Heroes of the skies

geORge ‘ Johnny’ Johnson is not the last surviving British member of 617 squadron. he is, though, the last of those who went on the Dambusters raid in 1943.

My father, sydney grimes, is still alive and kicking at 96. after a tour with 106 squadron, which was Wing Commander guy gibson’s previous squadron, Dad’s first operations with 617 began with the second and third operations against Tirpitz.

IAN GRIMES, Marden, Kent. When I left school, I went to work in the local post office and was told by the postmaster how our Welsh seaside town had played a small role in the Dambusters raid.

guy gibson was visiting his family’s holiday home and he was in his boat out in the bay when a telegram arrived calling him up for the training sessions for the raid on the dams.

The postmaster had to hire a boatman to row the telegram boy out to gibson and deliver the message.

ROSEMARY HAYES, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire.