Robert Noah Johnson was born on 18 November 1915, the son of Charles Wesley Johnson and Esther Cornelia Southern.
He Died 18 May 1943
He is buried at Johnson Cemetery, Harrogate, TN
Lieutenant
U.S. Naval Reserve, Auxiliary Air Station Cabaniss Field, Texas
Lt Johnson died of injuries in Nueces, Texas due to a plane accident.
Cabaniss was an auxiliary field for Corpus Christi Naval Air Station during World War II. This is an airfield where take off and landings practice. Lt. Johnson served 3 years before his plane accident. He may have been an instructor or just practicing his take offs and landings.
–Submitted by Wayne Newby
The Greeneville Sun, May 21, 1943
Lieut, (J.G.) Robert N. Johnson, 27, an instructor, and aviation Cadet Charles Joseph Ruszala, 22, were killed May 18 in a crash of a training plane near the Cabaniss auxillary field of Corpus Christi naval air station, the Navy announced yesterday. Lieut. Johnson, son of Mrs. Cornelia Southern Johnson, was of Harrogate, Tenn. He attended Lincoln Memorial University where he was on the track team four years.
The Tree States, May 20, 1943
Lt. (s.g.) Robert Johnson, 27, Harrogate, a flight instructor in the naval air corps, died in Corpus Christi, Texas, hospital at 4:30 Tuesday afternoon as the result of injuries received in the crash of a training plane, relatives have been informed. The student flier, who was operating the plane at the time, also died as a result of the crash. No other details of the accident have been learned.
Lt. Johnson had been an instructor at the naval training field for about a year, having been sent there from the Pensacola, Fla., naval air station where he received his training. He enlisted for service immediately after his graduation from LMU in 1940, having already received primary flight training at the local airport. Lt. Johnson was the son of Mrs. C.W. Johnson, Harrogate, and was at home on leave about two weeks ago. During that visit he was special guest at a meeting at the local Kiwanis Club. One of the students he had trained, he told his friends while at home was Charles (Buddy) Rogers,, the former movie actor. Survivors besides his mother are four brothers, James of this city, Clen of Richmond, Va., Marshall of Harrogate and Dewey, with the U.S. Army in the Middle East, and two sisters, Ethel and Elizabeth of Harrogate. Elizabeth was in Corpus Christi visiting her brother at the time of the accident.
- Rank: Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 18 November 1915
- Date of death: 18 May 1943
- County: Claiborne
- Hometown: Harrogate
- Service Branch: Navy
- Conflict: World War II
- Burial/Memorial Location: Johnson Cemetery, Harrogate, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VIII, Top Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Robert N. Johnson
Image Gallery
Click a thumbnail below to view at full size.
