This photograph was taken by Alessandro Pesaro of the IBCC Digital Archive
On the 7 September 2017, the University of Lincoln awarded Johnny Johnson an honorary doctorate, in recognition of his achievements both in RAF Bomber Command and in the sphere of special needs education. It is especially fitting that the University should have awarded this honour, since it is a partner in the delivery of the new International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln. Johnny has also been a tireless supporter of the initiative.
Staff from the IBBC Digital Archive travelled to Johnny’s home in Bristol to interview him in August 2017. He spoke for two hours about his experiences in RAF Bomber Command and after; this interview will be available when the Archive goes live next year.
The Head of the IBCC Digital Archive, Prof. Heather Hughes, delivered the oration at the graduation ceremony. Here is the text in full:
Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor, honoured guests, graduates, family and friends. I am pleased to present to you George Leonard ‘Johnny’ Johnson, on whom the Governing Body has agreed to confer an Honorary Doctor of the University.
Johnny was born on a Lincolnshire farm in 1921, the youngest of six children. His mother died when he was three and his father and most of his older siblings were out working, so his childhood was lonely and difficult. His sister Lena cared for him until he left to attend the Lord Wandsworth Agricultural College in Hampshire.
At the College, Johnny acquired life skills and a good education. He trained as a horticulturalist and left with the intention of becoming a park attendant. The declaration of war in 1939 changed that.
Johnny volunteered for the Royal Air Force. After lengthy training, he joined 97 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command, as a bomb aimer in the crew of the highly-respected Joe McCarthy. They flew many dangerous operations to bomb targets in Nazi-occupied Europe.
On 16 May 1943, McCarthy’s crew, by now part of 617 Squadron, participated in Operation Chastise, otherwise known as the Dambusters Raid, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson. The targets were three dams in the Ruhr valley. Crews were expected to fly in very low and drop their so-called ‘bouncing bombs’ over the water. Each bomb would skip towards the dam wall and explode, thus breaching the wall and causing severe disruption to German war industries and infrastructure.
Johnny was in the group briefed to bomb the Sorpe Dam. His crew completed their task successfully and damaged the wall but it did not collapse. Only later did they learn that the other aircraft meant to bomb the Sorpe had failed to reach the target. Overall, however, the operation was judged a success – the other two dam walls had been breached. Johnny was one of the recipients of the Distinguished Flying Medal for his contribution that night. He was 21 years old.
In all, he completed fifty bombing operations, way higher than the average, the towers of this very Cathedral guiding him outward and homeward each time. He then served as an instructor to new aircrew. He remained in the RAF after the war in a variety of roles in the UK and the Far East, reaching the rank of Squadron Leader.
Then came a turning point. He and his wife Gwyn had married in 1943 and by now had three children. He decided that a stable family life was more important than the continued disruption of moving to new postings, which promotion would inevitably entail.
In 1962 he left the RAF, after 22 years’ service. There followed another 22 years in a different but no less challenging career: as an educationist working with adults with special needs. First, he went back to college and trained as a primary school teacher. He taught young children for a few years but then took a position as education officer at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire. Rampton housed – and houses – those with severe mental disorders who are deemed a serious risk to the public.
Johnny set about devising a curriculum and mode of tuition that would meet their needs. This was no small achievement, since all had learning difficulties and some might turn violent at any stage. His horticultural skills at last came in handy – he made his greatest gains through teaching inmates to garden. He was even able to take a group of them on a study visit to the outside world, a nearby garden centre.
From Rampton, Johnny joined the staff of Balderton Hospital, another facility treating those with mental illness. Here again, he contributed to an approach to learning and rehabilitation far ahead of its time. He worked with those deemed able to return to the community, preparing them for an independent life; but he also worked with the communities among whom they would settle, preparing them for life with a special needs neighbour.
In retirement, Johnny and Gwyn busied themselves in local politics and community life, always at the service of others. He suffered the blow of losing Gwyn in 2005; since then, he has been incredibly active in the public sphere, inspiring others and continuing to make his family very proud of him.
Chancellor, in the context of these outstanding achievements, I would like to call on you to confer on Johnny Johnson, the award of Honorary Doctor of the University of Lincoln.
The graduation ceremony can be viewed here,
The section including the citation starts here,
Finally Johnny Johnson actually receiving his degree begins here.