S/Sgt William Robert Johnson (1921-1945) - Find A Grave Memorial

Born William Robert Johnson on 7 April 1921 in Jackson, Ohio. Enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 8 September 1942 at Cincinnati, Ohio. Completed basic military training and USAAF Radio Operator-Mechanic (ROM) Technical Training School. Underwent B-29 aircraft transition and combat crew training at Walker Army Airfield, Kansas.

In September 1944, shipped to Kearney AAF, Nebraska for staging and deployment to the Central Pacific Theatre of Operations (PTO), with a final aircraft check at Mather Field, California. He was assigned to 20th Air Force, XXI Bomber Command, 73rd Bomb Wing, 500th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), 881st Bomber Squadron stationed at Isely Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

On 10 February 1945, he flew as the Radio Operator (ROM) aboard a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, tail code: Z-Square-13 (serial #42-93876). It was one of 120 aircraft launched in a multi-wing group formation to bombard the Nakajima Aircraft Assembly Plant at Ota on the northwest side of Tokyo, Japan. While over the target area, the group was attacked by a band of Nakajima Ki-44 single-engine “Tojo” fighter planes.

Z-SQ-13 suffered damage to the right wing and the #3 engine trailed heavy smoke. He was last sighted by A-Square-43 at a geographic location of 35+45N, 141+25E approximately 80 nautical miles east of Tokyo. He was killed when his B-29 aircraft was forced to ditch on the return route to Saipan.

William R Johnson