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Personal info

Full name
JOHNSON, Lewis F
Date of birth
22 March 1917
Age
26
Place of birth
Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Hometown
Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Military service

Service number
O-434047
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Navigator
Unit
333rd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
17 July 1943
Place of death
Near Helgoland, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Joe Johnson (father)
Blanche (Lewis) Johnson (mother)
Dwight R. Johnson (brother)
Betty J. Johnson (sister)
Ann Johnson (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-3219
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Dear Mom
Destination: Hamburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft industry
MACR: 93

More information

2nd Lt Johnson graduated at Mather Field, California on 5 December 1941, and became an instructor.

He married in Eau Claire on 19 February 1943.

The element originally designated to attack Hamburg was a combined force of 125 B-17's, but weather caused a recall of this formation. However 84 B-17's from 94BG (18), 95BG (23), 96BG (21) and 100BG (22) sighted a German ship convoy on the return. Only one B-17 from BG96 managed to drop on the convoy. Another segment of this formation, 385BG (21) and 388BG (20) attempted to bomb the Fokker aircraft factory at Amsterdam. Ao total of 22 aircraft attempted the bombing, but the results were highly scattered and 150 civilians were killed. 1 B-17 from 94BG, aircraft 42-3219, was shot down by enemy aircraft (2 engines were hit) near Helgoland, Germany.

The entire crew was killed. Every crew member, with the exception of waist gunner Everett A. Quimby is remembered on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten. We have no information why he isn't mentioned.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, André Koch, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - Macr 93, http://www.8thafhs.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930/1940 Census, Church Record / City Directory, www.newspapers.com

Photo source: André Koch, http://www.chippewavalleyww2.org - Chippewa Valley WW2 Group