Former Flight Lieutenant George Dunn DFC LdH was 103 when he died peacefully at home on April 28, just two days prior to the award ceremony.
The RAF Benevolent Fund is the air force’s longest-standing charity, and the ‘Heart of the Fund’ award honours its most dedicated supporters.
Mr Dunn, of Saltdean, East Sussex, was commended by the charity’s panel for his unwavering generosity and tireless fundraising.
He was an active figure at airshows nationwide, giving autographs in exchange for donations alongside fellow members of his Sussex Bomber Command Air Crew group.
He also raised awareness for the organisation by featuring in fundraising appeals and special‑edition prints, and even requested that his well-wishers donate to the charity on his 100th birthday.
One particular highlight was his flight in a Spitfire at the age of 97 – 72 years after his last journey in one.
The charity puts his total fundraising efforts in the region of £100,000.
The RAF Benevolent Fund visited Mr Dunn and his family to express its gratitude in person, presenting him with his trophy on the weekend prior to his death.
Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot, chief executive of the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “It was an honour to be able to formally recognise his extraordinary commitment through our annual awards, which celebrate the unwavering support shown by people like George.
“While he will always be remembered for his remarkable service during the Second World War, he was equally cherished for the warmth, generosity and passion he brought to the Fund over so many years.
“He truly embodied the values and ethos of the RAF Benevolent Fund, and we feel incredibly privileged to have known him and to have benefitted from his support.”
Mr Dunn joined the RAF in June 1941 following a stint in the Home Guard, first serving as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner before qualifying as a pilot in Canada.
He completed 44 operations during the Second World War, piloting Handley Page Halifax bombers during an intense phase of the air war in 1943, and won the Distinguished Flying Cross at the age of just 20 years old.
