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Give him a Dam Gong: Last Dambuster snubbed AGAIN for knighthood


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Old 04-01-2017, 19:07
ayrshireman1
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The Sun
KATIE HODGE & JAMES MILLS


'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.

Pals launched a campaign for a knighthood to honour his bravery and his tireless charity work since the war. But he was snubbed while a series of others won gongs in the New Year’s Honours list.

It follows a cronyism row over David Cameron’s resignation honours after he stepped down as PM last July.

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.

“He deserves an honour much more than all those people who have been rewar*ded for just doing their jobs — and not doing them particularly well in a lot of cases.” '

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/252074...-honours-list/

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Old 04-01-2017, 19:10
ayrshireman1
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'Give Britain's last surviving Dambuster hero a knighthood'

Petition:

https://www.change.org/p/give-britai...2FTHS%2BLB4%3D



A DAM HERO: 'Who is George “Johnny” Johnson? Last surviving Brit from Dambusters RAF squadron – here’s what we know.'


https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/253206...years-honours/
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Old 04-01-2017, 19:14
Dotheboyshall
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Why should the "last man standing" get a knighthood?
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Old 04-01-2017, 19:19
ayrshireman1
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It would imo be a fine gesture towards a group of men who for nearly 70 years have been treated appallingly by politicians. And until recently even the British public.

A nice counter-balance. Wouldn't it be lovely/great to honour at least one Dambusters legend before they are ALL GONE?.

And, hero that he is, Johnson has said to the BBC that he would dedicate any honour to him publicly, to all the men of the Dambusters, 617 Sqd, and to all the Bomber Command of the war.
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Old 04-01-2017, 19:30
dodrade
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Bit of a non-story, he already got a DFC for his part in the raid (as well as a string of service medals). As for his charity work just because he didn't get anything this time doesn't mean he won't be honoured in future, although an MBE or BEM is more likely than a knighthood.
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Old 04-01-2017, 19:36
ayrshireman1
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Bit of a non-story, he already got a DFC for his part in the raid (as well as a string of service medals). As for his charity work just because he didn't get anything this time doesn't mean he won't be honoured in future, although an MBE or BEM is more likely than a knighthood.
Bomber Command does not even have its own medal. Merely a clasp. Given what they did, and their horrific losses, that is imo shameful. It also took nearly 70 years for Arctic Convoy veterans to receive any sort of medal. Another horrendous campaign.
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Old 04-01-2017, 19:42
jra
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Why should the "last man standing" get a knighthood?
I'd say because they deserve it a lot more than many others.

Lots of people get in the honours list for essentially 'providing services to **** all'.
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Old 04-01-2017, 20:31
Ashenden
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Paul Walmsley, who kicked off the petition, is just showing his ignorance of the honours system.

Just like those who shouted for Wootten Bassett be given the Royal preface without having a clue about why towns are granted the title 'Royal' ; and against the wishes of many of the residents of the town.

And for those Diana fans who demanded that the flag/standard at Buckingham Palace be flown at half mast, despite hundreds of years tradition that the Royal Standard was never flown at half mast there.
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Old Yesterday, 11:08
walterwhite
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Has anyone actually nominated him for one?
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Old Yesterday, 11:29
Evo102
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Has anyone actually nominated him for one?
Not as far as I can tell, seems one of his pals just wrote to the Queen a few months ago suggesting he get one and when he didn't they went squealing to the Sun.
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Old Yesterday, 11:47
MAW
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Not as far as I can tell, seems one of his pals just wrote to the Queen a few months ago suggesting he get one and when he didn't they went squealing to the Sun.
He was nominated. Essentially, to nominate someone you just write in. If you know anyone worthy you can do it yourself.
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Old Yesterday, 11:54
eggchen
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Present him with a pewter statue of N*gger the dog.
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Old Yesterday, 11:55
walterwhite
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He was nominated. Essentially, to nominate someone you just write in. If you know anyone worthy you can do it yourself.
Well it doesn't say anyone has nominate him. Plus you don't just write in and you certainly don't write to the Queen.
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Old Yesterday, 12:01
Ashford Steve
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Surely, anyone involved in actions during WW2 should have been, or was, decorated during the war or in it's immediate aftermath. This smells a bit, suggesting that someone in the tabloids is putting up a straw man argument, simply because a knighthood or similar has been awarded to someone of whom the rightwing media bubble disapproves.

