RAF Museum bosses thank generous Sun readers after saving brave WW2 hero's Victoria Cross | The Sun
RAF Museum bosses thanked the generosity of Sun readers tonight as they saved a Victoria Cross awarded for one of World War Two's bravest acts.
CEO Maggie Appleton said she had been "bowled over" by the donations they received in their five-month campaign to raise the money needed to keep the medal by a midnight deadline tonight.
And she said The Sun’s coverage and the generosity of our readers for caring and donating massively helped them on the way.
The museum had until midnight tonight to raise the money for the medal, which had been sold at auction to a foreign buyer last year for £682,000.
But it was embargoed by the Government because of its national importance.
If a UK-based buyer could match the price, it would stay here.
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Hero pilot Arthur Scarf, 28, single-handedly attacked an enemy airfield in Burma in 1941 after every other plane in his squadron was destroyed.
Japanese aircraft strafed the Squadron Leader’s Bristol Blenheim bomber with machine gun fire as he returned to base.
Bullets slammed into his back and arms leaving him so badly injured that his two crewmates had to hold him up as he crash-landed safely in a paddy field.
His pregnant wife Sally, a nurse at the base, donated two pints of blood as medics were forced to amputate his arm.
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Arthur told her: “Don’t worry, keep smiling, chin up.”
He tragically died a few hours later.
Ms Appleton told The Sun: "The fact there were only 22 Victoria Crosses awarded to the RAF in the Second World War and only one for the Far East shows how important it is.
"It's a really important RAF object. It is of national significance. If anyone had to try to save it, it was us.
"But it's the combination of the historical significance and the personal significance with his wife. That's what we do at the RAF museum. It's all about people.
"It's been incredible. It seemed like a massive mountain to climb. But it felt like the right thing to do and it was really important to try.
"We have been absolutely bowled over by people's generosity. There's been some incredibly generous sums. But even the generous fivers all tell us that people care.
"It has been amazing. We've got a good bit of admin to do but we are very hopeful that we will be able to have the medals in the museum in mid to late May.
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We've got a case allocated for it and it will go at the entrance.
"A massive thank you to The Sun and its readers. We can see the help it makes when you put out the appeals for us. We can see your readers responded to the story.”
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