Thieves have stolen a memorial stone remembering a Falmouth war hero of the St Nazaire raid from Falmouth Cemetery.

Johnny Johnson was with 5 Commandos in the 1942 raid, when the destroyer HMS Campbeltown left Falmouth, packed with explosives, on a mission to destroy the dry docks at St Nazaire.

It proved successful and is credited with helping change the course of the Second World War, but at a cost of 168 lives.

Mr Johnson – christened William John but known as Johnny throughout his life – was captured as a prisoner of war, before returning to his wife Jean after hope was seemingly lost.

Now thieves had made the ultimate assault on his memory, by stealing his memorial stone in the cremation area of Falmouth Cemetery.

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His youngest son, David Johnson, said: “The family are very distressed by it. My mother is nearly 90 – she just can’t believe why someone wanted to take it.

“For any family it would be terrible.”

It is thought the stone was taken at some point between August 15 – the anniversary of Mr Johnson’s death in 2001 – and August 23.

However, its loss was only discovered around ten days ago, when David Johnson’s wife went to lay flowers.

The family has still checked with the town council and stonemasons in the area, to check it had not been removed in error.

David Johnson described the memorial stone as a “fairly large chunk of granite”, estimating 20 inches by 14 inches, and 2.5 inches thick.

“I would’ve thought someone would need a van to take it,” he said.

Where the stone used to lie there appears to be marks on the ground that could have been made with a crowbar or similar instrument.

“I think it’s just disgusting. It’s not very nice to think that somebody has done that. It’s something that should be sacred to people. It’s something you just don’t do,” he said.

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Mr Johnson’s family – which includes daughters Kay Murray, Susan Coombes and Debbie Smith, plus sons Chris and David Johnson – are well known in the town and can be regularly seen at the St Nazaire memorial service on the Prince of Wales Pier each year.

He added: “It is important, if nothing else, that it raises awareness. It’s a hard thing to happen, but if it just gets the message across and prevent further [thefts], then nobody else will have to sort this problem out.”

Police have launched an investigation and are appealing for anyone who might have seen suspicious behaviour between those dates or know where the stone may have been taken.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting crime reference CR103450/14