THE honours system was blasted yesterday after it emerged the last surviving British Dambusters hero was refused a gong.
George “Johnny” Johnson, 95, is the last surviving Brit from the 1943 “bouncing bomb” raid which shattered dams in Adolf Hitler’s Germany.
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George 'Johnny' Johnson, the last surviving pilot of the 1943 'bouncing bomb' raid, has been denied a gong in the New Year's honours listCredit: Alpha Press
Pals launched a campaign for a knighthood to honour his bravery and his tireless charity work since the war.
Johnson, far left, in picture taken on July 22, 1943, just 35 days after 53 of their RAF colleagues were killedCredit: Getty Images
As The Sun led calls for Johnny to get a medal, campaigner Paul Walmsley — who wrote to the Queen on the hero’s behalf — said: “I’m disgusted, it’s scandalous really.
“I’m writing to the Prime Minister to ask her to get something done about this.
The fury over Johnny's sidelining comes in the wake of 'cronyism' allegations surrounding David Cameron's honours recommendationsCredit: Getty Images
Johnny, from Bristol, was overlooked while civil servants such as Mark Lowcock — the £165,000-a-year head of the Department for International Development — were knighted.
He has been dubbed Sir Waste a Lot following a disastrous scheme to build an unusable £285million airport on a remote island.
Labour MP John Mann, a prominent campaigner for honours reform, said: “It is beyond most people’s understanding why a decorated war hero doesn’t get civil recognition for his charity work.
“Some of the cronies rewarded aren’t fit to lace his boots.”
Tory MP Philip Davies said: “I would have thought that a war hero like Mr Johnson was a far more deserving case for an honour than the pen-pusher Sir Waste a Lot.
“But it shows how the establishment always look after their own. Back-scratching seems more important than recognising real deserving heroes.”
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Labour MP John Mann has campaigned for honours reform, and said it was shocking that a war hero like Johnny had not been recognisedCredit: PA:Press Association
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Meanwhile Tory MP Philip Davies said Johnny's actions should have outshone many of the Whitehall mandarins honouredCredit: PA:Press Association
Modest Johnny was just 21 when the RAF’s 617 Squadron carried out daring Operation Chastise in May 1943.
The hero, who married wife Gwyn a month before, was a “bomb aimer” on one of the Lancaster bombers that attacked three dams and two power stations in the Ruhr valley. A specially-developed bouncing bomb was designed by engineer Sir Barnes Wallis to skip across the water and avoid defensive torpedo nets.
The mission, in which eight of 19 planes were downed and 53 crew killed, was recounted in 1955 film The Dam Busters.
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Johnny called the raid, immortalised in the 1955 film The Dam Busters, 'the highlight of his wartime career'Credit: BBC
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Eight of the nineteen planes involved in the epic raid were shot down, with 53 crew killedCredit: Getty Images
Johnny retired as an RAF squadron leader in 1962 and went on to become a teacher and local councillor.
Over the years he was a tireless fundraiser and gave huge sums to forces’ charities. He told The Sun: “The highlight of my wartime career has to be that raid.
“It’s something I’ll always remember — not only the action but also the sight of the dam as we came home.
“We knew it had been breached from radio broadcasts but we could also see water everywhere, like an inland sea. The satisfaction of that was enough for me.
“I’m not sure about an honour — I just consider myself lucky to be alive.
“We lost so many in the war, but I’ve been able to see my children have children and their children have children, and I’m still here.
“Family is my life now and that means so much to me.”
George’s son Charles, 72, said he would love to see his dad honoured.
Charles, who lives with wife Marilyn in Addlestone, Surrey, said last night: “People know him for his war record but he’s done so much for the country.
“Particularly his teaching of people with mental issues, and his work with the Conservative party and as a local councillor.
“He’s not just a war hero. He is, more than anything else, a very, very decent man.
“But for him to get an honour — would it be nice? Yes. Does he care very much? Probably not.”
Johnny raises charity cash by giving talks on his experiences and donating his fees.
Over the years he has given thousands to the Royal British Legion and the RAF Benevolent Fund.
He has also contributed to the International Bomber Command Centre being built in Lincoln to commemorate and remember those who served in the war. Proceeds from his 2014 autobiography — George “Johnny” Johnson, The Last British Dambuster — have also been donated.
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Generous Johnny now spends his time on charity work and has donated proceeds from his autobiography, 'The Last British Dambuster', to charityCredit: handout
Johnny was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for “acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy”. Fellow fliers were also decorated.
Campaigner Mr Walmsley received a letter on behalf of the Queen before Christmas, which said: “Her Majesty is second to none in her admiration for those who put their lives at risk in the service of their country, and was deeply touched that you should wish to share your feelings with her.”
The Dambusters mission was led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson who received the Victoria Cross.
He completed more than 170 operations but died in 1944 aged 26 when his Mosquito crashed in Holland.
Does the nation owe Johnny an honour?
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