Disgusting Monuments to war dead daubed with word ‘Islam’

Disgusting

Monuments to war dead daubed with word ‘Islam’

Seeing red ... graffiti is sprayed under the RAF Bomber Command crest

WAR veterans were outraged last night after the new £7million Bomber Command war memorial was daubed with the word “Islam”.

Passers-by found it sprayed in 2ft-high red letters early yesterday in London’s Green Park.

The same graffiti in similar handwriting was also discovered on the Animals In War memorial half a mile away in Park Lane.

The attacks — which came amid rising racial tensions in the wake of soldier Lee Rigby’s slaying — were branded “bloody disgusting”.

Defaced ... the Animals In War memorial half-mile away

The RAF Bomber Command Memorial — saluting the 55,573 British airmen killed fighting the Nazis — was unveiled by The Queen last June after a five-year fund-raising campaign led by the late Bee Gee Robin Gibb.

Douglas Radcliffe, 89, secretary of the Bomber Command Association, inspected the damage that was soon covered with black bin bags — and said: “Why would anyone do such a thing?”

William Smith, 87, said: “It brings a tear to my eye that someone would do such an awful act.

“We live in a very different and disrespectful world to the one I was bought up in.” His daughter Jemma Stone, 45, said: “This is totally and utterly unacceptable.”

Former rear gunner Harry Irons, 89, of Romford, Essex, flew 60 bombings sorties over Europe. He said: “It’s bloody disgusting. All it’s doing is creating more anger across the country.

“When you think of all of the boys who died in the war, then this happens and you’re left asking yourself, ‘Why’?

“Those boys listed on the memorial suffered terribly and we tried for years and years to get the memorial, so this sickens me.”

Angered ... Mr Radcliffe

Singer Robin’s widow Dwina, 59, said: “It is horrifying that the beautiful and poignant Bomber Command memorial that he fought so hard for has been defaced. A memorial to the dead should never be politicised.

“Robin was a pacifist. If he were alive he would have said the Bomber Command memorial has nothing to do with Islam.”

Robin’s son RJ, 29, added: “Whether it says ‘Islam’, ‘Banksy’ or ‘Life is beautiful’ is besides the point.

“A monument dedicated to those who died for the freedoms we and many around this planet enjoy should be respected.”

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A spokesman for the RAF Benevolent Fund said: “We have the responsibility of maintenance of the memorial. Sadly we will need to divert a considerable amount of money towards this unnecessary clean-up operation.”

Jim Dooley, 65, director of fundraising at Bomber Command, said: “It’s heartbreaking. But that’s the price you pay when these guys gave their lives to give people of this country freedom.

“I can’t even see any significance between Islamic disputes going on in the world today and the Bomber Command memorial — or similarly the Animals In War.”

Centrepiece ... memorial was unveiled by Queen last June

That £2million memorial — a tribute to animals who served in conflicts — was opened in 2004 and is maintained by Westminster Council.

A spokesman said: “We deplore any vandalism that desecrates memorials.” And a spokesman for the War Memorials Trust agreed: “Such acts are deeply offensive.”

Former soldier and Tory MP Patrick Mercer said: “Whatever these people’s views, memorials are there to remember the dead and the dead have got to be respected.”