LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Edgar Griffiths JOHNSON
Service No: 403813
Born: Kempsey NSW, 6 May 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 50 Squadron (RAF), RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 50 Squadron Lancaster aircraft L728), Germany, 26 June 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Becklingen War Cemetery, Soltau, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Percy Wrentmore Johnson and Ruth Annie Johnson of Collaroy, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Collaroy Beach NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: MacArthur Park Obelisk, Camden NSW
Remembered: Currabubula Memorial Hall, Currabubula NSW
Remembered: Former Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Head Office Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
Remembered: Knox Grammar School Old Boys’ War Memorial, Wahroonga NSW
Lancaster L728 took off from RAF Swinderby at 2320 hours on the night of 25/26th June 1942 detailed to bomb Bremen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Captured German documents revealed that the aircraft was shot down at 0200 hours on 26 June 1942 and crashed near Bremen. All crew members were killed.
The crew members of L728 Were:
Sergeant Neil Malcolm Hardy (404903) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Leslie Hugall (406318) (Navigator)
Sergeant Edgar Griffiths Johnson (403813) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant James William Lindsay (403194) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Jasper Stormond Peters (12419) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant John Charles Roy (41361) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Lawrence Chase Thompson (402622) (Wireless Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/129/203
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line