- Les Munro
Infobox Military Person
name= Les Munro
lived=
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath=
caption= King George VI speaking to Flight Lieutenant Les Munro
nickname=
allegiance=flag|United Kingdom
serviceyears=
rank=Squadron Leader
branch= air force|United Kingdom
commands=
unit=
battles=World War II
*Operation Chastise
awards= Companion of the New Zealand Order of MeritDistinguished Service Order
Companion of The Queen’s Service Order
Distinguished Flying Cross
laterwork=Squadron Leader Les Munro CNZM, DSO, QSO, DFC, JP (born 1919) is the last surviving pilot of the Dambusters Raid of May 1943. [cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-128304865.html |title=Dambuster has faith in Jackson |accessdate=2007-09-28 |last=Palmer |first= Rebecca |coauthors=Watson, Mike |date=2006-09-02 |work=The Dominion Post] ANew Zealand er, Munro was posted from 97 squadron to 617 squadron which was specially created to attack the dams of theRuhr in an effort to wreck the industrial capacity of Germany during the war. Of the nineteen Lancasters that flew on that full-moon night, only eleven returned. Munro, as pilot of W-Willie, was scheduled to bomb the Sorpe dam. His bomber was damaged by flak overHolland , [cite web |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/01/asia/AS_A-E_MOV_New_Zealand_Dam_Busters.php |title= Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson must get it right with WWII bombing remake: pilot |accessdate=2007-09-28 |author=The Associated Press |date=September 1 ,2006 |work=International Herald Tribune (Asia-Pacific)] which knocked out the radio, and after a vote among the crew it turned back to land in Lincolnshire. During the war he won the DSO and DFC and later attained the rank ofSquadron Leader . [cite web|url=http://www.hbtoday.co.nz/storyprint.cfm?storyID=3684638 |author=Lindy Andrews |accessdate=2007-09-28 |date=May 16 ,2006 |title=FEATURE: Day of the damned |work=Hawkes Bay Today] He participated in the operations to deceive the Germans about the destination of the D-Day] landings by dropping aluminium strips of window every four and half seconds throughout long patrols over the English Channel. [http://www.ambafrance-nz.org/article.php3?id_article=829]Munro lives in
Tauranga , New Zealand. Following his career in the military, Munro retired to a life in local politics and farming.Munro attended the 60th Anniversary commemoration of the Dambusters raid, along with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in May 2003 at
RAF Lossiemouth . [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3014945.stm BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Queen attends Dambusters tribute ] ]He was also present, along with
Richard Todd , the actor who played Wing CommanderGuy Gibson in the 1955 "The Dam Busters" film, for the 65th anniversary commemoration held atDerwent Reservoir (Derbyshire) on 16 May 2008.He has a street named in his honour in his native New Zealand. [ [http://maps.yellowpages.co.nz/mapypnz/WAITOMO%20DISTRICT/TE%20KUITI/LES%20MUNRO%20PLACE/ Street map of LES MUNRO PLACE TE KUITI WAITOMO DISTRICT, New Zealand - Yellow Maps ] ]
References
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