Airfields and Airmen Arras by Mike O’Connor

Author:Mike O’Connor
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473811744
Publisher: Pen & Sword

Harold Richard Johnson (I E9)

The next grave we are visiting is towards the rear of the cemetery near the beginning of one of the long rows and is very obvious with its large civilian headstone.

The first time I visited this cemetery it was specifically to see Gordon Shephard’s grave but my eye was drawn to a non-standard headstone in the distance. These are uncommon and this one particularly so, as it belongs to a flyer.

H R Johnson.

Morane Type LA 5178 of 3 Squadron.

Johnson was born on 18 December 1888 and came from Tonbridge in Kent. He attended Sir Andrew Judd’s Commercial School in Tonbridge and served in the West Kent Yeomanry for six years. Prior to being commissioned in May 1915 he spent three months in the ranks. Though he had taken his ‘ticket’, No. 703, on 11 December 1913, Johnson did not join the RFC until May 1915. After military flying training at 2 RAS, Brooklands and 15 Squadron, he was posted to 3 Squadron on 11 August 1915. They were based at Lozinghem, quite near this cemetery, and had Moranes of different types.

On 19 January 1916 Johnson and his observer W S Fielding-Johnson took off in Morane 5099 and crashed for unknown reasons.

He must have been held in some regard for his brother officers to erect this headstone in his memory.

The non-standard headstone on H R Johnson’s grave.

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