Sergeant George Leonard (Johnny) Johnson DFM, Retired as a Squadron Leader

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1 Sergeant George Leonard (Johnny) Johnson DFM, Retired as a Squadron Leader Joining the RAFVR in 1940, he was selected for aircrew. Having completed ITW (Initial Training Wing), he was posted to the USA for pilot training, but after a short period was scrubbed. Keen to continue flying and seeking the shortest course, he re-mustered as an air gunner. On return to the UK he was posted to No Conversion Unit before transferring to No. 97 Squadron in July 1942 as a spare bod. Re-mustering again as a bomb aimer he Sergeant George Leonard (Johnny) Johnson DFM (Far Left) returned to 97 Sqn, joining the crew of Joe McCarthy, an American serving with the RCAF. The crew participated on operations until March 1943 when they were selected to become part of No. 617 Sqn forming at Scampton. F/Lt McCarthy s crew was one of the two who successfully attacked the Sorpe dam, flying along the length of the dam and dropping their bomb without spin from the lowest possible height. Visibility over the target was poor and the crew spent half an hour perfecting their line of approach before releasing their bomb on the tenth run (some sources state sixth run). Although accurate, the dam was only damaged, not breached. He was one of the 34 recipients of an award for this operation, receiving the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM). Following the Dams Raid he went on to complete a further 19 operations with No. 617 Sqn, before being screened and posted to No CU. He remained an instructor until the end of hostilities. Post-war he served with No. 100 Sqn flying the Lincoln and later the Shackleton with No. 120 Sqn Coastal Command. After a period in the Far East he returned to the UK for a final tour, retiring as a Squadron Leader in Born 25/11/21 near Horncastle, Lincs, and son of a farm manager.

2 Attended boarding school in Hants. Intended a career in horticulture - municipal parks, or farming. On the outbreak of war decided that flying was to be his future. Volunteered and was initially accepted for pilot training. 6/11/40 No 2 Recruits Centre, Cardington (Service No ) 18/11/40 No 7 Recruits Centre, Morecambe 18/12/40 12 Flying Training School Grantham (Hart and Hind) 5/4/41 No. 1 Recruiting Wing 26/4/41 No. 7 Initial Training Wing, Newquay 6/7/41 To USA on Arnold Scheme pilot training at Arcadia, Florida Scrubbed as pilot. Re-mustered as an air gunner since it appeared to be the shortest training course and the quickest way to actually get back into the war 17/7/41 To Toronto for Gunnery Training 10/9/41 No. 31 Bombing & Gunnery School, Picton, Ontario 30/10/41 No. 51 Personnel Depot 20/1/42 No. 5 Personnel Despatch Centre Padgate 30/5/42 Aircrew Reception Centre 13/7/42 No. 14 Initial Training Wing, Hastings 26/7/42 No Conversion Unit, Wigsley. (Manchesters / Lancasters) 27/7/42 97 Sqn, Coningsby (Lancaster) Initially a spare gunner, he retrained as a bomb aimer and from December 1942 became part of F/O Joe McCarthy s crew (McCarthy being an American serving in the RCAF). 29 operations (All night operations unless stated) Operations with No. 97 Sqn 27/8/42 Gdynia 28/8/42 Nuremberg 2/9/42 Karlsruhe 4/9/42 Bremen 23/9/42 Wismar 6/10/42 Osnabrück 22/10/42 Milan (Daylight attack a fighter was seen on leaving the target area but it did not attack) 8/11/42 Mining, Deodars area 9/11/42 Hamburg 13/11/42 Genoa 7/12/42 Mining, Furze area 21/12/42 Munich. Starboard outer u/s, and port inner also gave trouble. Landed away at Bottesford in appalling weather. 8/1/43 Duisburg

