Buried in a quiet corner of a country churchyard near Canterbury, David Maltby is an unsung hero of the Dambusters raid – even though it was his bomb that finally breached the Mohne Dam.

He was part of the daring operation on May 16-17, 1943, in which a crack squadron, armed with the innovative bouncing bombs of Barnes Wallis, was sent on a mission to destroy German dams.

Maltby was only 23, newly-married and father to a baby son when he was killed five months after the raid.

Months earlier he had wed at St Andrew's Church in Wickhambreaux, where his body now lies.

The Flight Lieutenant had a 30-trip tour of operations over Germany under his belt and had won the Distinguished Flying Cross before joining the legendary 617 Squadron, which carried out the Dambusters raid.

When he was dropping dummy bouncing bombs at Reculver, he would fly his Lancaster low over Wickhambreaux, the home of his wife Nina and her farming family.

He was tall, over 6ft, and described as the life and soul of the party, but a very professional pilot. On the night of the raid he wore his a lucky mascot, an oil-stained forage cap.

Flying at low level all the way, the squadron got to the dam and waited for its chance to bomb.

That night eight out of 17 Lancasters dispatched were shot down, killing 53 crewmen.

After dropping the first bomb, Wing Commander Guy Gibson watched in horror as the second aircraft blew up over the Mohne Dam.

There was heavy anti-aircraft fire and Bomber Command flew towards the dam to draw flak away from the next plane to attack. P-Popsie, flown by Flight Lieutenant Mick Martin, was hit in one of its fuel tanks, which was luckily empty, but dropped its bomb successfully.

Still the dam wouldn't budge. When the fourth aircraft went in, the other crews could see it was beginning to crack.

It was then that Flight Lieutenant Maltby delivered the killer blow. His bomb smashed into the dam, sending a jet of mud and water skywards.

Amazed, the crews watched as a wall of water crashed down the valley smashing everything in its path.

Talking after the raid, an officer believed to be Maltby said: "Our load sent up water and mud to a height of 1,000ft.

"The spout of water was silhouetted against the moon. It rose with tremendous speed and then gently fell back. You could see the shockwave at the base of the jet."

Sending Martin and Maltby back to base, Gibson took the remaining planes to the Eder Dam, where they faced a different set of problems.

There were no anti-aircraft guns but the dam was surrounded by steep hills, which made flying tricky.

They managed to breach the dam with the last bomb. Looking out, the crews saw the headlights of a car which was frantically trying to drive away from the deluge before being swamped. Awed at what they had done, they flew home.

The following Tuesday Maltby was promoted to Squadron Leader and awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

The citation praises his crew’s team work and his leadership.

It says: "In the face of heavy opposition this crew succeeded in making the final breech in the Mohne Dam."

In June his son John was born, but the little boy would never know his father.

Maltby's death over the North Sea on September 14, 1943 is shrouded in mystery.

Squadron Leader Maltby became a Flight Commander in 617 Squadron following the massive casualties over the dams.

The unit had been ordered to attack the Dortmund-Ems canal when bad weather intervened over the North Sea.

As the pilot obeyed an order to return to base, the Lancaster crashed into the water, taking the seven-man crew with it.

It is believed the Lancaster collided with a Mosquito light bomber. Only Maltby's body was recovered.

He had been knocked unconscious and drowned, according to his widow Nina.

This year former aircrew and friends will gather at Wickhambreaux to remember the unsung hero of the Dams Raid – David Maltby.

A service of commemoration at Kings Hill will mark the Dambusters anniversary today. The service, near the RAF West Malling Memorial Running Airman sculpture, begins at 1pm before a Spitfire flypast over the Control Tower at Kings Hill - a Second World War airfield.