I spent today in the company of Heroes

I was lucky enough to go to the same event Radpoe Meteor, was an amazing night, the other chap was Eric Quinney I believe ,flew P for Popsie in the Dambusters film, there’s a short documentary about him here, very interesting! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMtS4B72h48

Hello Jack, thank you for correcting Eric’s surname for me, much appreciated.:)

I was lucky enough to go to the same event Radpoe Meteor, was an amazing night, the other chap was Eric Quinney I believe ,flew P for Popsie in the Dambusters film, there’s a short documentary about him here, very interesting! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMtS4B72h48

And what a wonderful fellow to have chance to meet. I read about a book signing taking part at Tuxford with Johnny signing “the Last Dambuster”.

He was there with another fellow, Eric Dennison (I hope I got his name right),who flew one of the Lancasters for the film.

Although I was halfway through working nights, I got up special to take my Son & Daughter to meet them. When I got to the shop we were the only ones there (it was about 15 mins before closing time) . On my introduction I asked johnny if he remembered the navigator Jack Warner, who’s aircraft ( AJ-K) was shot down over the Zuider Zee, to which he did. when he told me what he knew,I said ” thank you for your memories of him, may I introduce Ellie & Harvey, Jack’s Great, great Niece & Nephew”.

His reaction was priceless- the most wonderful smile was follwed by him making a fuss of them both, insisting of having his picture taken with them and us spending 3/4 of an hour there before he drove back home to Bristol- not bad for a 93 y/o!!!!

What was an opportunity to meet one of my Heroes had become an unforgetable momement.

One question I must ask, as I find it rather confusing.

How many “Johnny Johnsons ” were there in the RAF during WWII. ? Was the Christian name “Johnny”, automatically applied
to anyone with the surname “Johnson” ?

There just has to be one ! Depressingly predictable.

PanzerJohn would you care to expand a little on the event?

Please lets not arrogantly lecture others when they feel moved to express gratituide to those who were prepared to sacrifice for the good of others.

(And at the same time make a grab for some of the same gratitide by mentioning that they also served, attention seeking is not dignified and i certainly have not widely observed it in the generation that served in the second world war.)

(Mods please feel free to delete this post as long as the preceeding one is also deleted.)

Please let’s not over do the hyperbole. I would bet plenty that Mr. Johnson does not think of himself as a ‘Hero’.

If we continually inflate language it loses all meaning. If Mr.Johnson thinks of himself at all, it would be as a person who did his duty when duty called.

Yes, a noble duty. Yes, a courageous duty but, do not let us over embellish.

Before you all scream for my blood, I’m an ex serviceman !