Personnel Index - Detail

Name
JOHNSON
First Names
William George Wesley
Rank
F/O
Service
RCAF
Service Number
J24698
Crew Position
Navigator
Posting In
14-04-1944
Age
20
Date of Death
23/05/1944
Cemetery

 

Photographed by Malcolm Brooke



Image courtesy of the Veterans Affairs, Canada website (via Alain Trouplin)

22/23 May, 1944; BRUNSWICK:

Over 220 Lancasters from 1 and 5 Groups plus 10 Mosquitoes made up the force sent to Brunswick.
As the Master Bomber arrived over Brunswick with his 5 Group marker force, they found 10/10ths cloud covering the target; the met forecast had predicted clear weather. With these conditions the 5 Group method of marking could not cope, and the raid became a failure. At interrogation back at Fiskerton, crews reported bombing the concentration of fires, and also 'Wanganui' flares as they disappeared into cloud. Thirteen Lancasters were lost on the raid, and once again one came from 49 Squadron.

It is not known if the loss of P/O Philip Graves-Hook and crew was the result flak or fighter... there were no survivors. The 24 year-old pilot rests along-side his crew in Becklingen War Cemetery in Soltau, Germany.

Lancaster NE125 (EA-K)
P/O P.R. Graves-Hook Pilot (Killed)
Sgt E.G. Jones F/E (Killed)
F/O W.G. Johnson RCAF NAV (Killed)
Sgt N.M. Goldberg W/OP (Killed)
F/O F.A.N. Clifton A/G (Killed)
F/O F.E. Sinden A/B (Killed)
F/S G.H. Little A/G (Killed)

Crew on their 7th operation

Information via Colin Cripps (49Sqn Researcher)
Lancaster NE125 was claimed by Oblt. Karl-Heinz Seeler of 5./JG302 (Wilde Sau) as his 2nd Abschuss at 01.00hrs over Hagen. NE125 was also coned by searchlights of 2./Flakscheinw. Abt. 269 (o), Werfer 24. Flak searchlight and 5./JG302 claims both confirmed by OKL on 9/9/1944.

The above images are via John Jones.

Seeler claimed 6 night and 3 day victories before he was killed in action. On the the 18th of March 1945, 5kms south west of Perleberg, he was shot down by return fire from US bombers.