 | NAME George Washington Johnson | NICKNAME — | SERVICE NUMBER O-11739 | |
| UNIT VMSB-243 Pilot | HOME OF RECORD Harrisonburg, LA | NEXT OF KIN Father, Mr. Walter L. Johnson | ||
| DATE OF BIRTH February 22, 1922 in Harrisonburg, LA | ENTERED SERVICE October 14, 1941 (Navy) July 14, 1942 (commissioned) | DATE OF LOSS March 29, 1943 | ||
| REGION Central Pacific | CAMPAIGN / AREA Johnston Island | CASUALTY TYPE Non-battle death | ||
CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS March 28, 1943 was a bloody day for fliers in the Central Pacific. In the morning, an Army B-24 disappeared from radar 75 miles north of the island; that night, a PBY-5 crashed after searching for the missing men. Lt. Johnson took one of his squadron’s SBD-4 bombers aloft just after midnight to drop illuminating flares for crash boats looking for the PBY crew. Johnson dropped a single flare before his aircraft abruptly pitched into a dive and slammed into the sea. Yet another rescue party was dispatched, but could find only an oil slick where the aircraft disappeared under the water. No trace of the pilot was recovered. | ||||
| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS — | LAST KNOWN RANK Second Lieutenant | STATUS OF REMAINS Lost at sea | MEMORIALS Harrisonburg Cemetery, Catahoula Parish, LA Honolulu Memorial | |
Biography:
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Shortly after midnight an SBD-4 of VMSB-243 (1st Lt. J. C. Richardson, USMCR) was sent out to drop flares and assist in the search for possible survivors of the PBY5 crash. It dropped its flares and returned to base. This plane was taken out again by Second Lieutenant George W. Johnston, USMCR, at 0050. After making several passes over the area and dropping a flare which ignited, he made a glide to 500 feet altitude after which he was observed suddenly to nose over into an approximate 45 degree dive and crash into the sea at 0115.
There exists a possibility that birds (Japanese Frigate, booby, moaning, tern) which frequented the Island in the past in dangerous quantities might be the answer to one and/or both of the unexplainable accidents of the PBY-5 and the SBD-4…. An SBD-4 has returned from flight with a 3 inch deep dent in its leading edge…. Further positive steps will be taken to reduce this flying hazard….
– Excerpt from the war diary of Naval Air Station, Johnston Island, March 1943.