A group of elderly Canadian men gathered Wednesday in London as they were finally honoured for their part in the dangerous missions they flew over Germany in the Second World War.

Forty-two surviving Canadians of the Bomber Command, most in their 90s, gathered at a remembrance ceremony at Runnymede Memorial — which honours more than 20,000 Commonwealth airmen and airwomen who lost their lives in the war but who have no known grave.

The Bomber Command’s task was to carry out large-scale bombings over German towns. Toward the end of the war, about 55,000 men from Canada had taken part in the air campaign over Germany; 10,000 of them did not return.

The attacks — which killed thousands of German civilians — have long since remained controversial, but former pilot officer Frank Boyd said he is proud of what they had to do to beat the Nazis.

“They started it and we finished it,” Boyd said.

Boyd was shot down and taken prisoner during the last three months of the war.

Now, more than seven decades later Boyd and other survivors gathered on a hill overlooking the River Thames west of London to look at the names of those lost, now etched in stone.

On Thursday, the Canadian men will join other veterans from other nations to meet the Queen as she unveils a memorial to honour more than 55,000 from the Bomber Command who perished.

Earlier this week, the Canadian government announced it intended to create a new honour to recognize the Canadian contingent of the Bomber Command.