Joseph Johnson was born on May 5, 1919. He was the husband of Mrs. Alice L. Johnson of Glendale, California.

Joseph 497th Bomber Squadron, 344th Bomber Group, Medium, as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier on the B-26 #42-95920 "Smilin'Joy" during World War II.

On May 28, 1944, his crew took off from Station 169 airfield in Stansted Mountfitchet, England, on a mission to bomb the railway installation in Amiens, France, during the allied "Transportation Plan." At around 07:30 PM, their plane was shot down by flak and crashed 1km southeast of Moyenneville, France. All members had jumped out of the plane, but 2 of them did not survive. Two survivors were taken as prisoners, and two evaded enemy capture, including 2Lt Johnson. He was one of the 152 allied airmen and soldiers who were helped and hidden in the Freteval Forest camp by the French Resistance to evade German capture.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net