Dambusters reunited: World's only two airworthy WWII Lancaster bombers fly together over Britain for the first time in 50 years Daily Mail

Lancaster bombers united on windswept RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire for what will probably be last time

Lancaster Thumper, part of RAF Battle of Britain Memorial flight, joined Canadian Lancaster Vera from Ontario

Two aircraft are expected to visit some 60 air shows and public events across the UK over the next five weeks

Planes had been due to pass over Lincoln Cathedral last Friday, but poor weather caused flight to be postponed

Lancaster bombers most famous for Dambusters raids - attack on German dams with 'bouncing bombs' in 1943

Two Second World War Lancaster bombers flew together in the skies over Britain yesterday for the first time in 50 years.

The world's only two airworthy Lancaster bombers were united on a windswept Lincolnshire airfield for what will probably be one of the last times.

The Lancaster Thumper, which is part of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial flight, joined the Canadian Lancaster Vera from a museum in Ontario.

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Britain considers sending Chinook helicopters to aid fleeing Yazidi refugees in Iraq as the public swings behind air strikes on rampaging Islamic State fighters, Daily Mail

  Ministers are considering deploying top-of-the-range Chinook helicopters

  Tornado fighter jets are also on their way to the region to help aid effort

  Three aid drops have been carried out - one on Saturday and two last night

  A mission had to be aborted on Sunday as too many refugees crowded plane

  Poll shows narrow public support for air strikes on ISIS fighters in Iraq

  David Cameron is still on holiday in Portugal and Nick Clegg is in Spain

Britain is considering sending Chinook helicopters to Iraq, as the Government rapidly ramps up its response to the sweeping advance of Islamist extremist threatening to massacre thousands of non-Muslims.

The military helicopters, which could be used to rescue Yazidi refugees trapped on Mount Sinjar after fleeing rampaging Islamic State fighters, would join two RAF C130 Hercules planes already carrying out aid drops.

A squadron of six to eight Tornado jets are also on their way to the region amid growing alarm over the plight of up to a quarter of a million people trapped in northern Iraq.

The proposal to send the Chinook helicopters was being discussed in a meeting of Government’s emergency Cobra committee this afternoon.

The meeting was chaired by the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, with David Cameron still on holiday in Portugal and the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg with his family in Spain.

Defence sources said the helicopters could be sent to the region in case they were needed at short notice.

The RAF Hercules and Tornado aircraft are flying aid missions from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, but the Chinooks may need to operate from a much closer base.

Up to a quarter of a million people have fled the advances of Islamic State fighters who crossed the border from Syria to create an Islamic ‘Caliphate’ stretching across the region.

Iraqi Christians and members of the Yazidi sect have been given an ultimatum to convert to Islam or die. 

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Top Tories tell PM 'get involved' and launch air strikes to stop ISIS slaughter in Iraq

PRESSURE is mounting on David Cameron to allow Britain to join US air strikes on Islamic militants to stop the brutal ethnic cleansing sweeping Iraq.

As The UK prepared to ramp up its aid mission to help tens of thousands of stricken Iraqis, Boris Johnson became the highest profile politician to publicly call for British military action insisting it’s “time to get involved”.

The London Mayor accused the world of “watching a catastrophe unfold” as ISIS fighters massacre women and children in northern Iraq.

“I am certain that it is time to get involved, and to support the American-led operation,” he said.

“We have to act because this is a humanitarian crisis.”

He was joined by the former head of the army Lord Dannatt who claimed troops may be needed “on the ground” in Iraq to help target air strikes.

The interventions, which pile further pressure on the Prime Minister to return from holiday to deal with the deepening crisis, came after the former head of the Australian army, Peter Leahy, warned it could take '100 years' to defeat the threat from radical Islam.

Professor Leahy, a leading defence and strategic analyst, said the fight against Muslim extremists would be "paid in blood" and would require pre-emptive as well as reactive action.

He said: "We are in the early stages of a war which is likely to last for the rest of the century.

“We must be ready to protect ourselves and, where necessary, act pre-emptively to neutralise the evident threat. Get ready for a long war.”

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Comment:

I believe we in the UK,  have several  options in regards into dealing with Isis

·        Supporting the Americans and the Kurdish Peshmerga with Istar ( Intelligence,  Surveillance , Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) using RAF and Army units such as Reaper Drones, Sentinel R1 and Shadow R1 Aircraft which could be based in Cyprus,  and SAS assets based in theatre this would also include Hercules and C17’s for Air Supply and Voyager’s  for refueling other aircraft.

·        Using SAS and other Special Forces to train the Kurdish Peshmerga and also equipping the Kurdish Peshmerga with better weaponry and vehicles

·        Using Tornado and Typhoon Aircraft for Air Strikes, and Apache Helicopters for Close Air Support plus support units

·        Using all of the above  plus “ boots on the ground “  such as the 3 Commando Brigade, 16 Air Assault Brigade or the Brigade of Gurkha’s plus support  units