Many of our Cascade supporters are choosing to sponsor a stone with a number that is meaningful to them, for instance a stone on step 19 or 20 to celebrate the birth year of a friend or family member, or a stone elsewhere in the Cascade to mark a wedding day, birthday or special number.

When Chatsworth Guide Rosemary Smith contacted us to ask if she could sponsor a stone with a number that was special to her – 617 – we were all very touched by her story.

Rosemary’s father, Frederick Henry Arthur “Freddie” Watts (pictured above), trained as a pilot during WWII, serving first with 630 Squadron before later being invited to join 617 Squadron, more commonly known as the Dambusters Squadron. The Dambusters Raid – codenamed Operation ‘Chastise’ – was an audacious bombing raid on 16-17 May 1943 to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley using ‘the bouncing bomb’.

Freddie joined the Squadron after the famous raid. He took part in many later operations including three attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz in November 1944 as it tried to hide in a Norwegian fiord. The aircraft piloted by Flt Lieut Watts succeeded in making a direct hit on the Tirpitz, ripping open her side and leaving her a sinking wreck. After eleven minutes, the warship capsized – sliding into the icy Norwegian sea – removing a potent threat to Allied forces.

As Sir Winston Churchill told the country: “The destruction of this ship is the greatest event at sea at the present time. No other target is comparable to it.” In recognition of his bravery, Freddie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice and remained with the RAF until 1964.

The family moved to Chesterfield and as Rosemary recalls, “As a we family visited Chatsworth regularly. I particularly remember our Christmas Day walks in the park leaving my mother at home cooking! We also attended the very first Country Fair in 1981, a somewhat less busy affair in those days. I myself have been a guide at Chatsworth House since 2008.”

Freddie sadly passed away in 2007 and Rosemary has sponsored stone 6 on step 17 in memory of him and of his bravery during the War. Her father, acknowledged as Freddie Watts DFC and Bar, will be listed in the Cascade Donor Honour Roll in the Devonshire Archives, as well as on the donor thank you board in the Cascade Hub and on Rosemary’s certificate, seen in the photo above.

If you would like to sponsor a particular stone number, please contact us at cascade@chatsworth.org and we will see if your stone is still available.