1. Les Munro was originally turned down because of unsatisfactory scholastic ability, but studied by correspondence and was finally accepted.
22 Facts About Les Munro
1. 2.
Les Munro was employed as a shepherd on the isolated Marshlands sheep station which was 5 miles from the nearest settlement and school and 16 miles from Gisborne.
3.
Money was scarce, so Les Munro gave up high school; working on a dairy farm and then a mixed sheep and cropping farm.
4.
Les Munro had a younger sister and brother; Ian joined the Army in 1940.
5.
Les Munro was accepted for the Empire Air Training Scheme and left for advanced training in Canada in October 1941.
6.
Les Munro learned to fly in Tiger Moths at the RNZAF's Flying Training School at Bell Block near New Plymouth, and on graduation chose to fly bombers so was posted to Canada for initial bomber training.
7.
Les Munro trained on twin-engine aircraft in Saskatchewan at RCAF Station Saskatoon, the present-day John G Diefenbaker International Airport in Canada.
8.
Les Munro moved to England in October 1941 for further training, and joined 97 Squadron at Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire.
9.
Les Munro's Distinguished Service Order was awarded while he was with 617, on 28 March 1943.
10.
Les Munro was promoted to squadron leader on 14 February 1944 and was posted to command 1690 BDTF Squadron on 13 July 1944.
11.
Les Munro took part in Operation Taxable in conjunction with the D Day landings in Normandy in which the Lancasters flew precise, elongated circuits dropping Window, to convince German radar installations that a huge flotilla of ships was approaching Cap d'Antifer.
12.
Les Munro was "not happy" as he had flown 59 ops and said:.
13.
Les Munro exuded confidence in his own abilities, in flying, in operations and running the squadron, and that skill and professionalism filtered down to all of us.
14.
Les Munro was known as "Happy" or "Smiler" because he was famed for his dour demeanour.
15.
Les 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.
16.
Les Munro was present, along with Richard Todd, the actor who played Wing Commander Guy Gibson in the 1955 The Dam Busters film, for the 65th anniversary commemoration held at Derwent Reservoir on 16 May 2008.
17.
Les Munro's signature was appended to two sets of souvenir first day covers issued in Britain to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Operation Chastise.
18.
In 2009, Les Munro took part in filming for the documentary Into the Wind, directed by Steven Hatton.
19.
Les Munro has a street named in Te Kuiti, Les Munro Place.
20.
In March 2015, Les Munro intended to sell his war medals and flight logbook at auction to raise funds for the upkeep of the RAF Bomber Command Memorial in London.
21.
Les Munro accepted the offer of British philanthropist Lord Ashcroft to donate $150,000 to assist in the upkeep of the Bomber Command Memorial in London and gave the medals to Auckland's Museum of Transport and Technology.
22.
Les Munro died on 4 August 2015 in hospital at Tauranga, New Zealand, at the age of 96, after being ill with heart problems.