Jack Russell: Former cricketer paints last surviving Dambuster

Mr Russell said he hoped his painting would help people "appreciate" what Mr Johnson did more

Former England cricketer Jack Russell has created a portrait of the last surviving Dambuster.

Johnny Johnson, from Stroud, was a member of 617 squadron which flew in Operation Chastise - known as the Dambusters raid - in May 1943.

The 100-year-old is the last person alive to have flown in the mission to destroy German-controlled dams.

Mr Russell said he hoped the painting would "immortalise them so we can appreciate them".

"It has been great because he's such a lively character... He's coming up to 101 this year, but he is still pretty sharp," Mr Russell added.

He described Mr Johnson as an "absolute gentleman" and a bit of a celebrity in his care home in the Gloucestershire town.

Mr Johnson is the last surviving member of the Dambusters

The former England wicketkeeper-turned-artist also spoke about the importance of capturing Mr Johnson's generation.

"Ever since I was a young lad I liked my military history," he told BBC Points West.

"When you're interacting with these guys and you're chatting away and they say things.

"They look at you and have a certain look or they're talking about something a little bit unpleasant that they've experienced.

"There's a look in their eye and sometimes that comes across. Sometimes I can capture a little bit of that."

The Dambusters Raid involved the use of special "bouncing bombs" which were developed by scientist Sir Barnes Wallis to destroy dams in the Ruhr Valley - an area which was vital to Nazi Germany's war effort.

Mr Russell spent hours creating the painting

During the raid, the RAF crews overcame the odds to breach the Möhne and Edersee dams which caused widespread flooding, destroying two hydroelectric power stations and damaging several more.

In May, Mr Russell revealed he was painting some of the last surviving veterans of the Korean War to mark 70 years since they returned home.

• Petition to knight last UK Dambuster

• Dambusters: Triumph and tragedy

• How effective was the Dambusters raid?

He has been painting soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment, known as the Glorious Glosters - who returned to the UK in 1953 after an armistice was signed.

They were hailed as heroes following the decisive Battle of the Imjin River in 1951 which helped stop Chinese forces from capturing Seoul - South Korea's capital city.