Last living Dambuster gets two-wheeled fly past from Wing Commander who lives near Grantham

Britain’s last surviving Dambuster, who taught in Newark after the war, got a two-wheeled flypast visit from a fundraiser ahead of his 100th birthday later this year.

An RAF officer based at RAF College Cranwell cycled 200 miles overnight on Sunday as part of a two-wheeled ‘flypast’ in front of war hero Squadron Leader George ‘Johnny’ Johnson.

The cycle past was planned as part of the RAF Benevolent Fund’s Dambusters Ride, a 100 and 56-mile cycle fundraiser which celebrates Johnny’s 100th birthday later this year, and pays tribute to the Dambusters raid that took place between May 16 and 17, 1943.

Wing Commander Mike Ainsworth, from Barkston, cycled from RAF Scampton to Johnny’s home near Bristol. He set off at 10.01pm on Sunday, the same time Johnny’s aircraft, AJ-T, took off for the Dambusters raid 78 years before.

Riding through the night and the following morning, Mike arrived at Johnny’s home in time to join a group of 12 other local riders who completed a 19-mile loop before arriving in Bristol — one mile for each of the Lancaster crews that flew in Operation Chastise.

Over the course of the year, Mike is cycling 5,600 miles raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund, the RAF’s leading welfare charity.

Mike said: “It was an absolute pleasure to join the cycle past event in front of Johnny as part of my 5,600 mile challenge this year. This distance represents 100 miles for each crew member from the eight Lancaster bombers that did not return from the Dambusters raid.

“I also turned 56 this year, which makes my target especially fitting.

“I’ve been in the Royal Air Force for 35 years, so the RAF Benevolent Fund is a cause very close to my heart. I grew up at RAF Halton as my parents both served and one of my earliest memories is watching The Dam Busters film at the station as a young boy, so I’m honoured to be paying tribute to those who risked their lives in the Dambusters raid.”

Operation Chastise was a pivotal moment during the second world war when 19 Lancaster crews targeted three dams in the heart of Germany’s war machine. It was a risky raid, dropping the revolutionary bouncing bomb at low level, and the cost was high.

Of 133 crew who took part, 53 were killed in action and three were taken prisoner of war.

To donate or find out more about the fund-raiser, visit: https://rafbf.enthuse.com/pf/mike-ainsworth