THE last surviving British member of the famous wartime Dambusters crew has visited his alma mater.

Johnny Johnson, 93, was treated to a parade by Lord Wandsworth College’s Combined Cadet Force and honoured with a flypast from nearby RAF Odiham.

The Second World War veteran spoke to history classes about his experiences in the war, took part in a question-and-answer session, and was taken around his old boarding house by current pupils.

“Lord Wandsworth College provided me with the makings of my life and it was here that my life really began,” he said. “I shall always be grateful for that initial grounding.”

Johnny joined the RAF in 1940 and, after training in the United States and Canada, he became a bomb aimer on the Lancasters. This involved sitting beneath the nose of the aircraft to identify targets and guide the pilot.

In 1943, he joined a new squadron – the 617 – which became known as the Dambusters for their famous and daring attacks on the Ruhr and its dams using the little-known bouncing bombs pioneered by Barnes Wallis.

On May 16, 1943, the squadron set off on Operation Chastise to bomb dams in the industrial heartland of Germany and jeopardise their war effort. The operation was daring, dangerous and required skilful flying at low levels at night, without being detected.

Johnny’s plane was tasked with bombing the Sorpe dam. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for acts of valour, courage and devotion to duty while flying in active operations against the enemy.

Headteacher Adam Williams said: “Johnny’s visit was inspirational to all of us here at Lord Wandsworth. He describes himself as‚‘not old, just older’ and is a bright-eyed man, sharp as a tack, with a genuine interest in teenagers fulfilling their potential.

“His stories of courage and perseverance had us all enthralled. He is a man for whom our foundation made a genuinely huge difference, as it continues to do for so many of our pupils.”