:00:00. > 3:59:59Arsenal in Europe. Natalie thank you very much again at the Emirates
:00:00. > :00:15.The last British Dambuster. Stadium.
:00:16. > :00:18.As calls grow to honour Johnny Johnson, broadcaster
:00:19. > :00:22.Michael Buerk takes him on a journey back to Germany.
:00:23. > :00:24.The Dambuster raid was one of the most extraordinary
:00:25. > :00:26.missions in history, but the whole bombing
:00:27. > :00:29.campaign against Germany in the Second World War remains
:00:30. > :00:33.strategically and morally controversial.
:00:34. > :00:36.Police carry out raids in London to cut the drugs
:00:37. > :00:40.And feeling like spring in the forecast.
:00:41. > :00:42.Temperatures into the mid-teens later in the week,
:00:43. > :00:56.It was one of the most daring flying missions of the Second World War.
:00:57. > :01:01.Late one May evening in 1943, 19 Lancaster bombers of the 617
:01:02. > :01:05.Squadron took off from Britain to attack three different dams -
:01:06. > :01:10.Johnny Johnson's squadron was heading for the Sorpe,
:01:11. > :01:12.an altogether different design, not at all suited
:01:13. > :01:19.Johnny is now the last surviving Dambuster and 300,000 people have
:01:20. > :01:23.signed a petition demanding he receives a knighthood.
:01:24. > :01:26.The celebrated broadcaster Michael Buerk, who began his career
:01:27. > :01:30.at BBC Bristol, has taken Mr Johnson back to Germany to the place
:01:31. > :01:36.Johnny Johnson may be looking at the present,
:01:37. > :01:43.He's back three quarters of a century to a moonlit night,
:01:44. > :01:48.an almost impossible mission, death and glory.
:01:49. > :01:58.As a young man, he was part of RAF Bomber Command,
:01:59. > :02:01.part of the sustained lethal campaign against the Nazis' war
:02:02. > :02:06.machine that all but destroyed many of Germany's cities.
:02:07. > :02:17.The mission involved dropping specially-invented bombs designed
:02:18. > :02:21.to destroy the three targets, the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams,
:02:22. > :02:26.captured in the 1950s film The Dambusters.
:02:27. > :02:32.As a bomb aimer, Johnny Johnson's job was to hit the Sorpe Dam.
:02:33. > :02:36.Our briefing was to fly across the Dam to drop the bomb
:02:37. > :02:39.as near as possible to the centre of the dam.
:02:40. > :02:42.It was something we hadn't practised at all in training,
:02:43. > :02:45.that type of attack, so it was practice, practice,
:02:46. > :02:49.practice here until you got it right and that was the only way
:02:50. > :02:59.Fritz, then 14, was hiding in a tunnel under the dam that night.
:03:00. > :03:02.TRANSLATION: The doors inside the dam burst open
:03:03. > :03:11.and there was an enormous gush of wind.
:03:12. > :03:26.Johnny's bomb was spot-on, but not enough to breach the Sorpe,
:03:27. > :03:31.but the other Dambusters blew great holes in the Mohne and Eder dams.
:03:32. > :03:34.Historians say Bomber Command's role in the Second World War remains
:03:35. > :03:40.I do think the reluctance to issue a Bomber Command campaign medal
:03:41. > :03:45.at this stage does reflect how controversial it is and the possible
:03:46. > :03:49.upset it can cause in Germany if they do decorate these people
:03:50. > :03:52.who destroyed all our parents' cities.
:03:53. > :03:55.Johnny was awarded a distinguished flying medal.
:03:56. > :03:58.He feels that Bomber Command have never been properly rewarded
:03:59. > :04:03.for their contribution to the war effort with a campaign medal.
:04:04. > :04:05.Three years ago they were given a Clasp, but Johnny
:04:06. > :04:11.Disgusted is the best way I can describe it.
:04:12. > :04:16.I feel that there's been no attempt to recognise the sacrifice
:04:17. > :04:25.For retrospective historians, I just ask them to questions.
