[News] RIP Sq Ldr George "Johnny" Johnson

[Cheshire Cat]

RIP.

In the late 80s and early 90s as a teen history buff I volunteered at Brooklands museum helping archive some of the old materials and generally doing the running for the chaps restoring the Wellington that had been pulled out of Loch Ness among other restoration projects. At that point it wasn't open to the public really, just very occasional open days or by appointment with limited numbers of visitors. One of the men I worked with a lot was Norman "Spud" Boorer who'd been assistant to Barnes Wallace. Incredible stories of that time and generation, wish I'd taped them.

Boorer, Norman William (Oral history)

British civilian machinist and draughtman worked for Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd in GB, 1931-1945; worked with Research and Development Department at Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and British Aircraft Corporation in GB, 1945-1969; served as special assistant...

www.iwm.org.uk

Norman Boorer interview from Imperial War Museum website

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Sleep well

 

[abc]

My Father was a rear gunner in bombers. He rarely talked about it but if asked he would brush the reality away by describing the war as his ‘gap year’ as getting away from home and travelling was an impossibility for his generation.
He also always said he was ‘just doing my job’.
I don’t think we can ever thank that generation enough for the sacrifices they made for us and some, like the dambusters, even more so.

 

[Lenny Rider]

RIP

When JJ got surprised by the Big Red Book by Eamon Andrews, my grandad, himself a WW2 veteran, was talking about the show a few years later, when my younger brother's young lady, one of the great unwashed, piped up "Did they bring on a couple of the innocent German civilians he bombed at the end?"

It was the closest I ever saw him to swearing

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

RIP

When JJ got surprised by the Big Red Book by Eamon Andrews, my grandad, himself a WW2 veteran, was talking about the show a few years later, when my younger brother's young lady, one of the great unwashed, piped up "Did they bring on a couple of the innocent German civilians he bombed at the end?"

It was the closest I ever saw him to swearing

There's no need for that, on this thread. Seriously.

 

[Lenny Rider]

There's no need for that, on this thread. Seriously.

Sorry old boy I was only highlighting that the extreme left even 30 odd years ago had a jaundiced view of history.

JJ was a genuine hero from a bygone age, we will sadly not see his like again.

 

[jakarta]

Sorry old boy I was only highlighting that the extreme left even 30 odd years ago had a jaundiced view of history.

JJ was a genuine hero from a bygone age, we will sadly not see his like again.

We can have a long (and probably rather tedious) discussion about Bomber Commands decision to go to Area Bombing at night but it should be recalled that 617 was a special squadron with unusual bombs (Upkeep/Tallboy/Grand Slam) that went after precision targets, often during the day.

Whatever the merits/demerits of area bombing were, 617 didn't take part. That is not to say that all the other crews in Bomber Command were equally heroric.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

End of an era. We'll never see their like again. R.I.P George.

I too, pay a lot of respect to the veterans of WW2, including my father who was on Atlantic, and Arctic convoys, and present at D Day. By all means praise what they did,
but bravery didn't end in 1945.

Today's youngsters do step up to the plate when needed.

Naval Nurse Kate Nesbitt. MC awarded in Afghanistan in 2009.

There have been 15 VCs awarded since the end of WW2 including 4 this century.
Johnson Beharry
Bryan Budd
James Ashworth
Joshua Leakey.

 

[Lenny Rider]

I too, pay a lot of respect to the veterans of WW2, including my father who was on Atlantic, and Arctic convoys, and present at D Day. By all means praise what they did,
but bravery didn't end in 1945.

Today's youngsters do step up to the plate when needed.

Naval Nurse Kate Nesbitt. MC awarded in Afghanistan in 2009.

There have been 15 VCs awarded since the end of WW2 including 4 this century.
Johnson Beharry
Bryan Budd
James Ashworth
Joshua Leakey.

Johnson was the guest speaker at the Boxing Writers Annual Dinner a couple of years ago, a truly inspirational individual and a lovely bloke to boot.