No free lunch for WWII bomber brothers who won France’s highest honour

Two Western Australian World War II veterans who received honours for bravery have been invited to a lunch with the Australian and British prime ministers, but will have to pay their own way to Canberra and meet all expenses for the trip.

Now in their 90s, the brothers will need support from their wives to make Friday’s lunch, thrown in honour of Australian airmen who fought in Bomber Command and attended by Britain’s David Cameron and Australia’s Tony Abbott.

The expected cost of transporting each to the capital is $2,000.

Murray and Eric Maxton flew together in 460 Squadron in 1944, bombing Hitler’s factories in Nazi Germany.

They were the only brothers to fly combat missions in the same aircraft, a practice forbidden at the time but excused by RAAF Bomber Command because of a shortage of skilled air crew.

Their father and uncle served in World War I, with the uncle killed at Gallipoli.

The brothers had received no recognition or acknowledgement for their war service up until November this year, when the French Defence Minister presented them with his country’s highest honour for bravery, the French Legion of Honour.

The Maxtons received their medals during the Albany Convoy Commemorations, exactly 70 years to the month that they finished their tour of duty in Europe.

The Department of Veteran Affairs has been contacted for comment.