Remind me, which paper was it who asked Mo Farah if he should really be running for
Somalia?
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Old Yesterday, 12:24
Evo102
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He was nominated. Essentially, to nominate someone you just write in. If you know anyone worthy you can do it yourself.
No you don't, you have to complete a form to nominate, here's the link with all the information needed.

https://www.gov.uk/honours/overview
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Old Yesterday, 12:51
phylo_roadking
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Surely, anyone involved in actions during WW2 should have been, or was, decorated during the war or in it's immediate aftermath. This smells a bit, suggesting that someone in the tabloids is putting up a straw man argument, simply because a knighthood or similar has been awarded to someone of whom the rightwing media bubble disapproves.

Remind me, which paper was it who asked Mo Farah if he should really be running for
Somalia?
Actually, after Dresden and several similar raids in 1945, opinion in Whitehall turned away from Bomber Command, despite it's incredible efforts and 55,000+ casualties...and very little recognition forthcoming, hence the decades-long wrangling over a proper memorial for them for example.
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Old Yesterday, 13:38
MAW
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Actually, after Dresden and several similar raids in 1945, opinion in Whitehall turned away from Bomber Command, despite it's incredible efforts and 55,000+ casualties...and very little recognition forthcoming, hence the decades-long wrangling over a proper memorial for them for example.
There was a recent award for Bomber Command survivors. So little, so late, my father turned it down, wouldn't attend,
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Old Yesterday, 16:26
TeeGee
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In a conversation with an older man at work years ago I asked him why he did not make a journey easier by plane as our office was near the airport. "Not too keen on flying you know" he said in a gentle Welsh accent.

I recounted this to somebody else who was amazed I did not know that he was a much decorated Lancaster bomber pilot. The other man told me he himself "only" flew Mosquitos.

So many did so much and sometimes I feel that there was no greater reward than living to tell the tale whatever the arm of the Forces. I just wish people were a little more aware of what they did for us all..
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Old Yesterday, 17:02
MAW
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No you don't, you have to complete a form to nominate, here's the link with all the information needed.

https://www.gov.uk/honours/overview
That's a change from when I took part in nominating someone. Writing to the Queen wasn't the way it was done back then though, it was a civil service department. But you just wrote. There's a government form for wiping your arse being drafted as we speak, no doubt
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Old Yesterday, 18:10
Roger_Peters
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Isn't he now dead?

I am sure that someone on LBC radio said he died towards the end of last year.
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Old Yesterday, 18:21
MAW
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Isn't he now dead?

I am sure that someone on LBC radio said he died towards the end of last year.
He was very muchalive in October as a friend of mine had lunch with him. The media think he's still alive.
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Old Yesterday, 18:36
skp20040
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Paul Walmsley, who kicked off the petition, is just showing his ignorance of the honours system.

Just like those who shouted for Wootten Bassett be given the Royal preface without having a clue about why towns are granted the title 'Royal' ; and against the wishes of many of the residents of the town.

And for those Diana fans who demanded that the flag/standard at Buckingham Palace be flown at half mast, despite hundreds of years tradition that the Royal Standard was never flown at half mast there.
Yes that one people just did not bother to fact check, a Royal Standard of the Monarch is never flown at half mast only fully to show they are in residence , half mast for a Monarchs Standard means death and the Monarch is never dead as one succeeds the moment one dies. They could of course have flown the Union Jack at half mast which they did later
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Old Yesterday, 18:53
Brendan Mulcaky
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His autobiography is a fantastic read.
He had a very difficult childhood.
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Old Yesterday, 18:56
blueblade
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I'd say because they deserve it a lot more than many others.

Lots of people get in the honours list for essentially 'providing services to **** all'.
Mark Thatcher is a "Sir" - 'nuff said
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Old Yesterday, 19:34
MAW
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Mark Thatcher is a "Sir" - 'nuff said
For services to the rubber johnny industry we can only suppose
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