Charles Johnson

Bank: Westminster Bank

Place of work: Head Office, London

Died: 12 October 1942

Charles Laurence Norton Johnson, known to his bank colleagues as Johnnie, was born on 10 September 1912, the son of Charles and Beatrice Melicent Johnson. He joined the staff of Westminster Bank in September 1929. He also became a keen member of the bank's staff sports club, often captaining one of its cricket sides. 

In early summer 1939 Johnson signed up for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was mobilised for active service soon after the outbreak of war in September, leaving his job in the bank's head office joint general managers' department.

He completed theoretical, and then practical, training as an observer, coming first or second in all three examinations he sat. In June 1940 he received a commission as Pilot Officer, and was soon made Flying Officer: one of the first observers in the Second World War to attain that rank. A promotion to Flight Lieutenant, with the duties of a Flight Commander, followed not long afterwards.

After his training he was sent to Singapore and Indonesia. He caught malaria in Java, but escaped the island when it was occupied by Japan. He was sent to India to recover and his squadron, which had broken up during the retreat from Java, was re-formed there. 

Flight Lieutenant Johnson was killed in an air crash in Bengal on 12 October 1942, a month after his 30th birthday.