By Europe Correspondent Melissa Davies
The remaining New Zealand veterans of the RAF's Bomber Command joined their comrades in England for the unveiling of a long awaited memorial to the airmen who died in World War II.
More than 55,000 lost their lives, but until now there has been no permanent monument to commemorate their sacrifice.
Although 2,000 New Zealanders served in Bomber Command just 32 have lived to see their efforts recognised today.
Eighty-nine-year-old Ken Dalzell and 90-year-old Geoff Bibby had almost given up hope this day would ever come – now they feel the injustice of that delay has finally been put right.
The Queen did the honours, unveiling a towering bronze statue in London's Green Park depicting an air crew returning from a mission, scanning the sky for comrades who would never return.
“We've been reminded so much of the people we've lost,” says Mr Dalzell.
“You try to forget about them for the rest of the year but four of my crew died prematurely and I reckon I'm lucky to be here. But I can't understand it and get very emotional about the whole lot.”
“[Its’] very emotional, very emotional - tears were very close to coming out,” says fellow veteran Geoffrey Bibby.
The bombers’ mission, which targeted German cities, was controversial because of the number of civilians killed and permission for this memorial has been a battle in itself.
The $12 million memorial has been funded entirely by private donations, private donors and the veterans themselves, and the last five years has seen a final push to see the project completed – a campaign spearheaded by the late bee gees singer, Robin Gibb.
During the memorial a Lancaster dropped a cloud of poppies in memory of the Bomber Command crew who died.
“It's a great memorial just to look at it and it was great to see the Lancaster flying again,” says veteran Owen Toomey.
Mr Toomey’s daughter watched her dad proudly from across the road.
“The average age of the pilots was 22 – I can't imagine now us trusting or having to trust kids that age to do what these boys did, but we didn't have a choice and it is thanks to them that we are here,” says Kate Toomey.
But so many of them are not – almost one in two never returned from the war.
3 News