Last WWII British ‘Dambuster’, George Johnson, dies aged 101
- George Johnny Johnson was the last surviving crew member of an RAF squadron that attacked Hitler’s Germany in 1943 with ‘bouncing bombs’ on the Ruhr valley
- 53 of 133 Allied aircrew from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on the raid, on 19 Lancaster bombers, were killed, while three were captured
The last surviving crew member of a British Royal Air Force squadron that targeted Nazi Germany’s industrial heartland in World War II has died aged 101.
George “Johnny” Johnson died peacefully at a care home near Bristol, western England, on Wednesday evening, surrounded by his family, said British media.
Johnson was a bomb aimer with RAF 617 Squadron and took part in the “Dambusters” raid targeting heavily fortified German dams with specially developed “bouncing bombs”.
Two of the three dams targeted in the May 1943 raid were destroyed, causing catastrophic flooding in the Ruhr valley and destroying power stations and factories.
Johnson, who retired from the RAF as a squadron leader, collected an MBE from Queen Elizabeth in 2017 after 235,000 people signed a petition calling for his wartime service to be recognised.
The RAF said it was “saddened” to hear of his death, signing off its tribute with its motto “Per Ardua Ad Astra” (“through adversity to the stars”).