Johnny Johnson (RAF officer) Obituary

Johnny Johnson, a key player in the Dambuster bouncing bomb raids of 1943, died on December 7, 2022. He was aged 101.

Johnson is survived by 3 children, 8 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Tributes have poured in from all over the world for the late legendary fighter.

Johnny Johnson Life And Career

Born in Lincolnshire and raised in Bristol, Johnson is notable for serving in the 617 squadron, which during World War II destroyed crucial dams in Germany’s industrial Ruhr valley.

“I’ve had a very lucky life in every respect.” Speaking of the famous Dambuster raids, he said: “It was an exhilarating experience … I felt honoured to have had the chance to take part”, Johnny had said shortly after his 100th birthday in 2021.

Around 1,300 people lost their lives as a result of the bouncing bomb raids’ disastrous flooding in the Ruhr valley, which also destroyed enterprises and hydroelectric power plants.

About 53 of the 133 crew members were murdered, while 3 were captured.

The raids were replicated in the 1955 film The Dam Busters, starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd.

Johnson rose to become squadron leader in the RAF before retiring in 1962.

After retiring, he settled for a teaching job in Torquay, and in 2017 he was honoured with a CBE.