Operation: Armed reconnaissance

Date: 18th July 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 421 (Red Indian) Squadron RCAF, 127 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force (motto: Bellicum Cecinere)

Type: Spitfire LF IX

Serial: MK809

Code: AU-?

Base: B.2 Bazenville, near Bayeux, Normandy, France

Location: One mile west of B.2 airstrip

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Paul Gilbert Johnson DFC, J/20050 (R/136048), RCAF, Age 24 - Killed

Reason for Los 

Paul Gilbert Johnson was an American who crossed the border to fight. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, he was educated at Maplewood Junior High (1926-34) and Bassick High School (1934-37), and later studied at Bridgeport Engineering (1939-40). In 1940-41 he attended a Civil Aeronautics Authority ground school in meteorology at San Diego Vocational.

His working life began as a screw machine operator with Harvey Hubbell in Bridgeport (1937-38). He then became foreman of the rug department at the Crawford Building, Bridgeport (1938-40), before moving to California, where he worked as a carpenter for Hays & Jackson in San Diego (1940-41).

He enlisted at the RCAF Recruiting Centre in Toronto on 11th October 1941. As a United States citizen he signed the declaration but did not take the Oath of Allegiance. At No. 6 Initial Training School, Toronto (Course 44, January-February 1942), he scored 70% and placed 65th of 85; his report described him as a "Good, all round boy; great interest in flying."

He moved on to No. 7 Elementary Flying Training School at Windsor, Ontario (Course 52, March-June 1942), where he flew the Fleet Finch for 96 hours 25 minutes and placed 18th of 35. At No. 14 Service Flying Training School, Aylmer, Ontario (Course 59, July-October 1942), he flew the Harvard and Yale and placed 16th of 53. His instructors described him as "A good type who has progressed in an above average manner under considerable difficulty." He was awarded his Pilot's Flying Badge on 23rd October 1942. His recorded flying hours were: Tiger Moth 10, Fleet Finch 85, Yale 20 and Harvard 130 (his Spitfire hours are not listed).

After joining No. 421 Squadron he moved to the continent with the British Western Expeditionary Force on 16th June 1944, flying from the advanced landing ground at Bazenville in the Normandy beachhead.

His commanding officer, Sq/Ldr. Walter Allan Grenfell Conrad DFC (J/5023 RCAF - see note), described what happened in a letter to Johnson's sister; (c/o shown below right)

July 19, 1944.

Dear Mrs. Strobino:

As you already know, your brother Flight Lieutenant P.G. Johnson, DFC [DFC added by hand], has been reported killed during air operations. I am writing this to offer my condolences and give you what information I can.

Flight Lieutenant Johnson was flying with the squadron on the morning of July 18th on a patrol over the enemy lines. While attacking an enemy column his aircraft was seriously damaged, but he managed to fly it back to near our base where he tried to bale out. Unfortunately, he lost control and was instantly killed when his plane crashed.

Paul was senior Flight Commander in the Squadron and I don't think I've ever had the privilege of working with a finer type of man. Only a few days ago he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his personal courage and devotion to duty. As the clean-living, hard-hitting, likeable chap he was, he was a tremendous inspiration to us all and his loss was felt by all of us who had known him these past months.

He was buried yesterday with full military honours in a Military Cemetery. The exact location will be given you as soon as security permits. Official photographs of his grave will be forwarded as soon as available.

His personal kit will be taken care of at this end and will be forwarded to you eventually. If I can be of any further assistance in any way, please don't hesitate to call on me; as a personal friend of Paul's I should be only too glad to help.

In closing may I offer the sincerest sympathy from myself and all members of the squadron.

Very sincerely yours,
[Signature]

(W.A.G. Conrad) Squadron Leader,
Officer Commanding,
No. 421 Squadron, R.C.A.F.

Mrs. E. Strobino,
~11 Beach Street,
Bethel, Conn., U.S.A.

Burial Details

Johnson was buried on the day he died, 18th July 1944, in the Canadian military cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer (then recorded as Plot 28, Grave 15). He was identified visually and from his documents, and the burial was conducted by Sq/Ldr. Crawford Scott, RCAF chaplain.

Fl/Lt. Paul Gilbert Johnson DFC. Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, Reviers. Plot XVI, Row H, Grave 8. Son of Paul Stanley Johnson and Daisy J. Johnson (née Peck), of Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. His epitaph reads: "May The Dove Of Peace Forever Hover Over Our Loved One Who Gave His All". He was survived by his brother Ronald Stanley Johnson (died 1967, age 50), his sisters Evelyn M. Strobino, Hazel Jackman and Ruth Weiss, and his half-sister Pauline Johnson.

Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery

The cemetery lies near the village of Reviers in Calvados, a short distance inland from Juno Beach, where the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division landed on 6th June 1944. Most of those buried here were Canadian soldiers killed in the D-Day landings and in the early weeks of the Battle of Normandy, along with a number of airmen who fell over the beachhead. The cemetery holds over 2,000 Second World War burials, the great majority of them Canadian.

