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The Royal Australian Air Force's famous 460 Squadron took on World War II missions so dangerous, it was effectively wiped out five times over. But the threat of danger didn't deter Canberra man Ken Willis, a mid-upper gunner who trained for just six weeks as a 19-year-old before taking to the sky over France and Germany in a Lancaster bomber. His commitment was such that at the end of the 30 missions required for an operational tour, he put his hand up to fly another and help train a new crew. "Most people, at the end of their 30 missions, would've said, 'Hey, that's enough'," Mr Willis's son Peter said. "But not Dad, he said he was happy to go up again." It was this willingness and bravery that led to Mr Willis being awarded France's highest military honour earlier this month, as the country recognised his role in the French liberation. Mr Willis died in September last year, aged 94 and unaware he would receive the Legion of Honour medal, for which his daughter Sue applied just days before he died. "Dad said the experience made him the person he was," she said. "He was a young boy who grew up in Yass, and he got to see the world." For members of 460 Squadron, threats came from all sides. While trying to manoeuvre through search lights, the bombers often flew out of formation and found themselves perilously placed underneath ally aircraft as they were about to drop a bomb. Training was also no walk in the park, with several crash landings and close shaves as young men with little experience in the cockpit learned their trade. "Dad would always tell us the story, even though he wouldn’t talk about [the war] a lot, about a time in training when they crash-landed and went through a brick wall," Ms Willis said. "The plane caught on fire and Dad couldn’t get out, so a New Zealander in the crew came back in with a rock and smashed the perspex. "The survival rate in 460 Squadron was so low, and even training was pretty scary." Mr Willis returned to Yass after the war and met his wife Joan during what Sue described as "a love game" during a social tennis match at a nearby farm. After getting married, the pair moved to Canberra in 1950 to work in the public service, and four years later Mr Willis set up a sports and toy store that eventually grew into a network employing more than 100 people. He was heavily involved in tennis administration in Canberra for decades, and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000. Mr Willis was also honoured on the Tennis ACT Walk of Fame in 2016. "He lived an incredible and very long life," Ms Willis said. "We're so lucky to have had him for so long. We can learn a lot from him and his generation."

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