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Personal info

Full name
JOHNSTON, John V
Date of birth
1922
Age
unknown
Place of birth
Adams County, Illinois
Hometown
Adams County, Illinois

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