{"id":110006,"date":"2015-06-08T21:04:52","date_gmt":"2015-06-08T11:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=110006"},"modified":"2020-11-12T14:39:07","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T04:39:07","slug":"france-to-recognise-pauls-valour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/06\/08\/france-to-recognise-pauls-valour\/","title":{"rendered":"France To Recognise Paul’s Valour"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Paul Tunn at an Anzac Day Dawn Service at Yarraman (Photo: Jim Bond)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Paul Tunn and his World War II uniform which is on display at Heritage House’s Military Museum (Photo: Jim Bond)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 9, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yarraman resident Paul Tunn will soon have a new medal to wear on Anzac Day … a very special decoration from the French Government.<\/p>\n

The World War II veteran has been awarded the Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la L\u00e9gion d’Honneur<\/em>, ie a Legion of Honour medal, for his war service in the skies over France.<\/p>\n

The former RAAF airman received a letter from the French Ambassador to Australia, Christophe Lecourtier, in May but he didn’t want to make a big fuss at the time because he didn’t know when he would actually receive the medal.<\/p>\n

But the ceremony is now just days away.<\/p>\n

On Friday afternoon (June 12), Paul, 93, will be presented with the Legion of Honour medal by M. Lecourtier in a ceremony at the Coorparoo RSL Club in Brisbane.<\/p>\n

The medal recognises Paul’s outstanding service as a Flying Officer during World War II.<\/p>\n

It will also be 71 years to the day since Paul’s Halifax bomber took off for its first raid over France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The seven-man crew, part of 158 Squadron, made their first operational sortie just six days after D-Day to Amiens in northern France where they bombed a rail junction and marshalling yards.<\/p>\n

It was a baptism of fire, with the mid-upper gunner shooting down a German fighter, a Focke-Wulf 190.<\/p>\n

Paul continued to take part in missions over France during June and July 1944, before his crew was directed to mainly German sites.<\/p>\n

All up, Paul took part in 36 sorties over France and Germany between June and November 1944, serving as the wireless operator in the Halifax crew.<\/p>\n

“This is France’s way to express gratitude toward those who risked their lives for the Liberation of France,” M. Lecourtier wrote in his letter.<\/p>\n