Dambuster Les Munro To Sell Medals

And medals now on display at MOTAT, Auckland

https://twitter.com/FrawleyMotat/status/700436731884019713

TV3 video

www.3news.co.nz/nznews/les-munros-war-medals-arrive-home-2015041512#axzz3XMomDXDC

TVNZ video

tvnz.co.nz/national-news/mission-accomplished-kiwi-war-hero-s-medals-come-home-6288850

Good point! Got a bit confused there with time zones!

It’s today’s news. It’s even today’s news where you are! (it was posted at 14:33 NZT, so if it was a little earlier, it would have been tomorrow’s) 🙂

Damn fine outcome.

From yesterday’s news in NZ. Film of Les Munro handing over his medals to the MoTaT following the intervention of Lord Ashcroft to purchase the medals and support the Bomber Command Memorial, London.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/national/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503075&gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=149304

Yes excellent.
In the news in NZ today
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/67524543/dambuster-medals-wing-way-back-to-nz
and
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11424055

Dam good show all round chaps.

What a fantastically patriotic and high class gesture.
Thank you fine sir!

As far as “Raising 50,000 for Upkeep” no one should “Chastise” him for wanting to do that. 😀

Andy Scott

Good news, memorial will be maintained and Les Munro’s medals will be safe.

Thanks for posting. Thank you to Lord Ashcroft for a win win solution with Les Munro getting the respect he richly deserves.

They’ve been withdrawn from the auction
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11422115&ref=nzh_tw

“He hopes to raise £50,000 for upkeep”

I wonder if they even know….

Well….I got it! 🙂

Send a message to Les Munro, via RAFBF…..

http://www.rafbf.org/5724/leave-a-message-for-les-munro.html

There was a very interesting piece on the forces channel at the weekend, on this very subject. Showing a team
who go around the country, doing restoration work on graves and memorials. As well as the tasks undertaken
in their workshops.
I’m not sure if the Bombers Memorial comes under their jurisdiction ?

I am sure someone has better information but I recall reading that it costs about £40 per year per Commonwealth War Grave for their upkeep.

I much admire him for his war service and for this fantastic gesture, good on him. However, on a slightly different track I must ask why and how does the maintenance approximately cost £1000 per week?

I must admit, that was the first thing that crossed my mind. !!

It makes you wonder how much the National Memorial Arboretum must cost to maintain ?

(I am not making a comparison)

It was the irony in the journalist’s wording, more than anything.

Sculpture monuments and looking after them are well down the list of government funding. The most dramatic one publicly funded is the flying tribute,the Lancaster. I understand that the armed services were given a choice some years ago about historical memorial funding, the RN chose HMS Victory, the Army chose the Bovington museum and the RAF chose the BBMF.Please correct me if I am wrong. Of course these are all seeking additional funds from the public because costs are high.

how can having freedom to choose be a scandal ? he fought for the very freedom he is using unlike being forced .

I would not try and take away from the man’s noble gesture, however if the memorial was properly funded, it would not be necessary. The Bomber crews did all they were asked and were then brushed aside.

It’s a subject often talked about on our Bomber Boys Veteran signing events at the museum, the sad fact is, if they hadn’t of paid for it themselves by raising money, Bomber Command would still be lurking in the shadows of the postwar bull or should I say “politics” that befell it. I know a lot of Vets that went to their grave feeling they had no recognission for the 55,000 young lives lost. A double insult was being asked to pay for its upkeep, but these boys do not let trivial things like money or politics get in the way of the memory of their mates who paid the ultimate sacrifice. It’s about time this subject “trended” on twitter rather than what colour that dress is! so the powers that be might just do something about it.