But our last living Dambuster misses out on a knighthood
BRITAIN’S last remaining Dambuster has been awarded an MBE despite a campaign for him to be knighted. GEORGE ‘JOHNNY’ JOHNSON, 95, was a bomb aimer with the RAF’s 617 Squadron when it attacked German dams in 1943 to try to disable Hitler’s industrial heartland.
TV presenter Carol Vorderman launched a petition to get him a knighthood and delivered 235,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street in January.
Yesterday Mr Johnson said of the MBE: ‘I think the MBE is as much honour as I could really expect and I thought, if a knighthood comes up, I’m going to having difficulty not only in accepting it but pointing out to all and sundry that it’s not me. I’m the lucky one. I’m still alive. I’m representing the squadron and it is the squadron that is being honoured, not me.’
He added that he was ‘very grateful to all those people that signed the petitions and made it possible’. Miss Vorderman said: ‘I’m thrilled that wonderful Johnny Johnson has been recognised with an MBE. He is a remarkable man and friend.’
Mr Johnson, who lives in Bristol, is one of only two living survivors of the legendary bombing raids on the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams. The other is Canadian front gunner Fred Sutherland.
A total of 133 Allied aircrew led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson left for the mission in May 1943 on 19 Lancaster bombers, carrying Barnes Wallis’s bouncing bombs.
Fifty-three men were killed in the raids which were immortalised in the 1955 film The Dam Busters. ÷ The policeman killed confronting an armed jihadist who attacked Westminster has received a posthumous George Medal for exceptional bravery. KEITH PALMER, 48, was stabbed to death tackling Khalid Masood on March 22.