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name
JOHNSON, Byron Wallace - Date of
birth
26 June 1923 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Wisconsin -
Hometown
Jefferson, Jefferson County, Wisconsin
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
16022309 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
358th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
22 June 1943 - Place of
death
Berg Bossendorf, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 21 | 20 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Arnie B. Johnson (father)
Minnie Johnson (mother)
Orin Johnson (brother)
Marvin Johnson (brother)
Jerry Johnson (brother)
Lorraine Johnson (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-5432 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: The Hunting Club
Destination: Huls, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the chemical works and the synthetic rubber plants
MACR: 3077
More information
S/Sgt Byron W. Johnson graduated from Wittenberg High School in 1941.He joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army in Wausau, Wisconsin at 26 June 1941.
The plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire and attacked by enemy fighters. It went in a tight spiral, making the crew members in the rear helpless to move about.
S/Sgt Johnson was found in the plane with his skull crushed by the hydraulic tail strut.
Six crew members were killed. They were initialy all buried at the Prisoner of War Memorial Cemetery in Sythen, near Haltern, Germany. Four crew members were taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.303rdbg.com, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.footnote.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil
Photo source: Michel Beckers, www.303rdbg.com, www.findagrave.com - patootie