The last dambuster departs

John Leslie Munro, the Last of the World War II 'Dambuster' Pilots, Dies at 96

John Leslie Munro was in the daring "Dambusters" mission that struck at Germany's industrial heartland. Credit New Zealand Bomber Command Association

On the night of May 16, 1943, a squadron of bombers set out from Britain to conduct a series of strikes against heavily fortified dams in the Ruhr Valley of Germany, using bombs that bounced on the water before exploding. Of the 133 who started the mission, only 77 returned.

The last surviving pilot of those who came back was John Leslie Munro, who died on Tuesday at 96 in Auckland, New Zealand.

His death was met with tributes across the globe, including in Britain and in his native New Zealand, for his role in the daring "Dambusters" mission that struck at the industrial heartland of the Nazi war effort and lifted Allied morale.

"Our New Zealand Bomber Command Association patron and well-known Dambuster pilot, Les Munro, passed away this morning following a spell in hospital with heart problems," the New Zealand Bomber Command Association said on its Facebook page.

Mr. Munro, who was known as Les, was part of the Royal Air Force's 617 squadron, tasked with destroying three dams with specially designed bombs shaped like cylinders that had to be dropped at a height of about 60 feet.


Mr. Munro, front center, with his crew in front of the bomber they flew on the Dambusters raid. Credit Rex Features, via Associated Press

The bombs were designed to bounce across the water, allowing them to avoid obstacles like antitorpedo nets, and then sink to the base of the dam walls before exploding, magnifying their effect.

During the mission, the Lancaster bomber piloted by Mr. Munro was hit by flak. The plane's communications abilities were destroyed, and he was unable to attack the dams. But he managed to fly to safety despite a large hole in the aircraft's body.

Mr. Munro was "very modest about what he did during the war," the BBC quoted Dave Homewood of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association as saying. "I think he was pretty proud to have been part of the Dambusters, although he was disappointed he never got to drop his weapon."

According to accounts of those who survived the mission, called Operation Chastise, the pilots and crew had only a few weeks to prepare, and they learned of their targets just hours before the raid. The dams in the Ruhr Valley supplied hydroelectric power and water for steel making, and were therefore important to Hitler's war machine.

The bombs caused devastating flooding in the Ruhr Valley, and historians estimate that more than 1,300 people on the ground, including prisoners of war, were killed.


John Leslie Munro, 96, died on Monday in New Zealand. Credit Alan Gibson/New Zealand Herald, via Associated Press

The bombers were hailed as heroes, and the mission was immortalized in "The Dam Busters," a 1955 film starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd, which told the story of a determined aeronautical engineer who persuaded initially skeptical R.A.F. leaders to embrace his innovative bouncing bombs.

In an interview with the BBC to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters mission, Mr. Munro said he had not been afraid. "I approached most operations with a thought: 'If I'm going to cop it, so be it,' " he said.

The son of a Glasgow-born father who emigrated to New Zealand, Mr. Munro was born on April 5, 1919, in Gisborne, New Zealand. He enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1941.

After returning from the mission, Mr. Munro became a squadron leader. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943.

After the war, he returned to New Zealand, where he farmed and became involved in local politics. He eventually became mayor of a local council in Waitomo, on the North Island of New Zealand.

Survivors include four children, 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, The Associated Press reported.

Mr. Munro was still flying planes well into his 90s.