Humble Bay war hero remembered

Les Muro, the last surviving pilot of the legendary 1943 Dambusters raid, has passed away aged 96.

The world lost the last surviving pilot of the legendary 1943 Dambusters raid when Tauranga's Les Munro quietly lost his hold on life, leaving behind a close circle of friends grieving for a man they simply called a good bloke.

Mr Munro, 96, who rose to the rank of squadron leader and was twice decorated by King George VI for his flying exploits during World War II, passed away peacefully in Tauranga Hospital yesterday after a short illness.

The retired Te Kuiti farmer and former Mayor of Waitomo District left a huge legacy of service and achievement in the mould of another of New Zealand's great good blokes - Sir Edmund Hillary.

Les was very direct, you knew exactly where you stood. He had an absolute moral strength.

Friend Dave Muir

The comparison with Sir Ed struck a chord with Mount Maunganui RSA general manager Peter Moss. "It's as if they could not achieve any more but could not understand why people carried on about what they did achieve."

Jack Meehan, 94, who flew 30 missions as a wireless operator on Lancaster bombers in 1944, met Mr Munro after the Dambusters raid at a service club in London, subsequently enjoying his company on dozens of occasions.

"He was not a man that did a lot of skiting [boasting]. He was an honest sort of bloke, a very sensible sort of fellow who was very good at mixing with everybody," he said.

Recalling how the two men went through the war virtually unscathed, Mr Meehan said: "He was very lucky, like all of us who came home. Les had a great life, he enjoyed every moment of it."

An old friend from Te Kuiti, former Waitomo deputy mayor Bruce Williams, was readying himself to leave home yesterday to take Mr Munro's 87-year-old partner Christine Ross to hospital when the call came through he had died. Mr Williams, who was comforting Mrs Ross at her home yesterday, said he always admired his friend's humbleness.

The retired funeral director, who buried Mr Munro's wife Betty, recalled the time this year when Mr Munro visited him at his beach house at Kawhia. Asked if he would stay a couple of nights, Mr Munro declined because he had to return to Tauranga to make a decision about his war medals - whether to have them auctioned in London or accept a $150,000 offer from British philanthropist Lord Ashcroft that allowed them to go on permanent display at Auckland's Museum of Transport and Technology.

Mr Williams said his friend ended up very happy with the decision to go with Lord Ashcroft's offer, allowing the money to go towards the upkeep of the Bomber Command Memorial in London.

"It was very lucky the decision happened when it did because it meant no one else was left to make the decision."

Les Munro, Kiwi who took part in the famous Dambusters mission, seen here in 1943.

Mrs Ross was too upset to talk to the Bay of Plenty Times but passed on a message through Mr Williams. "The only thing I will say today is that I am really going to miss him."

The chief executive of Waitomo District during Mr Munro's five terms as Mayor, Dave Muir, described his friend as a wonderful guy.

"Les was very direct, you knew exactly where you stood. He had an absolute moral strength."

Mr Muir, who has retired to Tauranga, said the amount of work that Mr Munro put into the district was phenomenal. "He just got on and did it, and he would take everyone along with him."

Classic Flyers chief executive Andrew Gormlie said Mr Munro made a huge contribution to the museum, including donating some of his aviation items that now formed part of a special display.

Mr Gormlie characterised Mr Munro as a giver, freely donating his time, energy and position in the aviation community to benefit Classic Flyers.

Mr Munro raised thousands of dollars at Tauranga's air shows where he signed programmes and models of the Lancaster aircraft that he flew in exchange for a donation to the museum. "He was totally aware his signature was worth having and he was happy to do it for us. He had a lot of presence for a man of his age."

Waitomo Mayor Brian Hanna said Mr Munro was as sharp as a tack. One of the last occasions he spoke to him was when he took a message to the district's sister city in Japan, Tatsuno. Mr Munro started the relationship 20 years earlier after meeting a Japanese WWII fighter pilot from the city, discovering that Tatsuno was the home of the fire fly while Waitomo was the home of the glow worm.

WW2 war hero, Les Munro with a painting of himself by royal portrait painter Richard Stone. Photo/John Borren