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R H Johnson

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Captured by the enemy

Johnson's captors removed his Mae-West jacket, escape pack, maps and air visual rescue code while a Chinese newspaper reporter removed his identity card.

They bandaged Johnson's head gave him a bowl of water before taking him to a farmhouse. He could not talk to his captors as they spoke no English. At the small farmhouse, located at the edge of a wood, he attracted a small crowd although they were not hostile to him. When Johnson got to the farmhouse his captors questioned him in broken English. They asked him his name, rank, and the name of his ship. Johnson quoted the Geneva Convention, the Koreans miss understood this and listed 'Geneva Convention' as the name of John's ship.

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Ralph Henry Johnson (FAA)

In the afternoon an armed party arrived and marched him 10 miles a large village in the hills, passing groups of Korean troops on the way.

They arrived at a second village at about 7 o'clock in the evening. There a junior Korean officer who spoke little English interrogated Johnson. They again asked him his name and ship but did not threaten him. After about an hour and a half they took him through the mountains to the region's main Head Quarters (HQ).

Once there General and another officer who spoke reasonable English questioned Johnson. They gave him some hard bread, sugar and water. Later in the morning a different General questioned him who treated him well and offered him cigarettes. He promised Johnson that they would release him in return for military information but Johnson said that he did not know anything.

Late in the evening his captors moved Johnson by jeep to another village and allowed him to sleep until morning. Here a Captain of the North Korean Army, interrogated him day and night where they also beat him and, threatened to keep him on limited rations. On the third day a very unpleasant General visited and also threatened him. Whilst there he befriended a young North Korean guard who gave him cigarettes.