Johnston, Robert (Sergeant, b.1915 - d.1941)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 402360 Sergeant Robert Johnston, No. 82 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Canada and United Kingdom, 1941.

Sergeant Johnston trained to be a navigator in Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme and went on to serve in the United Kingdom. Sergeant Johnston and other members of his crew were killed in a flying battle over Belgium while participating in an operation against the docks at Ostend on 8 December 1941.

Folder 1 contains one log book of Sergeant Johnston, with entries dated between 2 February and 6 December 1941. The entries contain details of flights, such as dates and times, aircraft types and numbers, pilots, and purposes of the flights. Some of these purposes included navigation exercises, photography, bombing and gunnery practice, circuits and landings, formation flying, and map reading. The log book also includes certificates for courses completed.

Folder 2 contains one letter from Sergeant Johnston to his wife, dated 8 June 1941, written from Rivers, Manitoba, Canada. In his letter, Johnston mentions their six-month wedding anniversary, arrangements for sending mail, the large amount of flying they have been doing, previous training at Tamworth, New South Wales, life in the training camp, leisure activities during a 48 hour period of leave (including singing in the shower, playing billiards, and seeing a show in town), and losing his diary. He also writes that he hopes he does not have to be in training for much longer, and is looking forward to eventually going home.