George Leonard 'Johnny' Johnson, last survivor of World War II Dambusters, dies aged 101

The lone Dambusters survivor from World War Two, George Leonard "Johnny" Johnson, has passed today at the age of 101. He was at his care facility with his loved ones when he softly passed away.

Who was George Leonard?

Johnson was the last British member of the 617 Squadron, which demolished significant dams in Germany during the World war II.
For Operation Chastise, which was assigned to destroying German dams, Johnson served as a bomb aimer. About one-third of the RAF Bomber Command crew died during the operation.

Bombs looked like glorified dustbins

After the passing of his wartime coworker Fred Sutherland in January 2019, Johnson was the last living member of the original flight crew of the 617 Squadron. On May 16 and 17, a 133-person Allied aircrew boarded 19 Lancaster bombers carrying bouncing bombs that Sir Barnes Wallis had explicitly modified. Johnson said the devices looked like glorified dustbins.

Johnson's last birthday

On November 25, the 101-year-old man celebrated his birthday. The Queen gave him a "Member of the Order of the British," (MBE) in 2017 for his contributions to Bristol and the Second World War Memorial. The Queen told him she was glad to see the Dambusters were still here.

FAQs:

1. How many people were killed in the dam raids?
   Around 53 people were killed in the dam raids.
2. What is an MBE award?
   A British honour known as an MBE, or "Member of the Order of the British," is given to a person by the King or Queen in recognition of a specific accomplishment.