A giant Lancaster bomber - similar to the one used by the RAF's 617 Squadron to successfully bomb two German dams in 1943 - will fly three times over the Derwent reservoir and dam in Derbyshire as part of the anniversary commemorations.

The reservoir was used by the Dambusters to train ahead of their mission to destroy three dams in Germany's Ruhr valley.

A Spitfire, a Hurricane, two Tornadoes from the present 617 Squadron, and a Dakota transport plane are all travelling from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to take part in the anniversary fly-past, which will be preceded by a special memorial service on top of the Derwent dam at 10am.

Squadron Leader Les Munro, the last surviving pilot from the mission code named Operation Chastise, will be one of the guests of honour at the service. He will be accompanied by Michael Gibson, the nephew of Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the Dambusters.

During the service, 88-year-old Richard Todd, who played the wing commander in the 1954 film the Dambusters, will lay poppies on the water of the reservoir.

After the fly-past a new book about the Dambusters will be launched. It has been written by historians Robert Owen and Richard Morris. The foreword was written by Squadron Leader Munro.

The Dambusters are perhaps the RAF's most famous squadron from the Second World War.

On May 16 1943, 19 aircraft set out to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley - the Mohne, the Eder and the Sorpe - and so damage a vital source of power to the key industrial area of Germany.

The mission was hailed a success after the Mohne and Eder were breached. But eight aircraft and 53 crew were lost during the raids.