John Markey johnston was the son of Mark Johnston and Bernie MacKay (Bessie) Hendry. He had two brothers; James Hendry and George Angus.

John enlisted in the Royal Candian Air Force and becme an air gunner with 432 squadron Royal Candian Air Force, flying Halifax bombers out of Eastmoor.

His crew consisted of:

F/O Hugh Francis Morrow
Sgt V. Herrick
F/O J. Slimmon

432 Squadron

Sgt R. Gelfand
W/O1 L. McElroy
P/O John Markey Johnston
P/O Jack laverne Shanks

 On 16 June the crew was part of the bomber force that would attack industrial targets at the German city of Sterkrade in the Ruhr area. The crew took off in Halifax NA516 QO-A at 23.16 from their base Eastmoor. They reached their target and dropped their bombs, but on the way back to base they were intercepted by a German night fighter. After a fight, the night fighter shot down the NA516. Although five of the crew managed to bail out of the Halifax, three men died. One of them was P/O John Johnston. P/O Jack Shanks and F/O Hugh Morrow also died in the plane.

P/O John Johnston is buried at Gorssel General Cemetery, Row A. Grave 20.

Gorssel, The Netherlands

See Also:
P/O Jack Shanks
F/O Hugh Morrow
 

All casualties of 432 squadron buried in the Netherlands

Sources and Acknowledgements:
War Service Records, The Canadian Bank of Commerce, 1947
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
Veterans Affairs Canada
lostbombers.co.uk
 

Directions to Gorssel General Cemetery

Posted 16 June 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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