid dominates the public memory and overshadows the rich history of the other Squadrons who operated from Scampton between 1939 and 1945. No 57 Squadron being just one example.

From the formation of No 617 Squadron on 21 March 1943 to their departure at the end of August 1943, 57 Squadron shared RAF Scampton with the new squadron.

While 617’s story is well known and celebrated, the story of 57 Squadron is often overlooked. During this period, this typical 5 Group squadron, engaged in the campaigns of the Battle of the Ruhr, the Battle of Hamburg and the road to Berlin. It participated in many unusual operations including the attacks on Peenemunde, Friedrichshafen and Pilzen.

By drawing on official documents, published biographies and archival sources, this talk will provide a snapshot of a ‘Main Force’ squadron during a particularly important period for Bomber Command and show that No 57 Squadron deserves to be remembered every bit as much as their more famous RAF Scampton colleagues.

Ewen Cameron is the Curator at the RAF Museum’s Reserve Collection at Stafford. He joined the Museum in 1997 as the Assistant Curator of Aircraft and Exhibits at London and moved to the Stafford Site in 1999 where he was part of a small team cataloguing the 50,000 plus items held in store.

Through this he gained an excellent knowledge of aircraft structures, systems and uniform items. His expertise has been called upon by television and film companies as well as archaeological and government agencies.

His museum work has included acting as the lead Curator for the First 100 Years exhibition (opened 2018) and the Bomber Command exhibitions (opened 2023).

Lunchtime Lecture (Midlands): What the Other Squadron Did: No. 57 Squadron under the Shadow of 617 Squadron