LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Robert JOHNSTON
Service No: 402360
Born: Bankstown NSW, 24 May 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 August 1940
Unit: No. 82 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Bodney
Died: Air Operations: (No. 82 Squadron Blenheim aircraft V5876), Belgium, 8 December 1941, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Maldegem, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert and Isabella Bain Johnston; husband of Teresa Grace Johnston, of Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Turramurra NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2342 hours on the night of 7 December 1941Blenheim V5876 took off from Bodney detailed to bomb the docks at Oostende, Belgium, from a height of 10,000 feet. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Eight other aircraft made attacks on the same target over a period of about 20 minutes.
The crew members of V5876 were:
Sergeant Frederick Charles Hubbard (1256349) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Johnston (402360) (Observer)
Pilot Officer Thomas McSkimming Wilson (104525) (RAF) (Pilot)
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/129/145