LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant William Vernon JOHNSTONE
Service No: 427280
Born: Katanning WA, 24 August 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 June 1942
Unit: No. 224 Squadron (RAF), RAF Milltown, Morayshire, Scotland
Died: Air Operations: (No. 224 Squadron Liberator aircraft EW312), North Sea, 11 November 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John William and Alma Maud Johnstone, of Osborne Park, Western Australia. A.F.I.A.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Panel 260, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Liberator EW312 of 224 Squadron took off from RAF Milltown at 1125 hours on 11 November 1944, to carry out an anti-submarine patrol in the North Sea. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post ware enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of EW312 were:
Flight Sergeant Frank Ashworth (1812891) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer Richard William Beck (415574) (RNZAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Edwin Alfred Borley (1396469) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Thomas Richard Frayne (1317278) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Philip Michael Hill (131895) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Irvine (1827174) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant William Vernon Johnstone (427280) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Warrant Officer Alex James Phillips (429291) (RNZAF) (Wireless Operator Air)
Warrant Officer Kenneth Russell Saywell (1223050) (RAFVR) (First Navigator)
Warrant Officer Hugh Smolenski (411578) (RNZAF) (Wireless Operator 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, 166/21/218
Bibliography:
Jay, Alwyn, Endurance; Coastal Command Liberator Operations 1941-5, Banner Books, Maryborough QLD, 4650, 1996