KING Charles signs photos and chats to RAF veterans during a visit to honour the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid.

He met 18 Second World War heroes at an annual tea party hosted by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

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Charles signed a picture of the Lancaster bomber which was flown by Russell “Rusty” Waughman, 100, of Kenilworth, Warwicks, and told the veterans at RAF Coningsby, Lincs: “Thank God for all these men: people like you who looked after us.”

The raid in May 1943 saw the RAF use bouncing bombs to target dams in Germany’s Ruhr valley.

The last surviving member of the Dambusters, Squadron Leader Johnny Johnson, died in December aged 101.

Bomber Command pilot Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell, 102, told the King: “We are criticised by people who would never have come into existence if we had lost the war. The objective of Bomber Command was to destroy the German capability of attacking us.

“We weren’t interested in killing Germans. We were only interested in damaging the cities and the armaments and weapons that were to be used by the Germans.

“By and large, Bomber Command did a pretty good job.”