#Johnny johsnon takenote full#

However on the afternoon prior to the raid when the five crews detailed to attack the Sorpe Dam received their briefing, they were told that they had to fly along the dam wall and drop their mine at its centre. 617 Squadron, Johnson had practised dropping his bomb as the aircraft flew straight towards the target at low level. McCarthyвЂ™s crew in Lancaster AJ-T (T-Tommy) were detailed to attack the Sorpe Dam, the structure of which differed considerably from the other main targets insofar as it being an earthen dam as opposed to the gravity construction of the MГ¶hne and Eder dams, thus necessitating a completely different type of attack. Johnson appealed to his new Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who eventually relented giving Johnson four days leave. It was at this time that he was due to marry however, due to the requirements of the training for the upcoming raid all leave had been cancelled.

617 Squadron RAF, Johnson arrived at RAF Scampton on 27 March 1943. Selected to be part of the specialist No.

#Johnny johsnon takenote full#

97 Squadron, bringing him to the end of a full operational tour, followed by a leave, after which he spent six months working in a non-combat training role. Together with this crew Johnson conducted a further 18 missions with No. Attacked by night fighters on their way to and returning from the target, the Avro Lancaster lost all power on one engine and developed problems in another, forcing McCarthy to land at RAF Bottesford.

Johnson's first sortie as part of McCarthy's crew was as part of a raid on Munich on 21 December 1942, conducted in bad weather. Initially Johnson showed reticence in operating with an American skipper, however having met with McCarthy he changed his mind. 97 Squadron filling the vacancy for a bomb aimer with the crew of Joe McCarthy. Undergoing a course at RAF Fulbeck in November 1942, he returned to No. Johnson continued on squadron operations as an air gunner until the opportunity came along for him to train as a specialist bomb aimer. The following night the crew were part of a successful raid on Nuremberg. En route to the target the aircraft suffered an engine failure forcing the pilot to abort the mission and return to Woodhall Spa. This however gave him the opportunity to fly with numerous crews in the squadron, his first operational sortie being a raid on Gdynia in Poland on 27 August 1942, forming part of the crew under the command of Squadron Leader Elmer Cotton. 97 Squadron RAF at RAF Woodhall Spa where he was initially designated as a spare (reserve) gunner. Johnson did not make the required grade during his pilot training and as a consequence he opted to become an air gunner. As is common practice within the British armed forces JohnsonвЂ™s surname led to him being nicknamed 'Johnny'. However due to the difficulties in processing the vast numbers of recruits at the time he was posted to various establishments around England and it was not until June 1941 that he was finally sent to Florida to begin his pilot training. Volunteering to join the Royal Air Force in 1940 as a navigator, he was instead selected for pilot training. He passed his School Certificate, leaving school in December 1939. He was active in sport, playing football, cricket and participating in athletics, winning several events. Through a bursary scheme set up for the children of agricultural workers, he was sent as a boarder to the Lord Wandsworth Agricultural College in Long Sutton, Hampshire. Johnson attended school in the village of Winthorpe until the age of 11. The family lived in a tied cottage, his oldest sister Lena largely being responsible for his early upbringing. His mother died when he was three, leaving his father, a farm foreman, to bring up the family in somewhat poor conditions. He was born in the village of Hameringham in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. George Johnson (known within the family as Leonard) was the sixth and last child born to Mary Ellen (nГ©e Henfrey) and Charles Johnson.