:04:26. > :04:27.For retrospective historians, I just ask them two questions.
:04:28. > :04:30.Were you personally aware of the circumstances
:04:31. > :04:36.The answer to both those questions is no, so keep
:04:37. > :04:46.Now, two old men beside a lake where they both nearly
:04:47. > :05:02.Friends now until the end of their days.
:05:03. > :05:06.Earlier I spoke to defence expert Air Vice Marshal Tony Mason,
:05:07. > :05:09.who lives in Gloucestershire and asked him if he thought Johnny
:05:10. > :05:16.I think he deserves a knighthood, not just because he's
:05:17. > :05:19.lived to the age of 95, nor because he is the sole
:05:20. > :05:27.It would be a recognition of the enormous contribution,
:05:28. > :05:30.the undervalued contribution, which Bomber Command made
:05:31. > :05:35.There has been an overall reluctance to recognise
:05:36. > :05:42.The civilian loss was very, very heavy.
:05:43. > :05:47.Again, the general public naturally didn't understand that this
:05:48. > :05:53.This was the attempt, and the successful attempt
:05:54. > :05:58.by Bomber Command and the Allies, to destroy the industrial warmaking
:05:59. > :06:10.And that in fact was what Bomber Command did.
:06:11. > :06:12.Would we have won the war without what Bomber Command did?
:06:13. > :06:14.We would have won the war against Germany because,
:06:15. > :06:17.with the advent of United States and the Soviet Union
:06:18. > :06:19.on the other side, Germany would have been defeated,
:06:20. > :06:22.but it would have taken much longer and, in the long run, far,
:06:23. > :06:26.far more Allied lives would have been lost.
:06:27. > :06:29.What do you think should be done then to recognise
:06:30. > :06:36.Well, it's very late now to recognise Bomber Command.
:06:37. > :06:39.The only remaining thing that could be done really is to confer
:06:40. > :06:43.a knighthood on Johnny Johnson, which would be symbolic
:06:44. > :06:49.of the nation, finally, totally, completely recognising the sacrifice
:06:50. > :06:55.that Bomber Command, for six years, and the enormous contribution,
:06:56. > :06:59.invaluable contribution which those lives made, to winning the war,
:07:00. > :07:03.shortening the war, and thereby saving an awful lot of British
:07:04. > :07:13.and Allied lives, including, of course, civilian lives over here.
:07:14. > :07:16.Air Vice Marshal Tony Mason, thank you very much.
:07:17. > :07:20.Four people have been arrested in raids in London in connection
:07:21. > :07:23.with the supply of class A drugs into Gloucestershire.
:07:24. > :07:25.Local police made the arrests with help from the Met.
:07:26. > :07:31.Here's our Gloucestershire reporter Steve Knibbs.
:07:32. > :07:35.This is the culmination of a long investigation.
:07:36. > :07:43.30 police officers from Gloucestershire carry out
:07:44. > :07:45.simultaneous strikes on four buildings to arrest four people
:07:46. > :07:51.they believe are heavily involved in supplying drugs into the county.
:07:52. > :07:54.Within minutes all four targets are arrested.
:07:55. > :07:58.All on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs.
:07:59. > :08:01.All, apart from one of the men, are also suspected of money
:08:02. > :08:06.laundering, With the suspects in custody, specialist search teams
:08:07. > :08:08.With the suspects in custody, specialist search teams
:08:09. > :08:11.and scenes of crime officers then moved in and looked in every nook
:08:12. > :08:15.These arrests were part of Operation Side Swipe,
:08:16. > :08:18.aimed at targeting so-called Dangerous Drugs Networks.
:08:19. > :08:21.Effectively, gangs who prey on vulnerable users
:08:22. > :08:24.They'll often take over someone's house to deal from,
:08:25. > :08:26.so-called cuckooing, all under threat
:08:27. > :08:30.This is one of the most significant operations launched
:08:31. > :08:32.by Gloucestershire constabulary in recent years.
