Les Rutherford - the Shed Door Veteran & former Bomber Command
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lincolnshire
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Les Rutherford - the Shed Door Veteran & former Bomber Command
Escaped Dunkirk, shot down over Germany, Prisoner in Stalg Luft III - a remarkable man.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-50645045
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-50645045
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Dorset
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SOUTH OF EGQS
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I had the privilege to meet Les and attended his 100th Birthday celebration at the IBCC. He had a remarkable life and did a lot to tell his generation's story to schoolchildren in the Lincoln area. Originally in the Army, at Dunkirk he was part of the detail that defended the outer perimeter to hold the Germans off whilst those on the beaches could escape. When the order was given for everyone for himself he and another soldier made for the coast and used a barn door as a raft to cross the English Channel. Fortunately they were picked up and Les made it back to England.
He transferred to the RAF and trained as a bomb aimer. Posted to RAF Skellingthorpe, he was standing in for a bomb aimer on another crew when he was shot down over Germany and became a POW. He endured the Long March before being repatriated on Operation Exodus.
Les wrote a book about his wartime experience, the proceeds of which were all given to support the IBCC. In 2016 the local Scampton schoolchildren planted poppies on all the RAF graves in Scampton churchyard and it was Les who laid the wreath on the German graves. A remarkable gentleman.
Thoughts and prayers are with Coral and the family.
CC
He transferred to the RAF and trained as a bomb aimer. Posted to RAF Skellingthorpe, he was standing in for a bomb aimer on another crew when he was shot down over Germany and became a POW. He endured the Long March before being repatriated on Operation Exodus.
Les wrote a book about his wartime experience, the proceeds of which were all given to support the IBCC. In 2016 the local Scampton schoolchildren planted poppies on all the RAF graves in Scampton churchyard and it was Les who laid the wreath on the German graves. A remarkable gentleman.
Thoughts and prayers are with Coral and the family.
CC
