BY NINIAN CARTER
George Leonard “Johnny” Johnson has died aged 101 – he was the last surviving original member of RAF 617 Squadron’s infamous “Dambusters” raid on Germany in 1943.
The veteran Second World War’s 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command passed away peacefully in a UK care home on Wednesday evening, aged 101.
George Leonard “Johnny” Johnson was a bomb aimer in the infamous “Operation Chastise” raids carried out against Germany – more commonly known as the “Dambusters”.
On the night of May 16-17, 1943, 19 Lancaster bombers from the RAF’s specially formed 617 Squadron carried out attacks on the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany’s industrial heartland, using the famous “bouncing bomb” designed by Barnes Wallis.
The raid, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, claimed the lives of 53 aircrew, with three others captured – eight aircraft were destroyed.
The Möhne and Eder dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley – the Sorpe Dam sustained only minor damage.
Two hydroelectric power stations were destroyed and several more damaged. Factories and mines were destroyed or damaged, and an estimated 1 600 civilians (600 Germans and 1 000 mainly Soviet forced labourers) were killed by the flooding.
Johnson had celebrated his 101st birthday on November 25, 2022.
Graphic News