Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
JOHNSTON, John V - Date of
birth
1922 -
Age
unknown -
Place of birth
Adams County, Illinois -
Hometown
Adams County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-742430 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
577th Bombardment Squadron,
392nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 February 1944 - Place of
death
Waltershausen, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 11 | 12 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Belle C. Johnston (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-7658 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Poco Loco
Destination: Gotha, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft industry
MACR: 2949
More information
Surviving crew members stated that the bomb bay doors were opened just before the bomb run. At this time, flak was such that the pilot employed some evasive action to avoid being hit by heavy barrages. The ship was damaged by this fire and caused the plane to fall slightly behind the formation as a tail-end straggler. According to this report and, just as suddenly, the plane was jumped by enemy fighters which finished the severe damage to the plane. This account continued to say that the ship was on fire in the bomb bays which was attributed to a short in electrical circuitry.Six crew members survived and were taken prisoner, four were killed. They were initially buried at the cemetery of Waltershausen on 4 March 1944. Three of them weren't identified at that time and were buried in a common grave.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, www.B24.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov
Photo source: www.findagrave.com