Johnny Johnson RIP (Last surviving Dambuster)

[Blackpool Rock]

As the title says he was the last surviving hero of that heroic raid, we salute you sir 

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[chrishornx]

As the title says he was the last surviving hero of that infamous raid, we salute you sir 

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Infamous?

more famous in my mind

[Blackpool Rock]

Yeah poor choice of word on my part

[mr.bluesky]

As the title says he was the last surviving hero of that heroic raid, we salute you sir 

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Wow, I didn't realise there was any left today. 101 is a good age. When you watch these remembrance ceremonies every year there are fewer and fewer WW2 veterans still alive. Hats off to a true hero 

[Corus Boy]

Thank you sir. RIP.

[RedKettle]

Great respect to him and the other dambusters, incredible story.

One thing that surprised me, and apologies if this is lowing the tone on such a thread, was learning that Carol Vorderman championed him getting an award and that she is a trained pilot and honorary RAF officer!!  Carol in uniform, yes please.



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[mr.bluesky]

Great respect to him and the other dambusters, incredible story.

One thing that surprised me, and apologies if this is lowing the tone on such a thread, was learning that Carol Vorderman championed him getting an award and that she is a trained pilot and honorary RAF officer!!  Carol in uniform, yes please.



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Yes , I heard that she had been pushing for him to get a knighthood, considering some of the talentless and undeserving people that  get them he should have had one years ago . Hats off to Carol Vorderman too for all the work she does for the RAF 

[Blackpool Rock]

Yes , I heard that she had been pushing for him to get a knighthood, considering some of the talentless and undeserving people that  get them he should have had one years ago . Hats off to Carol Vorderman too for all the work she does for the RAF 

Despite the death rate being the highest Bomber command and the RAF were largely forgotten about when it came to handing out awards due to the fire storms from bombing Dresden etc which let's face it in todays terms would be classed as a war crime even if it wasn't considered so back then (or was it but nothing was ever done / said due to us winning, I believe it was considered justifiable revenge for Coventry etc at the time)

The Dam buster raid is still one of our finest and most heroic missions of the war however if it happened today it would be considered a war crime although bombing a damn wasn't a war crime at the time

[mr.bluesky]

Despite the death rate being the highest Bomber command and the RAF were largely forgotten about when it came to handing out awards due to the fire storms from bombing Dresden etc which let's face it in todays terms would be classed as a war crime even if it wasn't considered so back then (or was it but nothing was ever done / said due to us winning, I believe it was considered justifiable revenge for Coventry etc at the time)

The Dam buster raid is still one of our finest and most heroic missions of the war however if it happened today it would be considered a war crime although bombing a damn wasn't a war crime at the time

Yeah  Coventry was one of the heaviest bombed cities during WW2 due to it's industry,  likewise Dresden in Germany, Coventry and Dresden are now twinned Cities. They say fighter pilots make movies , bomber pilots make history.

[catweazle]

Wow, I didn't realise there was any left today. 101 is a good age. When you watch these remembrance ceremonies every year there are fewer and fewer WW2 veterans still alive. Hats off to a true hero 

Agreed. I'm old enough to remember Cenotaph ceremonies with a dwindling number of WWI veterans ( deemed "The Old Contemptibles"after a sneer from the enemies at the time), and now its a dwindling  number of WWII veterans.

[chrishornx]

Yeah poor choice of word on my part

but the overall sentiment was lovely

[Stevelondon]

Yes , I heard that she had been pushing for him to get a knighthood, considering some of the talentless and undeserving people that  get them he should have had one years ago . Hats off to Carol Vorderman too for all the work she does for the RAF 

m

Absolutely spot on.
It should be scrapped nowadays. People buying them, idiots being given them.

You wouldn’t catch me calling anyone “Sir”

[Stevelondon]

m

Absolutely spot on.
It should be scrapped nowadays. People buying them, idiots being given them.

You wouldn’t catch me calling anyone “Sir”

I should have added,
Unless it was someone like Johnny.

[Dickled]

RIP to this brave gentleman.

It's warming this SAS original still survives, also over 100...
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[ik8133]

I have visited the Eden dam, you can see where it was breached and then rebuilt, quite moving to see it.