Hans C. Johnson Crew

HANS C. JOHNSON CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: Johnson 15 Jan 1943, others 06-09 Feb 1943)

(Back - not in order) S/Sgt Paul A. Dickinson (E)(POW), S/Sgt Clyde G. Watson (R),
Sgt U M Chandler (BT), S/Sgt Azzon C. McKagan (LWG),
S/Sgt John E. Treon (TG)(POW), S/Sgt Harold D. Broyles (RWG)

(Front L-R) 1Lt Jedediah G. Owens (B), 1Lt Hans C. Johnson (P)(POW),
1Lt Robert T. McNeely (N), 1Lt Charles Gibson (CP)
(McNeely and Gibson may be reversed)

(POW) Johnson (P), Dickinson (E) and Treon (TG) - 12 August 1943 to Gelsenkirchen, Germany (MACR 374) in B-17F-BO #42-29884 (No name) 326BS (JW). Shot down by anti-aircraft fire and German fighters. Crashed at Haltyern, Germany. All 10 crewmen became POWs. This was after the Johnson crew had been transferred back to the 92nd BG(H).

Crew Notes:
The 1Lt Hans C. Johnson crew was on temporary assignment from the 92nd BG(H) to the 359th BS/303rd BG(H). Crewmen flew on eleven credited missions with the 359th BS from 14 Feb 1943 through 05 April 1943 (Mission #15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 27, 28 & 29 plus uncredited aborted missions #21. Mission #29 was a credited abortive sortie.

1Lt Hans C. Johnson (P), 1Lt Charles E. Gibson (CP) & 1Lt Jedediah G. Owens (B) - Flew on crew's 11 credited missions plus aborted mission #21

1Lt Robert T. McNeely (N) - 10 credited missions plus aborted mission #21. Substitute on mission #25

S/Sgt Paul A. Dickinson (E) - 10 credited missions plus aborted mission #21. Substitute on mission #20

S/Sgt Clyde G. Watson (R) - 3 credited missions (#27, 28 & 29). Four different substitutes on other missions.

Sgt U. M. Chandler (BTG) - 6 credited missions (#15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 29 & aborted mission #21). Three different substitutes on other missions

S/Sgt Azzon C. McKagan (LWG) - 7 credited missions (#15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 25 & 27 & aborted mission #21). Three different substitutes on other missions.

S/Sgt Harold D. Broyles (RWG) - 7 credited missions (#15, 16, 24, 25, 17, 28 & 29 Four different substitutes on other missions Sgt John E. Treon (TG) - 9 credited missions. Substitute on mission #18)

The 1st Lt Hans C. Johnson Crew was transferred from the 303rd BG(H) to the 92nd BG(H) at Alconbury following mission #29 on 05 April 1943. 1Lt Hans C. Johnson flew on three additional missions with the 303rd BG(H) as a Passenger/Observer: Mission 75 (18 Oct 43) with the 427th BS (As a Captain); Mission 174 (6 June 44) with the 358th BS (As a Major); Mission 243 (17 Sept 44) with the 360th BS (As a Major).

[photo from the 303rdBGA Archives - identification by John P. Owens, nephew of J.G. Owens]
[Researched by 303rdBGA Historian Harry D. Gobrecht]