Lumley Churchyard
In Christ Churchyard is a family headstone which reads:
Treasured memories of
a dear husband and father
who died 15th January 1957 aged 57 years
Also his dear wife
Margaret
who died 2nd May 1961 aged 60 years
Also George son of the above
who died 21st July 1944 aged 18 years
Till we meet again
Sgt. Johnson was serving with 578 Squadron. He was a crew member of Halifax III MZ511 LK-M which took off from Burn on a mission to Hottrop. It was shot down. 5 were killed, one taken PoW and the seventh crew member evaded capture. This was one evening when 48 aircraft were lost.Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: 1944; W.R. Chorley; 1997; Midland Counties Publications, ISBN 0 904597 91 1
Tony Hibberd adds:
Halifax MZ511 LK-P had departed Burn at 2305 for Ops Bottrup
It was intercepted at 5800M in the Apeldoorn/Heerde area by a Night-Fighter captained by Nacht Jagd “Experten” Hptm Martin Drewes (Stab III/NJG1) and shot down at 0111 for his 47th Abschuss
Nacht Jagd War Diaries Vol 2 Dr Theo Boiten
George Johnson is remembered at Woodstone Village on W134.02 and at Great Lumley on G50.01
