CAPTAIN: JOHNSON
LANCASTER S-SUGAR - JB367
18/19 November 1943, hit by flak over Aachen. Abandoned in the vicinity of Bommershoven (Limburg), 7km W of Tongeren, Belgium.
CREW
Pilot: F/Sgt Albert Andrew.Johnson, RNZAF, 414635
Killed, buried at Heverlee War Cemetery
Flight Engineer: F/Sgt W Jackson
PoW
Navigator: F/L A.W. Pepper
Evader
Bomb Aimer: P/O F.T. Williams
Evader
W/Op: F/Sgt J.J. Sansam
PoW
M/U Gunner: F/Sgt T. Hesselden
Evader
Rear Gunner: F/Sgt C.J., known as "Tiger", Billows
Evader
LANCASTER S-SUGAR - JB367
18/19 November 1943, hit by flak over Aachen. Abandoned in the vicinity of Bommershoven (Limburg), 7km W of Tongeren, Belgium.
CREW
Pilot: F/Sgt Albert Andrew.Johnson, RNZAF, 414635
Killed, buried at Heverlee War Cemetery
Flight Engineer: F/Sgt W Jackson
PoW
Navigator: F/L A.W. Pepper
Evader
Bomb Aimer: P/O F.T. Williams
Evader
W/Op: F/Sgt J.J. Sansam
PoW
M/U Gunner: F/Sgt T. Hesselden
Evader
Rear Gunner: F/Sgt C.J., known as "Tiger", Billows
Evader
DETAILS
Successful evaders was exceedingly rare. For 97 Squadron, for the whole of 1943, only nine men escaped capture after baling out or crashlanding in enemy territory, and eventually made their way back to England. Four of these were from this crew, shot down by flak on the Berlin operation. The Lancaster fell from 20,000 to 6,000 feet before Johnson regained sufficient control to allow the rest of the crew time to bail out. In doing so, he sacrificed his own life, as did so many of the bomber pilots. He had been a last-minute replacement for their usual skipper, an Australian pilot known as Snowy Jones, who had been barred from flying by the Medical Officer because of sinus trouble.
Johnson was 27 years old at the time of his death.
Extract from "Bombers over Berlin" by Alan Cooper
Flight Sergeant Johnson of 97 Squadron was killed when his aircraft crashed in Belgium. Two of his crew baled out, however, and were taken prisoner, while the other four who baled out all evaded capture and reached England in March 1944. They had taken off from their base at Bourn at 5.30pm, and their H2S set seemed in order but after crossing the English coast the navigator decided it had gone u/s. He left his seat to see if, when it had warmed up a bit, the set would be working but it did not.
At the same time, the bomb aimer reported one of the front guns was out of action. The omens began to increase when over Hanover, the mid-upper reported that his turret had gone u/s, so Johnson ordered him to the front turret. The bomb aimer was throwing out Window from the nose and Johnson ordered the W/Op into the astrodome to look out for fighters. The naivigator set a straight course for Berlin and on arrival they dropped their bombs, not on the Ti's, but on salvo, making use of the red markers. The navigator then worked out the wind speed and direction and they set off on the return route.
Near Aachen they were shot up by flak which hit one of the port engines although it did not catch fire. Johnson put the aircraft into a dive and went down to 10,000 feet, but it was still being hit by gunfire for perhaps four to five minutes, shrapnel clattering against the wings and fuselage. The rear gunner was injured in the head, being attended by the W/Op; in addition his oxygen supply was cut and he partially lost consciousness. As the W/Op was about to take his place in the rear turret, the Lancaster was hit again and another engine had to be shut down and feathered. With this Johnson ordered the crew to prepare to abandon the aircraft. He continued to fly it until they reached Liege when the flak opened up again and the mid-upper was wounded in the knee and the bomb aimer grazed by shell fragments.
