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Pilot
Officer Samuel Johnson was the instructor pilot on board Stirling
Mk. III LJ455 coded H4-C when it took off from Chedburgh,
Suffolk for a night cross country training exercise on January 20,
1944. They left Chedburgh on a route via Lands End, Dulverton,
Reading and Goole before planning to return to base. Upon reaching
Chedburgh, the crew acknowledged their landing instructions. They
lost height in a diving turn and after hitting trees, crashed and
caught fire at Hargrave Hall, a few miles NW of Chedburgh at
2326hrs. It is believed that the pupil pilot had inadvertently
entered the diving turn, momentarily permitting himself to be
distracted from his instruments by the airfield lighting. Flight
Sergeant Bartington and Sergeant Spibey were injured in the crash
and were to die a few days later all others were killed instantly.
The crew consisted of:
|
Name |
Service |
Trade |
Hometown |
Age |
|
P/O Samuel Johnson - DFC |
RNZAF |
Pilot |
Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand |
22 |
|
F/Sgt John Bartington |
RAFVR |
2nd Pilot |
Stroud Green, Middlesex |
22 |
|
Sgt Reginald Hallam |
RAFVR |
Flight Engineer |
Louth |
26 |
|
Sgt Richard Teague |
RAFVR |
Flight Engineer |
Erdington,Birmingham |
19 |
|
W/O2 Robert Poe |
RCAF |
Navigator |
Prestatyn, Flintshire |
25 |
|
F/Sgt John Callow |
RAAF |
Bomb Aimer |
Teneriffe, Queensland, Australia |
32 |
|
Sgt William Spibey |
RAFVR |
W/Op/AG |
Radford, Nottingham |
20 |
|
Sgt Alfred Wood |
RAFVR |
Air Gunner |
Shepton Mallett, Somerset |
27 |
|
Sgt Frank Tempan |
RAFVR |
Air Gunner |
Halstead, Essex |
34 |
Sergeant
Hallam is buried in Louth Cemetery, Sergeant Teague in Erdington (St.Barnabus)
Cemetery, Sergeant Wood in Binegar Cemetery and Sergeant Tempan in
Halstead Cemetery. P/O Johnson and other crew members rest in
Cambridge Cemetery.
Pilot
Officer Samuel Graham Johnson, DFC, RNZAF was the son of Noel
Storrier and Margaret Asenath Danvers Johnson of Hamilton, New
Zealand. Samuel was born in Henley-on-Thames, Oxon., England, on the
24th June 1921 and his family emigrated to Hamilton when
he was young. He worked as a clerk to Dalgety & Co of Hamilton.
Prior to his death at1653 HCU, he had flown 22 Ops. in 218 squadron.
In his private life, he was thought to be the fiancée of Frances
Day, the actress, who when co-starring in the revue “Black Vanities”
introduced the song “A pair of Silver Wings” as a tribute to the
Royal Air Force and also to her fiancée, Sam Johnson DFC. He was to
lose his life as she starred in the wartime West End Musical “Du
Barry was A lady” and was never to get over his loss.
Service History
NZ Army/TF (7 Med.Bty. NZA) for 3 years
RNZAF Levin/ITW as airman/pilot until 30.11.1941
4
EFTS-10.1.1942
Embarked for Canada on 8.3.1942
Attended RCAF- 2.4.1942
5
M Depot- 3.4.1942
7
SFTS -13.4.1942
Pilot Badge & Sergeant on 31.7.1942
1Y depot at end of August 1942
Att. RAF and embarked for U.K. on 21.8.1942
3
PRC-2.9.1942
26 OTU (Wellingtons) -22.12.1942
1651 HCU (Stirlings-1 Op)-2.5.1943
218 squadron (Stirlings-22 Ops.)- 2.6.1943
Commissioned on 13.10.1943
31 Base for 1653 HCU (Stirling’s) as instructor by 5.12.1943
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