William J Johnston
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Sent through to the American Air Museum by Valery Burks:
'Here is a picture of my great uncle William J Johnston... I would greatly appreciate if you would please post his picture for me to the website, so that everyone may have a chance to see him. It is such an honor for me as a veteran to honor my great uncle William a.k.a. "Billy" J Johnston.'
Object Number - UPL 30775 - Second Lieutenant William J 'Billy' Johnston. He would be Killed in Action on 5 November 1943.
Bombardier, Hopp crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 5 November 1943 in B-17 #42-30852 'Blowin' Bessie'. Mission #42 to the synthetic oil factory at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. MACR 1399. Killed in Action (KIA). Lt Johnston had struck his head on the bombsight and was bleeding. The Germans reported him as dead and stated his parachute didn't open. Possibly drowned. Buried in the Netherlands AMC.
Youngstown, OH
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-801752
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35486698
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33351114
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34356868
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17038024 at enlistment, then O-523266
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hot Toddy, Blowin Bessie
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 5 November 1943
Places
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, The Netherlands
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Died |
5 November 1943 | ||
|
Born |
Youngstown, Ohio, USA | ||
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Hollland | 5 November 1943 | |
|
Buried |
Plot I Row 9 Grave 16 |
Revisions
Correspondence with Valery Burks: 'My great uncle's nickname was Billy, anyone that new him personally called him Billy.'
381st Bomb Group Memorial Association, March 1999; MACR 1399 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1399 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