Note

Sq/Ldr. Walter Allan Grenfell Conrad DFC & Bar. Born 3rd April 1920 at Melrose, Ontario; died 21st November 1987 at Chatham, Massachusetts, age 67. His obituary appeared in The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, Ontario, on Saturday 28th November 1987:

"CONRAD, Walter (Wally) A.G. (DFC & Bar). Suddenly at the Cape Cod Hospital, Chatham, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1987, Walter Conrad; beloved husband of Kathleen. Dear father of Joanne of Boston, Brian of Cranbrook, B.C., and Allan of San Antonio, Texas. Also survived by his sister Mrs. Katherine Conrad Moll of White Rock, B.C. Predeceased by his parents Reverend and Mrs. William Walter Conrad of Bedford, Quebec. Wally graduated from McGill University in 1940 and joined the R.C.A.F. He served in the Middle East and Europe and was a popular Squadron Commander in 127 R.C.A.F. Fighter Wing. A Memorial Service will be held at the Congregational Church in Chatham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on Monday, December 14, at 11 a.m. Per Ardua Ad Astra.” (Latin - Per Ardua Ad Astra.")

His wife, Kathleen Onita Conrad (née Horton), died in 2016, aged 98.

Sources and Acknowledgements

• National Archives, Kew - 421 Squadron Operations Record Book, July 1944
• Library and Archives Canada - Service file of Paul Gilbert Johnson DFC
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• Veterans Affairs Canada - Canadian Virtual War Memorial
• Paradie-Dutil RCAF Archive
• Flying For Your Life (Canadian Fighter Pilot and Air Gunner Museum)
• Canadian Aircraft Serials Personnel Information Resource (CASPIR)
• Spitfire Production List
• The London Gazette
• The Ottawa Citizen, 28th November 1987
• Find A Grave
• Aircrew Remembered Archives

Supplement - Additional Research

The following material was found in published sources after the report above was compiled. 

Service Dates

Hugh Halliday's research (reproduced on acesofww2.com) gives Johnson's date of birth as 5th March 1920 at Bridgeport, Connecticut, with his home at Bethel, Connecticut. It gives his training graduation dates as No. 6 ITS on 28th March 1942, No. 7 EFTS on 6th June 1942 and No. 14 SFTS on 23rd October 1942. He arrived in the UK on 6th December 1942, was posted to No. 17 (P) AFU on 11th February 1943 and to No. 52 OTU on 23rd March 1943. He served with No. 421 Squadron from 1st June to 3rd December 1943, and again from 9th January 1944 until his death.

Promotions: LAC 27th February 1942; Pilot Officer 23rd October 1942; Flying Officer 23rd April 1943; Flight Lieutenant 20th May 1944.

DFC Citation

"Flight Lieutenant Johnson has participated in many attacks on enemy airfields, communications and other targets on the ground and has proved himself to be a fearless and skilful pilot. He has displayed the greatest keenness to engage the enemy and has destroyed five hostile aircraft, three of them in one day."

Award effective 8th August 1944 (London Gazette of that date), AFRO 2274/44 dated 20th October 1944. The RCAF announcement of 7th August 1944 listed his award alongside those to Fl/Lt. J.D. Lindsay, Fl/Lt. H.C. Trainor and Fl/Lt. L.A. Moore, noting that he had since been reported killed.

Combat Claims (all with 421 Squadron)

Total: 5 destroyed, 3 damaged - making him an ace.

Contemporary Press Reports

A Canadian Press summary of 12th May 1944 reported that F/O Paul G. Johnson of Bethel, Conn., of the Red Indian Squadron, had destroyed a Messerschmitt and damaged a Ju 88 - his Me 110 claim of 8th May. A Canadian Press cable of 3rd July 1944 listed him among the day's leading scorers with two kills, plus a share with F/L J. Moore of Philadelphia, another American in the RCAF.

A further report of 12th July 1944 described an intense scoring rivalry between the Canadian wings in Normandy. Before D-Day, W/C Johnnie Johnson (127 Wing) and W/C Lloyd Chadburn had bet on whose wing would score more in the month after the invasion. When Chadburn was killed, Sq/Ldr. Walter Conrad of 421 Squadron took over the wager. The same report credited Paul Johnson with four victories since D-Day, bringing his total to five.

Discrepancy in the Cause of Loss

Sources differ on exactly how MK809 was damaged:

• Sq/Ldr. Conrad's letter (main report): damaged while attacking an enemy column.
• They Shall Not Grow Old (quoted on allspitfirepilots.org and acesofww2.com): while strafing enemy transport, the port wing struck a tree. Unable to bale out, he tried to return to base and was killed when the Spitfire went out of control at 7,000 feet, crashing one mile west of the landing strip north-west of Caen.
• auzeau.fr (French loss register): hit by flak while attacking a column, and lost while trying to regain base. It records the mission as an armed reconnaissance rather than a patrol.

The ORB entry for 18th July 1944 should settle which account is correct. Note that the They Shall Not Grow Old entry gives the serial as MB809, which appears to be a typing error for MK809.

Supplement Sources

• acesofww2.com - Paul Gilbert Johnson (using Hugh Halliday's research and Canadian Press reports)
• allspitfirepilots.org - Paul Gilbert Johnson
• auzeau.fr - Spitfire MK809 loss record
• They Shall Not Grow Old: A Book of Remembrance (Canadian Fighter Pilot and Air Gunner Museum)