Flt/Lt W A 'Johnny' Johnson-Biggs DFC, Rear Gunner
Johnny, with his wife, was a regular attender at Reunions until 2004 when age and ill health prevented him from coming.
His story, "How I became an air gunner" was published in the Winter/Spring 2006 edition of the Nightjar.
He joined the RAF in 1935 and trained as a medical orderly in the rank of ACl and ended the war as a Flt/Lt. with a DFC . He flew a total of 67 ops as a rear gunner (a few as mid-upper) with 214 on Stirlings and 15, 97 and 619 Squadrons on Lancasters. He was also credited with shooting down two night fighters. He was awarded the DFC on June 30th. 1944.
Johnny died on February 14th. 2007 aged 96
At his funeral service on March 1st 2007 Norman Storey, a 214 Squadron Association member and a fellow air gunner read out a tribute to Johnny and said he was a very courageous man in both war and peace and always cheerful whatever adversity befell him.
At the beginning and end of the funeral service an organist played "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" and during part of the service the "Dambusters March" was played.
Source : Nightjar Newsletter Summer/Autumn 2007
Date record last updated : 7 November 2009