PL - Sydney Farquhar Johnson KIA

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"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
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Johnson, Sydney Farquhar (Flight Lieutenant)

Killed in Action 1941-February-26

Male Head

Canada

Birth Date: 1916 (age 25)

Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Service
RAF

Unit
256 Sqn- Squadron

Rank

Flight Lieutenant

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position
Pilot

Service Numbers
91005

256 Squadron (Addirnus Vim Viribus). F/L Johnson was killed when his Defiant night fighter aircraft crashed. The Airmen's Stories - P/O S F F Johnson Sydney Frederick Farquhar Johnson was born on 13th November 1915, the son of Captain SF Johnson, killed serving with the Border Regiment in January 1917. Johnson was educated at Twyford, Stowe and in Switzerland. At Stowe School (September 1929 to July 1933) he was in Cobham House, played for the rugby team, practised boxing, won his Colts Football colours and was also in the Debating Society. He served in the Honourable Artillery Company before transferring to 600 Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force at Hendon in 1939. Called up on 24th August, he completed his flying training and rejoined 600 at Northolt in May 1940. He was in action with the squadron throughout the Battle. On 2nd January 1941 he was posted to Catterick to join the recently reformed 256 Squadron as a Flight Commander. The squadron was equipped with Defiants for night-fighting. from: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/JohnsonSFF.htm On 26th February 1941 Johnsonâ€™s Defiant N3520 ran out of fuel. He ordered his gunner, Sgt. G Lewis, to bale out. Johnson tried to bring the Defiant down at Middle Wallop but was killed when it crashed at Collingbourne Ducis before he could reach the airfield. He was 25 and is buried at Cliveden War Cemetery, Taplow, Bucks.

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Home

Google Map

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Burial
Google Map

Google Map

Cliveden War Cemetery, UK

Boulton Paul Defiant

(RAF Photo) (Source Harold A Skaarup web page)
Boulton Paul P.82 Defiant, RAF (Serial No. L7026), coded PS*V, c1941.

The Boulton Paul Defiant is a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any fixed forward-firing guns, also found in the Blackburn Roc of the Royal Navy.

In combat, the Defiant was found to be reasonably effective at destroying bombers but was vulnerable to the Luftwaffe's more manoeuvrable, single-seat Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. The lack of forward-firing armament proved to be a great weakness in daylight combat and its potential was realised only when it was converted to a night fighter. It eventually equipped thirteen squadrons in this role, compared to just two squadrons as a day-fighter. In mid-1942 it was replaced by better performing night-fighters, the Bristol Beaufighter and de Havilland Mosquito.

The Defiant continued to find use in gunnery training, target towing, electronic countermeasures and air-sea rescue. Among RAF pilots it had the nickname "Daffy". Wikipedia

YouTube Defiant Fighter

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Defiant Fighter

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

Canadian Aircraft Losses (21)

last update: 2021-10-13 19:25:12

Defiant MK. I N3520

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