Charles Braxton Johnson (1917 - 1944)

Born 20 Aug 1917 in Rocky Mount, Nash, North Carolina, United States

Died 22 Jun 1944 at age 26 in Corse, France

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Biography

1Lt Charles Johnson was Missing in Action during World War II.

Charles Johnson is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army Air Force 100th Fighter Squadron 1943-1944
Tuskegee Airman flying Ace

Charles Johnson was awarded the Purple Heart.

Charles was born in 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He was the son of Charles Johnson and Elnora Hodge. It is unclear when he came to Philadelphia as he can be seen in the 1920^[1] and 1930 ^[2]census as living in North Carolina. His World War II Draft Card shows that his address change multiple times, and he lists his mother as his next of kin on the card, living in Philadelphia.

Charles entered the Tuskegee Air Pilot Program in Tuskegee Alabama and was awarded his commission in Oct 1943. ^[3] In December of that same year, he was deployed to Ramitelli Air field as part of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. On June 24, 1944, he was on a strafing mission to Aircasea, Italy when it appeared that the engine of his P-47 Thunderbolt failed. His plane hit the surface of the water about 30 miles from the coast of Corsica. Lt. Johnson was trapped inside the plane as it sunk. It is presumed that his remains are still in the plane located in the Mediterranean sea.

Charles married a woman by the name of Isabella prior to being deployed. She is listed as being his next of kin in the notice of his death printed in the paper. ^[4] Charles' remains have never been recovered. His name is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing in Sicily-Rome American Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ29-4RW : 2 February 2021), Charlie B Johnson in entry for Charles Johnson, 1920.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3ST-MMC : accessed 26 March 2021), Charlie Johnson in household of Charlie Johnson, Rocky Mount, Edgecombe, North Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 27, sheet 11B, line 69, family 238, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1688; FHL microfilm 2,341,422.
3. ↑ Pittsburgh Courier, 16 Oct 1943, pg. 2
4. ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, 30 Aug 1944, pg. 6: Second Lieutenant Charles B. Johnson, husband of Mrs. Isabella B. Johnson of 1547 N. Gratz St., waskilled in action in the Mediterranean Sea.

• "North Carolina, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records Unit, County Birth Records, 1913-1922", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZBPG-6XW2 : 21 June 2020), Charlie B. Johnson, 1917.