:08:33. > :08:35.It's the result of many months of gathering intelligence
:08:36. > :08:38.and analysing that intelligence and detectives say it
:08:39. > :08:41.proves their determination to show that Gloucestershire isn't an easy
:08:42. > :08:45.target for those who want to deal drugs wherever they come from.
:08:46. > :08:48.These people think they can come into Gloucester and commit
:08:49. > :08:50.the crimes they are doing, selling drugs to our
:08:51. > :08:53.young vulnerable people, and exploiting people,
:08:54. > :08:58.This is why it's important that we do take the fight back to them.
:08:59. > :09:00.All four arrested today are still in custody
:09:01. > :09:03.as the investigation into serious drug dealing in Gloucestershire
:09:04. > :09:11.continues in and away from the county.
:09:12. > :09:13.Peaches Golding says she's delighted at being chosen to be
:09:14. > :09:19.The former High Sheriff will become the first black person in history
:09:20. > :09:23.to become a Lord Lieutenant when she takes up the role.
:09:24. > :09:26.The ceremonial position means Peaches, who was born in America,
:09:27. > :09:28.will be the Queen's representative in the city.
:09:29. > :09:31.Football now and Bristol City drew 1-1 with Norwich
:09:32. > :09:35.City are looking to climb out of the relegation zone
:09:36. > :09:37.after dropping into the bottom three last Saturday.
:09:38. > :09:41.They are currently one point away from safety.
:09:42. > :09:48.We're back with you in Breakfast tomorrow from 6.30 but for now I'll
:09:49. > :09:53.leave you with Sara Thornton who has the forecast.
:09:54. > :09:57.With the sun now setting after six o'clock, and some
:09:58. > :10:00.power in that sun too, it's starting to feel a little bit
:10:01. > :10:03.The next few days no exception because we've got some rain moving
:10:04. > :10:07.in at the moment but it is a warm front and some milder air
:10:08. > :10:09.pumping in with that rain as we go through the night,
:10:10. > :10:12.so by tomorrow morning very different to this morning.
:10:13. > :10:15.We start at 10 perhaps 11 Celsius, but there is rain
:10:16. > :10:19.As we go through the day tomorrow, bits and pieces of rain continue
:10:20. > :10:23.It looks like it could perhaps clear up in Gloucestershire around
:10:24. > :10:26.the Bristol Channel for a time before more rain moves
:10:27. > :10:29.in by the end of the afternoon and for the evening.
:10:30. > :10:33.12, 13 Celsius, 55 in Fahrenheit, and there will be breaks in that
:10:34. > :10:35.rain and it is light and patchy at times.
:10:36. > :10:42.Yes, some cloud at first breaking from the North as we go
:10:43. > :10:46.That spring sunshine coming through and have a look
:10:47. > :10:50.at the temperatures, 13, 14 Celsius, 57 in Fahrenheit.
:10:51. > :10:53.If you like that, there's more on the cards for Friday.
:10:54. > :10:57.Perhaps the cloud a little bit thicker for you on Friday.
:10:58. > :11:02.Here's Nick with more in the national forecast.
:11:03. > :11:09.rain on Saturday. The national picture now from Nick Miller.
:11:10. > :11:14.It looks like next week high pressure will become a player again
:11:15. > :11:19.in our weather, settling things down for some of us for a time but until
:11:20. > :11:23.then it is low-pressure, rain moving across the UK overnight but not wet
:11:24. > :11:27.all the time. Many of us at a fine day today, this was at you from West
:11:28. > :11:30.Yorkshire and Yorkshire and northern England and Northern Ireland will
:11:31. > :11:36.farewell tomorrow, after this frontal system has pushed on through
:11:37. > :11:39.the UK with rain. But as it does, it introduces milder air so for the
:11:40. > :11:42.rest of the week we will have temperatures widely into double
:11:43. > :11:47.figures. Back to the here and now and that rain which has been like an
:11:48. > :11:48.patchy across the west of the UK during the day