LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Robert James JOHNSTONE
Service No: 410073
Born: Prairie VIC, 4 December 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1941
Unit: No. 2 Squadron, Batchelor NT
Died: Air Operations: (No. 2 Squadron Hudson aircraft A16-169), Timoeka, New Guinea, 3 April 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Cunningham Johnstone and Ethel May Johnstone, of Sandringham, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 98, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 3 April 1943, Hudson A16-169 was shot down by ground fire while strafing enemy positions at Timoeka, New Guinea. The five crew members who were all killed are:
Squadron Leader Malcolm Carroll Burns (271331) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Alan Arthur Dean (404328) (Navigator)
Sergeant Robert James Johnstone (410073) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kelvin Jones (410240) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Leslie Richard Jope (400434) (Gunnery Leader)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
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, 166/21/21
Bibliography:
Bennett, J. (John William) Highest Traditions: the history of No. 2 Squadron RAAF, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Anson, Hudson and Sunderland in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1992