The aircraft - similar to those used by the RAF's 617 Squadron to bomb German dams in 1943 - was joined by a Spitfire, Hurricane and Dakota to commemorate the Dambusters raid.

They were joined by two Tornado jets from 617 Squadron.

The period aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight passed over the Derwent reservoir and dam in Derbyshire, at which the squadron used to train before their mission to destroy three dams in the German Ruhr valley using Barnes Wallis' bouncing bomb.

Nineteen Lancasters set out out to destroy the Mohne, the Eder and the Sorpe dams and damage an important power source for key German industry.

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

Squadron Leader Les Munro, the last surviving pilot of Operation Chastise was among guests at the service.

"Some people have questioned if the mission was worth the sacrifice," he said, "but I say that it had a great impact on British morale and it destroyed large areas of important German weapon making capability."

Mary Stopes-Roe, the daughter of Barnes Wallis, was also a guest: "He would never have expected all this, but glory for the squadron, yes."

Richard Todd, 88, who played Dambusters leader Wing Commander Guy Gibson in the 1954 film, laid poppies on the water of the reservoir.

A new book about the Dambusters, written by historians Robert Owen and Richard Morris and Robert Owen, was published after the service.