Les Munro the last Dambuster to sell his medals
If I had the money, I would pay Les what he is asking for donation to the Memorial, then give him his medals back. I don't see how anyone else who respects Les, the medals, and what they stand for could in all conscience do anything else. And that includes the NZ and/or UK Governments.
As most of you know I'm a bit of a medal nut, and when I spent 4 months in Russia in 1993 I picked up a nice little collection of Soviet medals to bring home. My Russian hosts were very dubious and said I would have problems getting them out, and they were right - my luggage was searched at Sheremetyovo, and I was lucky they werent confiscated, instead they were handed over to my hosts, who were warned not to try and get them out of the country, on pain of prosecution.
That was just what I would have expected of the Russian authorities, but I am saddened that the New Zealand government are taking this line. I hope Sqn Ldr Munro gets himself good legal advice - I strongly expect they are just trying it on. Shame on them for treating one of their war heroes in this way!
Come on Fox - I'm sure a well paid Canadian teacher could stump up £50K easily - we'll all back you up (morally that is
)
That was just what I would have expected of the Russian authorities, but I am saddened that the New Zealand government are taking this line. I hope Sqn Ldr Munro gets himself good legal advice - I strongly expect they are just trying it on. Shame on them for treating one of their war heroes in this way!
Come on Fox - I'm sure a well paid Canadian teacher could stump up £50K easily - we'll all back you up (morally that is
)
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thing
Preserving the Bomber Command Memorial for future generations
charliegolf
And you a teacher from Richard Burtonville, indeed to goodness. (As the Welsh don't say).
While I would be willing to put hand in pocket for some kind of fund ...
charliegolf
fantacist?
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Hi guys, I told you earlier that I had emailed Lord Ashcroft and asked him to buy the medals.
This is the (most reasonable) response. I would publicly like to thank both Lord Ashcroft and Michael Naxton - Curator of the Ashcroft Medal Collection for their gracious response. It's also likely they are party to more information than I could glean.
Dear Mr May,
Thank you for your e-mail to Lord Ashcroft's website to which he has asked me to reply.
All of us connected with the Ashcroft Medal Collection rather think that Les Munro is making an absolutely magnificent gesture by selling his medals in order to donate the proceeds to the future upkeep of the Bomber Command Memorial here in London. However, he is most assuredly not being pressurised into this course of action, nor is he selling his medals due to any personal financial hardship - far from it. We therefore feel that he should be allowed to do exactly what he has stated to be his intention.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Naxton
Curator, Ashcroft Medal Collection.
I propose to let this lie, I feel satisfied that it is Les Munro's wish (and don't doubt he well knows his own mind).
This is the (most reasonable) response. I would publicly like to thank both Lord Ashcroft and Michael Naxton - Curator of the Ashcroft Medal Collection for their gracious response. It's also likely they are party to more information than I could glean.
Dear Mr May,
Thank you for your e-mail to Lord Ashcroft's website to which he has asked me to reply.
All of us connected with the Ashcroft Medal Collection rather think that Les Munro is making an absolutely magnificent gesture by selling his medals in order to donate the proceeds to the future upkeep of the Bomber Command Memorial here in London. However, he is most assuredly not being pressurised into this course of action, nor is he selling his medals due to any personal financial hardship - far from it. We therefore feel that he should be allowed to do exactly what he has stated to be his intention.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Naxton
Curator, Ashcroft Medal Collection.
I propose to let this lie, I feel satisfied that it is Les Munro's wish (and don't doubt he well knows his own mind).
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If I understand the press article correctly, the NZ government isn't preventing Les Munro selling the medals, but it may refuse them an export licence. That seems to me indicative of an understandable desire to keep the medals in the country - would we want to see important medals awarded to Britons being exported to another country?
I don't know how the NZ licensing process works, but I suspect that it differentiates between Les bringing them to the UK temporarily for a function and a purchaser exporting them permanently.
I don't know how the NZ licensing process works, but I suspect that it differentiates between Les bringing them to the UK temporarily for a function and a purchaser exporting them permanently.
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Further to #25
NB Dengue_Dude is my old name on this browser, I'm Brian W May
I've been further informed by Mr Michael Naxton, Curator of Lord Ashford's medal collection that Lord Ashford actually donated over a million pounds to complete the Bomber Command Memorial when other funding had stalled.
Well sir, you have my thanks for helping so intimately to Right a longstanding Wrong.
I suspect any NZG input would be minimal or nothing, which would be heartening.
To Sqn Ldr Munro - a magnificent gesture, it also highlights the maintenance issue too.
A good result.
I've been further informed by Mr Michael Naxton, Curator of Lord Ashford's medal collection that Lord Ashford actually donated over a million pounds to complete the Bomber Command Memorial when other funding had stalled.
Well sir, you have my thanks for helping so intimately to Right a longstanding Wrong.
I suspect any NZG input would be minimal or nothing, which would be heartening.
To Sqn Ldr Munro - a magnificent gesture, it also highlights the maintenance issue too.
A good result.
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I hope Les didn't act a little hastily - research suggests he might have been onto a winner.
Al Rush | Medals are sexy. No, really
In keeping with the tone of the thread, Les knew exactly what he was doing. Medals are finery but I sometimes wished we cared for our veterans just as meaningfully when the news wasn't worthy of the front page.
Michael's response I agree, allows a dignified and suitable closure and well done to Lord Ashcroft. Finally, denying an export licence would set a precedent that wouldn't be in keeping with what setting precedents should be reserved for!
Al Rush | Medals are sexy. No, really
In keeping with the tone of the thread, Les knew exactly what he was doing. Medals are finery but I sometimes wished we cared for our veterans just as meaningfully when the news wasn't worthy of the front page.
Michael's response I agree, allows a dignified and suitable closure and well done to Lord Ashcroft. Finally, denying an export licence would set a precedent that wouldn't be in keeping with what setting precedents should be reserved for!
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Lord Ashcroft comes to the rescue...
Lord Ashcroft has offered to give 75,000 pounds to the RAF benevolent Fund on the condition Sqd Ldr Les Munro's medals are displayed at the MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology) in Auckland, home of New Zealand's only Lancaster bomber. What a grand gesture. Well done and thank you Sir.
Yours sincerely
Octane
Yours sincerely
Octane
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
I just thought that this thread should come to the top again, so more people can read Octane's post. Well done to Lord Ashcroft. Pity there aren't more like him.
