Outcry as police sit on film showing yobs who defiled memorial to bomber crews
DISTRAUGHT relatives of RAF heroes last night slammed police for not releasing footage of vandals defacing the Bomber Command memorial.
Four days after vandals hurled white paint over the monument to the brave Second World War airmen, police have issued no descriptions of suspects.
This newspaper, whose readers gave £2million towards the £10million edifice in London’s Green Park, has repeatedly asked to publish CCTV images.
But the Metropolitan Police says officers will act “as and when they feel the time is right to progress the investigation”.
Angry relatives said failure to punish those responsible would tarnish the memories of the 55,573 Bomber Command heroes killed over Europe.
Anthony Johnston, 76, whose father, Flight Sgt Anthony Ely Johnston, died aged 21 when his Manchester bomber was shot down in 1942, said: “The people behind this should be named and shamed.
“In this day and age I think the police are frightened to say, ‘These are the people who did this’. You must not be seen to go against anyone or any group.”
Linda Meredith, whose father, William White, was shot down over Germany in 1942, said: “This has been deeply upsetting for everyone connected with Bomber Command.”
A Daily Express reader tweeted: “It insults all who lost their lives defending Great Britain.” Another said: “I am absolutely disgusted. Bomber Command made unbelievably huge sacrifices and went without recognition for so long.”
George “Johnny” Johnson, 97, the last of the heroic Dambusters of 617 Squadron, said: “What a disgrace and such mindless vandalism. How disrespectful to the tens of thousands who gave their lives so these thugs have the freedom to carry out such acts.
“I hope they are caught soon and suitably punished.”
A Met spokesman said releasing footage now could potentially hinder lines of inquiry.
Detective Inspector Dave Watkinson said: “These crimes have understandably caused anger and offence. Inquiries are moving at pace and I urge anyone who saw anything suspicious to contact us.”
The RAF Benevolent Fund, which looks after the memorial, has received donations of more than £16,000 towards the cleanup operation.
Detectives are also investigating damage to a memorial in Green Park to Canadian forces, the Allies Statue of Sir Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt in New Bond Street, The Royal Marines memorial in The Mall and the Yvonne Fletcher tribute in St James’s Square.
Some speculate that the series of co-ordinated attacks are the work of antiwar anarchists.
THE last survivor of the epic Dambusters raid yesterday paid tribute to comrade Fred Sutherland, who died in Canada earlier this week aged 95.
His death leaves Squadron Leader Johnny Johnson, 97, from Bristol, as the only living crew member to have taken part in Operation Chastise, the near suicidal mission that flooded Nazi Germany’s industrial heartland.
The raid became the most famous in the history of the RAF.
Lincolnshire-born Mr Johnson said of Mr Sutherland’s death: “It is very sad news. I wish we could have met up again once more.”
Scared
His comrade died on Monday in his native Alberta, Canada – the same day that a paint attack on the Bomber Command Memorial in London’s Green Park was discovered.
Police are continuing to hunt the vandals.
Mr Sutherland had already taken part in 25 operations when he and his crewmates volunteered for what became 617 Squadron under the command of Guy Gibson.
The 20-year-old flew as a Lancaster front gunner during the bouncing bombs raid on the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in May 1943. His plane, piloted by Australian Les Knight, dropped the bomb that smashed the Eder dam.
In an interview Mr Sutherland said of the dam raids: “I was scared, I was really scared. But you can’t say, ‘Oh, I want to go home now’. You made up your mind and you can’t let the crew down.” The raid was made possible by the invention of bouncing bombs by scientist Barnes Wallis who based it on the technique for skimming stones.
But the crews had to fly over the water at 60ft at 240mph for the bombs to work. Mr Sutherland recalled: “As soon as the dam was hit, the water was going everywhere. There was a bridge down below the dam that just disappeared.
“The force was couldn’t believe it.”
Mr Sutherland’s plane made terrific. We it back to RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, but four months later on another raid he had to bail out over Holland. He was picked up by the Resistance and made it back to Britain via Spain.
After the war Mr Sutherland married and had three children. He worked in forestry.