Personnel Index - Detail
John Johnson enlisted in the RAF in August 1938 and completed his training at the No:2 School of Recruits at RAF Cardington.
John Johnson is RHS on the front row....no other given names match 49Sqn records.
John, outside his barrack hut.
He was posted to 49Sqn based at RAF Scampton in August 1939 and followed the squadron to their temporary base at RAF Kinloss.
A group of groundcrew enjoying a "NAAFI break" possibly at RAF Scampton.
John riding his bike to work.
LAC Johnson (centre, front row) taken from the 1941 Squadron photograph at RAF Scampton.
He returned from RAF Kinloss in March 1940 and stayed with 49Sqn until October 1942 when, having trained to work on Mitchells, he was posted to 180Sqn.
The groundcrew for AE224 which was piloted by S/L Drakes.
After D-Day John was posted to Belgium and, when the war ended, he re-enlisted.
In September 1948 he became part of BAFO (British Air Force of Occupation) and was posted to Lüneberg, Germany.
The HQ building of RAF Lüneberg.
This memorial was placed on the Lüneberg Heide to mark the German surrender.
The plaque was removed in 1958 and is now in Sandhurst. Interestingly, the hillock on which the surrender took place is now virtually gone.....officially, removed for its sand.
A typical village on the Lüneberg Heide.
In August 1950, after 12 years of service, John was discharged from the RAF.
John tried unsuccessfully to get work in the civilian aircraft industry after being discharged from the RAF. As a result he worked as a tobacco cutter with W.D & H.O. Wills who had a very large factory close to his home in Newcastle upon Tyne. He then had a few jobs before becoming a telephone engineer with the GPO, a job that he did until he took early retirement.
John Johnson passed away in 1979 aged 61.
Thanks to Richard Johnson....LAC Johnson's son for this information.