Arthur Denis Johnson was born in Hull in 1920, son of Mr and Mrs George A. Johnson. Arthur enlisted into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1937. He went on active duty when the war broke out.

In May 1942 he was attached to 166 squadron as a wireless operator / air gunner. At that time, 166 squadron flew Wellington bombers out of Kirmington. On 27 May 1943, P/O Johnson and his crew were sent on a mission to Essen. It was to be his 56th mission.

P/O Johnson's crew consisted of:

F/L D.T.Tonkinson
Sgt P.Guest

166 Squadron

F/O T.D.Brown
P/O A.D.Johnson
Sgt N.P.Rayner

The crew took off at 23.02 on 27 May 1943 from Kirmington in Wellington HE752 AS-W. On the outbound leg of their mission they were intercepted and shot down by a night-fighter flown by Oblt Hans-Heinz Augenstein, of III/NJG1. The Wellington crashed at 01.56 near Oele, 3 km S of Hengelo, Holland. All are buried in Hengelo's General Cemetery.

(Picture courtesy of Mr Trevor Johnson)

Hengelo, The Netherlands

See also:
F/L D.T.Tonkinson
Sgt P.Guest
F/O T.D.Brown
Sgt N.P.Rayner

Acknowledgements:
RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Sources:
Mr. Trevor Johnson
www.lostbombers.co.uk

Directions to Hengelo General Cemetery

Posted 8 December 2008
Updated 24 March 2009

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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