Still losing height, Johnson finally ordered the crew out. All got away except Johnson who was last seen with his parachute clipped on but was later killed when baling out. The navigator, Flight Lieutenant Pepper, bomb aimer Pilot Officer Williams, mid-upper Flight Sergeant Hesselden, despite being wounded, and the rear gunner, Flight Sergeant Billows, who was also wounded, all evaded capture and returned to England via Spain and Gibralter. Pepper was on his 38th trip, Williams his 37th, Hesselden his 28th and Billows his 29th. Flight Sergeant Johnson was on his 23rd op but was not the crew's regular pilot.
The W/Op, Flight Sergeant John Sansam, landed safely and was helped by some Belgium people until captured. During his captivity he made one escape attempt but was re-captured, being finally liberated by the Russians in April 1945. Flight Sergaent Jackson, the engineer, was also captured and in a camp with Sansam.
Successful evaders was exceedingly rare. For 97 Squadron, for the whole of 1943, only nine men escaped capture after baling out or crashlanding in enemy territory, and eventually made their way back to England. Four of these were from this crew, shot down by flak on the Berlin operation. The Lancaster fell from 20,000 to 6,000 feet before Johnson regained sufficient control to allow the rest of the crew time to bail out. In doing so, he sacrificed his own life, as did so many of the bomber pilots. He had been a last-minute replacement for their usual skipper, an Australian pilot known as Snowy Jones, who had been barred from flying by the Medical Officer because of sinus trouble.
Johnson was 27 years old at the time of his death.
Extract from "Bombers over Berlin" by Alan Cooper
Flight Sergeant Johnson of 97 Squadron was killed when his aircraft crashed in Belgium. Two of his crew baled out, however, and were taken prisoner, while the other four who baled out all evaded capture and reached England in March 1944. They had taken off from their base at Bourn at 5.30pm, and their H2S set seemed in order but after crossing the English coast the navigator decided it had gone u/s. He left his seat to see if, when it had warmed up a bit, the set would be working but it did not.
At the same time, the bomb aimer reported one of the front guns was out of action. The omens began to increase when over Hanover, the mid-upper reported that his turret had gone u/s, so Johnson ordered him to the front turret. The bomb aimer was throwing out Window from the nose and Johnson ordered the W/Op into the astrodome to look out for fighters. The naivigator set a straight course for Berlin and on arrival they dropped their bombs, not on the Ti's, but on salvo, making use of the red markers. The navigator then worked out the wind speed and direction and they set off on the return route.
Near Aachen they were shot up by flak which hit one of the port engines although it did not catch fire. Johnson put the aircraft into a dive and went down to 10,000 feet, but it was still being hit by gunfire for perhaps four to five minutes, shrapnel clattering against the wings and fuselage. The rear gunner was injured in the head, being attended by the W/Op; in addition his oxygen supply was cut and he partially lost consciousness. As the W/Op was about to take his place in the rear turret, the Lancaster was hit again and another engine had to be shut down and feathered. With this Johnson ordered the crew to prepare to abandon the aircraft. He continued to fly it until they reached Liege when the flak opened up again and the mid-upper was wounded in the knee and the bomb aimer grazed by shell fragments.
Still losing height, Johnson finally ordered the crew out. All got away except Johnson who was last seen with his parachute clipped on but was later killed when baling out. The navigator, Flight Lieutenant Pepper, bomb aimer Pilot Officer Williams, mid-upper Flight Sergeant Hesselden, despite being wounded, and the rear gunner, Flight Sergeant Billows, who was also wounded, all evaded capture and returned to England via Spain and Gibralter. Pepper was on his 38th trip, Williams his 37th, Hesselden his 28th and Billows his 29th. Flight Sergeant Johnson was on his 23rd op but was not the crew's regular pilot.
The W/Op, Flight Sergeant John Sansam, landed safely and was helped by some Belgium people until captured. During his captivity he made one escape attempt but was re-captured, being finally liberated by the Russians in April 1945. Flight Sergaent Jackson, the engineer, was also captured and in a camp with Sansam.
Albert Andrew Johnson, W Jackson, L A W Pepper, F T Williams, J J Sansam, T Hesselden, C J Billows "Tiger"
Battle of Berlin - November 1943-March 1944