3 16/1/43 Berlin. Aircraft would not climb so bombed from 14,000 17/1/43 Berlin. Trip completed on three engines 30/1/43 Hamburg abandoned due to oxygen failure 2/2/43 Cologne 4/2/43 Turin 11/2/43 Wilhelmshaven 21/2/43 Bremen 25/2/43 Bremen 26/2/43 Bremen 28/2/43 St Nazaire 1/3/43 Berlin 3/3/43 Hamburg 8/3/43 Nuremberg 9/3/43 Munich 11/3/43 Stuttgart 12/3/43 Essen 22/3/43 St Nazaire 25/3/43 Posted to No. 617 Sqn Scampton as part of F/Lt Joe McCarthy s crew. 3/4/43 Married Gwyneth Morgan F/Lt McCarthy s crew was one of the two who successfully attacked the earthen Sorpe dam, employing a technique which involved flying along the length of the dam and dropping their bomb without spin from the lowest possible height (he reckoned it was only 30 feet). Visibility over the target was poor and the crew spent half an hour perfecting their line of approach before releasing their bomb on the tenth run. The attack was successful but the dam was only damaged, not breached. For his contribution to the operation George was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. (London Gazette 28/5/43). 21/8/43 No. 1 Air Armament School, Manby (Bombing Leader s Course) Back on 617 Sqn by 20/12/43 29/11/43 Commissioned as Pilot Officer Operations with No. 617 Sqn (All night operations) 16/5/43 Sorpe Dam 15/7/43 San Polo d Enza transformer station, N. Italy (landed Blida, N. Africa)

4 24/7/43 Leghorn (Livarno Italy) 29/7/43 Bologna (Leaflet dropping). Landed Blida, N. Africa 20/12/43 Arms drop, Northern France 30/12/43 V-1 site 21/1/44 V-1 site 22/1/44 V-1 site 2/3/44 Albert, aircraft factory 9/3/44 St Etienne, needle bearing works (abortive weather) 10/3/44 St Etienne successful 15/3/44 Woippy, near Metz, aero engine factory (abortive weather) 16/3/44 Clermont Ferrand, Michelin tyre factory 18/3/44 Bergerac, explosives works 20/3/44 Angouleme, explosives works 23/3/44 Lyons, truck factory 25/3/44 Lyons, truck factory 5/4/44 Toulouse, aircraft repair plant 10/4/44 St Cyr, Luftwaffe Signals Depot Following the Dams Raid he participated in two operations against Italian targets, flying on to land in North Africa, before refuelling and returning to the UK, on the return from the first of these bombing Italy en route again. He did not participate in the attack on the Dortmund Ems Canal of September 1943, when the Squadron lost 5 out of 8 crews, but took part in an operation dropping arms and equipment to the French Resistance. From December 1943 he participated in attacks against the V-1 flying bomb sites small compact targets hidden in woodland, before the Squadron switched to attacks against French factory targets using the 12,000lb blast bomb. Accuracy was paramount on these attacks in order to minimise collateral damage against French civilians. In the attack against the Michelin tyre factory at Clermont Ferrand the Squadron had been asked to try to destroy the workshops, but leave intact the workers canteen alongside. A tall order, but one they achieved. French explosives works also provided spectacular results. By the beginning of April Johnny had completed a further 20 operations with No. 617 Squadron and, partly at his captain s insistence, since Johnny was a married man and had completed his required ops for a second tour, accepted a posting from the Squadron. For the remainder of the war he remained as an instructor.

5 6/5/44 Posted to No. 52 Base, Scampton 29/5/44 Promoted as Flying Officer 20/3/45 No CU, Wigsley (Lancaster) Post-war he continued instructing until being posted back to a front line bomber unit flying Avro Lincolns (the successor to the Lancaster) and then onto Coastal Command flying Avro Shackletons. Thus he had flown in all three of the four engined lineage from the Lancaster. (Lanc, Lincoln and Shackleton). 17/7/45 No CU Lindholme (Lancaster) 29/11/45 Promoted as Flight Lieutenant 1/10/45 RAF Binbrook, Lincs 1/4/46 RAF Manby 1/1/49 No. 100 Sqn, Hemswell (Avro Lincoln) Bomber Command 2/5/49 West Freugh 17/1/50 Air Fighting School 12/4/ Sqn, Aldergrove (Avro Shackleton) Coastal Command 10/7/52 RAF St Mawgan Coastal Command 11/1/54 No. 19 Group HQ, Mount Batten, Plymouth, Coastal Command 11/9/57 Singapore 24/8/60 RAF Hemswell 15/9/62 Retired as Squadron Leader Subsequently became a school teacher, living in Newark, but in retirement lived in Torquay, where he dedicated much time towards mental health organisations. He subsequently moved to Bristol to be nearer to family. His wife died 19/8/05. His attitude about surviving operations: It wasn t a thing you talked about in actual fact. It hit you and then you accepted it. For some unknown reason I never felt that I wasn t going to come back. It never crossed my mind. Perhaps it was lack of emotion, I don t know, but I never thought about not coming back.