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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 16, 2022 Page 7 “The Old Sachem” Dambusters By Bill Stewart R eaders know I deal mostly in sports, recent or of yesterday, but occasionally write about a historical event that captures my imagination. An interesting obituary in The Globe this week is of George, better known as Johnny, Johnson, an Englishman who is the last remaining member of an aircraft group of the British Royal Air Force that completed an important mission in the war. Johnson was 101 years old and the only one left from a group that became known as the Dambusters during World War II. The 133 men who took part in the raids were members of a Royal Airforce 617 bomber squadron that was commissioned to destroy German dams, war plants, power stations, bridges, railroads and roads, devastate farmland and waste away towns. Germany was forced to divert thousands of troops to repair the damage the bombardiers created. It caused the death of more than a thousand people from the fl oods that were created as the dams were destroyed. On May 17, 1943, 19 Lancaster heavy bombers with 133 airmen aboard struck and destroyed two major dams in the Ruhr region and damHONORING| FROM PAGE 6 with Nancy. The skills and qualities that Nancy instilled are part of the reason why so many of her former students today are performing professionally on Broadway and TV and are teaching drama, directing and also technical aspects of theater. They are in classrooms all over the country, from elementary school right up to university level. Nancy was courageous and ahead of her time. If she thought a particular show worked for the community, she fought to work out of the box and get it produced. She was never afraid of a challenge. John Macero, who worked for 12 years in Saugus Public Schools – including as the Fine Arts Director and Principal of the Lynnhurst Elementary School – noted that Mitchell’s students learned all genres of music, from rock to symphony band. “Overall, Mr. Mitchell’s aged another, smaller dam, resulting in severe fl ooding and causing very signifi cant damage to the area, and to Germany’s war effort. The dams were considered too narrow to bomb from a normal altitude; the bombs had to be dropped from an altitude of only 60 feet to assure accuracy. This would subject the planes to intense pressure from anti-aircraft guns. The British first had to develop a specific bomb that would tumble from the aircraft without varying its aim on the targets; therefore, the bomb would be dropped in the water close to the dam, bounce to the structure, submerge to the bottom and explode, destroying the dam. The mission was highly successful and enthralled the British public, who were targets of German bombing during this period. Eight of the bombers were shot down, which claimed the lives of 53 airmen. Johnson was born in the East Midlands village of Hameringham. He attended an agriculture school at 11 years old, and upon graduation in 1940, he joined the British Airforce. He became a sergeant. As the bombardier of his aircraft, he was given the job of determining exactly gift to the Town of Saugus was his dedication to his students and their families,” Macero said. Mitchell’s mission was “to simply make lives better” through the music he taught. “His gift to his students was to empower students,” Macero said. “He not only built hopes, but he allowed us to do the same for our students. … By teaching us and having us go on, we went on with the same core values,” he said. Under Mitchell’s guidance, Saugus High School bands traveled all over the country, performing at “historic sites from Washington, D.C. to Saugus, California.” In addition, Mitchell “always had his students perform for Saugus at football games and parades,” Macero said. “As a citizen of Saugus, he was endeared to the town and its people.” Mitchell touched many lives as an exceptional music educator for the town from 1949 to 1993. He served as the leader “The Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart when to release the bombs; the method used was not what the group normally dropped, but they were well trained to do the unique action. When he was notifi ed of the successful raid, Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech in congratulations of the activity. This didn’t end the confl ict, but it raised the pride in Britain, which needed it at the time. Five years before Johnson’s death, he was awarded the title Member of the Order of the British Empire in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column about sports.) HONORING | SEE PAGE 15 OUR OFFICE HAS MOVED TO 519 BROADWAY, EVERETT SABATINO INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: Rocco Longo, Owner WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM

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