Dambusters pilot Les Munro dies in New Zealand aged 96 Good Morning All:
Just in from the BBC
Thank you Squadron Leader Munro for your service.
The last surviving Dambusters pilot, Les Munro, has died at the age of 96, the New Zealand Bomber Command Association has said.
Sqn Ldr Munro died in hospital in his native New Zealand on Monday following heart problems, the association said.
The legendary World War Two Dambusters operation flew from RAF Scampton, near Lincoln, in 1943 and successfully used "bouncing bombs" to attack German dams.
There are now only two surviving crew members of the Dambusters missions.
Out of 133 crew, only 77 returned.
Sqn Ldr Munro's aircraft was hit by flak, but he made it home after the hit had destroyed communications in his Lancaster bomber over the Netherlands.
Dave Homewood, of the association, described Sqn Ldr Munro as a "down-to-earth man" who was "very modest about what he did during the war".
"I think he was pretty proud to have been part of the Dambusters, although he was disappointed he never got to drop his weapon.
"He went on to be a flight commander and did a lot of very important operations after the dam raid, although these are often forgotten because the Dambusters were world-renowned."
Sqn Ldr Munro, who was patron of the NZ Bomber Command, was still flying at the age of 95 and had co-piloted an Avro Anson plane in January, Mr Homewood added.
