P/O David Garth Johnston
Royal Air Force 149 Squadron
from:Horizon, Saskatchewan
My Dad, Dave Johnston flew with 149 Squadron from RAF Methwold in Norfolk. The crew in the attached photo (L to R):
- Pilot: Sgt Congdon, R. K. (Bob), Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
- Navigator: P/O Johnstone, E. (Ed), Alonsa, Manitoba, Canada
- Bomb Aimer: P/O Johnston, D. G. (Dave), Horizon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Tail Gunner: Sgt. Caraher, J. H. (Hugh), Stratford, Ontario, Canada
- Wireless Operator: Sgt. Briggs, H. (Harold), Mansfield, Notts, England
- Mid Upper Gunner: Sgt. Terry, H. R., Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada
- Flight Engineer: Hatcher, T., Haywards Heath, Sussex, England
The following was taken from the personal diary of one of the crew members. Personal diaries were not supposed to be kept, however, this diary only contained the dates and the comments below. The operational mission (Ops) target and flight time notations in brackets have been compiled from the actual Flying Log Book of P/O Johnston, D. G., Bomb Aimer. Refer to the three raid photos attached. Pictures taken by the bomb aimer after dropping the bomb load. Bottom of images show: base MEW, date, altitude, bearing, time, target, bomb load, ?, pilot Congden, plane designation S & T, 149 Squadron
- 24-11-44: First flight in a Lancaster, a wonderful aircraft.
- 11-12-44: Second stage - dead tired.
- 18-12-44: Homings on radar.
- We get a week's leave and on to squadron.
- 14-2-45: Photography only.
- 18-2-45: Our first attempt. quiet. (Ops Wesel, 5:20 day)
- 19-2-45: (Ops Wesel, no entry, diverted to Bottesford, 5:55 day)
- 20-2-45: Ferried a crew to pick up aircraft.
- 22-2-45: Saw one aircraft blow up, a nasty sight. (Ops Oberhausen, 5:10 day)
- 23-2-45: (Ops Gelsenkirchen, no entry, diverted to Acklington, 6:50 day)
- 5-3-45: Lost one aircrew from 149 - F/O Williams, Aussie crew missing saw five chutes. (Ops Gelsenkirchen, 5:20 day)
- 11-3-45: No flak, no fighters. (Ops Essen, 6:10 day)
- 12-3-45: (Ops Dortmund, no entry, 6:30 day)
- 19-3-45: Bags of flakm one bomb aimer killed on his first trip. (Ops Gelsenkirchen, 5:45 day)
- 21-3-45: A fair prang. (Ops Munster, 6:05 day)
- 23-3-45: Troops invaded an hour after. (Ops Wesel, 5:00 day)
- 29-3-45: (Ops Hallendorp, no entry, 6:55 day)
- 4-4-45: Hit several times by flak, very close, holes in a lot of plexiglas. (Ops Mersberg, 8:45 night)
- 14-4-45: About 10 miles from Berlin. (Ops Potsdam, 8:55 night)
- 16-4-45: Low level supply dropping practice, used sand bags.
- 18-4-45: Jettisoned bombs in the North Sea. (Ops Heligoland, aborted, 4:05 day)
- 19-4-45: Home of new German government. (Ops Munich, 7:25 day)
- 26-4-45: Have 3 new engines in our aircraft.
- 1-5-45: Flags waving, people mad. (Spam dropping, The Hague, 2:30 day)
- 5-5-45: Blew a tire on takeoff, landed at Woodbridge, skipper complimented. (Spam dropping, The Hague, 2:20 day)
