Surely this cost of maintaining the memorial should fall on governments, writes Dylan Thorne. Pictured is war veteran Les Munro.
Tauranga's Les Munro, the last surviving Dambuster from World World II, put his life on the line for his country, so if he wants to sell his medals then that is a matter entirely for him.
The veteran recently announced he planned to auction his medals and log books to
raise money to maintain the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London.
His awards, which include the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross, are expected to fetch between 40,000 and 50,000 ($81,616 and $102,031) at the March 25 auction.
The memorial costs about 50,000 to maintain annually.
Government officials intervened soon after he announced his intentions, telling him the government could still block the auction. They later concluded the medals were not covered by the Protected Objects Act 1975 and could be sold.
