Tri-Service

Calls to Honour Dambuster Pilot Selling his Medals

Les Munro, one of the great heroes of 617 Squadron, the elite ‘Dambusters’ who carried out some of the most crucial bombing raids of the Second World War, is to auction his medals and logbooks to benefit the Bomber Command Memorial in London.

The public response to Les’ incredibly generous donation has been overwhelming and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, the custodian’s of the Bomber Command Memorial, have launched an online Book of Gratitude to collect messages of thanks for Les. The public is invited to leave a message at www.rafbf.org/Les.

RAF Benevolent Fund Director of Fundraising, Mike Neville, said:

“Les felt the best way to commemorate his fallen comrades was to help provide for the preservation of the Memorial with the sale of his medals."

His selflessness and generosity clearly struck a chord and we’ve been contacted by so many people from around the world who want to send their thanks to Les.

The charity will present Les with the messages following the sale of the medals on the 25th of March.

Les Munro said:

“My reasons for donating my medals and my flying log books to the RAF Benevolent Fund and, more particularly, the Bomber Command Memorial, were prompted by my visit to the memorial in May 2013. I could not help but think of the cost of its ongoing maintenance and, with the feelings of the descendants of those 55,573 in mind, believe that every effort should be made to maintain the Memorial in the best possible condition.

Les’ medals, which include the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross, are expected to fetch £40,000 to £50,000. The RAF Benevolent Fund is fundraising to maintain the Memorial in perpetuity and the funds raised by Les’ medals will go towards this effort.

Les Munro medals

The medals will be auctioned at Dix Noonan Webb, the international coins and medals specialists, in London on 25 March. The auction lot can be viewed at: https://www.dnw.co.uk/auctions/catalogue/lot.php?auction_id=330&lot_id=1…;

The men of Bomber Command suffered huge losses in the Second World War, with 45 out of every 100 airmen killed.

A permanent memorial for Bomber Command wasn’t built for 67 years due to the controversy of thousands of German civilians who died during the bombings of its cities.

In 2010 German politicians called for plans for the memorial to be abandoned out of respect for the civilian casualties.

(Left) Portrait photo of Les Munro,

(Right) DNW - Les Munro (left) with King George VI and Guy Gibson