Last surviving Dambusters pilot, Les Munro, dies aged 96

[webfact]

Last surviving Dambusters pilot, Les Munro, dies aged 96
Death of the New Zealand squadron leader means just two crew members remain from the 1943 Dambusters bombing raids
Claire Phipps

LONDON: -- The last surviving pilot from the Dambusters raids has died at the age of 96. Les Munro, who was from New Zealand, died on Monday night.

His death means there are just two survivors from the 1943 bombing raids on Germany’s Ruhr dams: George “Johnny” Johnson, from the UK, who was a bomb-aimer; and Canadian front-gunner Fred Sutherland.

Along with Leonard Chambers, who died in 1985, John Leslie Munro was one of two New Zealand members of the Dambusters crew. He joined the Royal New Zealand air force in 1941, qualifying as a pilot the following year.

On 16 May 1943, as part of 617 squadron, Munro piloted a Lancaster bomber in Operation Chastise, later immortalised as the Dambusters raids. Although Munro’s aircraft suffered flak damage and was forced to turn back, the raids were successful in devastating the Möhne and Edersee dams.

Full story: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/04/last-surviving-dambusters-pilot-les-munro-dies-96

-- The Guardian 2015-08-04

[NickJ]

Would be to historians. So a bit of news mixed with history.

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed.

[drgoon]

Would be to historians. So a bit of news mixed with history.

Would be what ??

[pattayasnowman]

Would be to historians. So a bit of news mixed with history.

Don't belittle these guys. They were incredibly brave and pulled off an astonishing piece of flying. On a moonless night they flew at a height of approx 100ft to avoid German radar to their targets.

Of the nineteen Lancasters that took part in the attacks with 133 crew, eight planes were lost with the loss of 56 men; three of these men survived to become prisoners-of-war. Thats a 40% !!

I wonder how many of us would be prepared to step up to the plate with those odds

Should never forget the sacrifice these guys (and many others) made so we, today, can sit in our condos having a beer and watch the game

[Bulldozer Dawn]

Would be to historians. So a bit of news mixed with history.

Don't belittle these guys. They were incredibly brave and pulled off an astonishing piece of flying. On a moonless night they flew at a height of approx 100ft to avoid German radar to their targets.

Of the nineteen Lancasters that took part in the attacks with 133 crew, eight planes were lost with the loss of 56 men; three of these men survived to become prisoners-of-war. Thats a 40% !!

I wonder how many of us would be prepared to step up to the plate with those odds

Should never forget the sacrifice these guys (and many others) made so we, today, can sit in our condos having a beer and watch the game

I imagine most of the German members here on TV might disagree with you.

[sgtsabai]

pattayasnowman, amen. The nazis got what they deserved and I can't believe a TV member would disagree. Then again neo-nazis are still around. I had the great pleasure to throw one out of a bar a few months ago and watch him try to figure where his feet were and how they worked. Too bad a truck didn't come along the soi while he was a bit disorientated. Utmost respect for the "Dam Busters". RIP Les Munro.

[johnnycthedog]

Would be to historians. So a bit of news mixed with history.

Don't belittle these guys. They were incredibly brave and pulled off an astonishing piece of flying. On a moonless night they flew at a height of approx 100ft to avoid German radar to their targets.

Of the nineteen Lancasters that took part in the attacks with 133 crew, eight planes were lost with the loss of 56 men; three of these men survived to become prisoners-of-war. Thats a 40% !!

I wonder how many of us would be prepared to step up to the plate with those odds

Should never forget the sacrifice these guys (and many others) made so we, today, can sit in our condos having a beer and watch the game

Yes incredibly brave young men. Having to turn back probably saved Les Munro's & his crew's lives in that encounter. And he survived the rest of the war when the causality rate amongst aircrews was appallingly high.

A great movie and inspirational theme music- but the truth is it did more to raise British morale than to cause production loss to the Germans. Most of those who died in the floodwaters were Russian & other eastern European POW's. The attempt on the largest dam which would have caused the most destruction had to be abandoned due to lack of fuel, bombs and airplanes.

