Stories

They came home carrying memories too heavy for words. The men of Bomber Command had seen friends vanish into the night sky, lived through fear, and taken part in missions whose devastation they could not easily reconcile. For many, silence was the only way to cope. The establishment of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association provided an opportunity for reflection with those who could understand their shared experiences.

New Zealand Bomber Command veterans at the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial in London in 2012.
(Credit: NZBCA Archives)

Sq. Ldr. Les Munro (No.617 Sq.) wrote in the Foreword to Kiwis Do Fly about the reluctance of the airmen who flew in Bomber Command to talk about their experiences. “One reason, and one common to a large number of those who return, can be attributed to a reluctance to talk of their service years, particularly those involving actual operations of a dangerous nature, and seeing other planes shot down”.

Talking about what they had endured meant reopening wounds that never truly healed, so they chose instead to carry their burden quietly, protecting both themselves and those they loved from the weight of their experiences. “In many cases recalling near misses, being injured, badly damaged aircraft, surviving crashes caused emotional unwelcome distress”, said Munro.

Another important reason was that “most of us were far too busy creating a life and service St. getting married and bringing up a young family to worry about writing and recording life on operations and Bomber Command and, for that matter, other branches of the service”.

The BBMF Avro Lancaster drops poppies over Green Park at the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial in London in 2012.
(Credit: NZBCA Archives) 

The New Zealand Bomber Command Association exists not only to honour those who served, but to ensure that their stories live on. For many veterans, silence was their shield; they rarely spoke about what they endured. That makes our role even more important. By preserving their memories, we help the next generations understand the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of their fathers, grandfathers, and uncles.

For today’s families, these stories bridge the gap between the past and the present. They remind us that the freedoms we enjoy were hard-won, and that the men who fought carried both pride and pain. The Association’s mission is to pass these lessons forward—with respect, accuracy, and compassion—so that the humanity behind the history is never lost.

Reference: Les Munro in Kiwis Do Fly by Peter J Wheeler © New Zealand Bomber Command Association.