And the sad & ironic postscript to this was that Wing Commander Gibson, who was just a young man, survived nearly all the war but was most likely shot down & died over Europe as a result of "friendly" fire.

[Pete Beale]

Would be to historians. So a bit of news mixed with history.

Don't belittle these guys. They were incredibly brave and pulled off an astonishing piece of flying. On a moonless night they flew at a height of approx 100ft to avoid German radar to their targets.

Of the nineteen Lancasters that took part in the attacks with 133 crew, eight planes were lost with the loss of 56 men; three of these men survived to become prisoners-of-war. Thats a 40% !!

I wonder how many of us would be prepared to step up to the plate with those odds

Should never forget the sacrifice these guys (and many others) made so we, today, can sit in our condos having a beer and watch the game

I imagine most of the German members here on TV might disagree with you.

How do you think Germans living in Thailand in a mixed race relationship would of gone down with the Nazis had they won the war ?

[fish fingers]

Great film. Especially when the dog appears and everyone's calling after it

[NickJ]

My post was not the first post. The first post was removed by the mod.

The first post, the one I replied to asked if this was news.

I love history.

[Thongkorn]

RIP to the Gentleman , but the raid was all for nothing The Germans repaired the damage in about two weeks. I live near RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire where the raid took off, along with planes from Woodhall Spa,

[BigBadGeordie]

Aye well, cheers matey, hope you are up there with your pals.

Thanks for helping me to be able to post on this forum.

[matman]

Thank you Les for your contribution in making this, at least up until a few years ago, a better place to be. RIP

[Lokie]

R I P Mr Monroe and God Bless ya!

[Andaman Al]

RIP Sir

I hope there's a place, way up in the sky,
Where pilots can go, when they have to die.
A place where a guy could buy a cold beer
For a friend and a comrade whose memory is dear.
A place where no doctor or lawyer could tread,
Nor a management -type would e'er be caught dead!
Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke,
Where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke!
The kind of a place where a lady could go,
And feel safe and secure by the men she would know.
There MUST be a place where old pilots go, when
Their wings become weary, when their airspeed gets low;
Where the whiskey is old, and the women are young,
And songs about flying and dying are sung.
Where you'd see all the fellows who'd "flown west" before,
And they'd call out your name, as you came thru the door,
Who would buy you a drink, if the thirst should be bad,
And relate to the others, "He was quite a good lad!"
And then thru the mist you'd spot an old guy
You had not seen for years, though he'd taught YOU to fly,
He'd nod his old head, and grin ear to ear,
And say, "Welcome, my son, I'm pleased you are here!
For this is the place where true flyers come,
When the battles are over, and the wars have been won;
We've come here at last, to be safe and afar,
From the government clerk, and the management czar,
Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise,
Where all Hours are Happy, and these good ol' boys,
Can relax with a 'cool one', and a well deserved rest.."
"This is Heaven, my son: You've passed your last check!"

[sgtsabai]

Thanks Andaman Al for that poem. My ex father in law flew B-17s over Europe in WWII, flew in Korea and flew F-100s as a squadron commander in Vietnam. His name was on a plaque in the officers mess here in Udon, although he denies it (he denied a lot of things... lol). I saw his VN combat films, his wife and daughters never knew they existed and he ran them out when they walked in on us. Damn courageous man and one hell of a plane driver. He will always have this Marine VN Vet's respect and admiration.

[tigermoth]

RIP Les. I was fortunate to meet him many years ago when as a 15 or 16 year old and was a member of the NZ air training corps. He came and gave us a talk about flying the Lancaster. Note Guy Gibson received a Victoria Cross for this raid and was killed later in the war flying a mosquito, a plane he was not familiar with and which contributed to his demise.

[magnacarta]

Would be to historians. So a bit of news mixed with history.

A little bit of an ambigous post,I wonder where you would be today without these heroes.Another know it all who takes our freedom for granted (Except here in Thailand ).Ask yourself if you live here what freedom you have,Nana Plaza excluded.