Misplaced Pages

William Henry Johnston: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 06:15, 4 March 2009 editOhconfucius (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers328,947 edits reworked, added citation and ref← Previous edit Latest revision as of 11:12, 7 August 2024 edit undoExplicit (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators325,563 editsm Removing link(s) Misplaced Pages:Articles for deletion/Scotland's Forgotten Valour closed as delete (XFDcloser) 
(45 intermediate revisions by 30 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Recipient of the Victoria Cross}}
⚫ {{use dmy dates}}
{{Distinguish|William Henry Johnson}} {{Distinguish|William Henry Johnson (disambiguation){{!}}William Henry Johnson}}
⚫ {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox Military Person {{Infobox military person
|name=William Henry Johnston |name=William Henry Johnston
|honorific_suffix=
|lived=21 December 1879 – 8 June 1915
|birth_date={{birth date|df=y|1879|12|21}}
⚫ |placeofbirth= ], ]
|death_date={{death date and age|df=y|1915|6|8|1879|12|21}}
⚫ |placeofdeath= ], Belgium
⚫ |birth_place= ], ], Scotland
|placeofburial=Perth Cemetery, Zillibeke
⚫ |death_place= ], Belgium
⚫ |image=]
|placeofburial=]
⚫ |image=VCWilliamHenryJohnston.jpg
|image_size=175
|caption= |caption=
|nickname= |nickname=
|allegiance={{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom |allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}}
|serviceyears=1899 - 1915{{KIA}} |serviceyears=1899–1915{{KIA}}
|rank=Major |rank=Major
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}
|branch=] ]
|commands= |commands=
|unit=] |unit=]
|battles= ] |battles= ]
* ]
** ]
** ] {{KIA}}
|awards= ] |awards= ]
|laterwork= |laterwork=
}} }}
'''William Henry Johnston''' ] (21 December 1879 – 8 June 1915) was a Scottish recipient of the ], the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to British and ] forces. '''William Henry Johnston''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|VC}} (21 December 1879 – 8 June 1915) was a ] and recipient of the ], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to ] and ] forces.


He was 34 years old, on 14 September 1914 during the ] at ], France, in the ], he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Born 21 December 1879 in ], ] to Maj. William Johnston and Mary Johnston.<ref name=cwgc>, Commonwealth War Graves Commission</ref> Johnston was a ] in the 59th Field Company, ], ]. He was 34 years old, on 14 September 1914 during the ] at ], France, in the ], he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.


His citation read:
==Biography==
⚫ {{quote|At Missy, on 14th Sept., under a heavy fire all day until 7 p.m., worked with his own hand two rafts bringing back wounded and returning with ammunition; thus enabling advanced Brigade to maintain its position across the river.|], No. 28985, 25 November 1914<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28985|supp=y|page=9958|date=24 November 1914}}</ref>}}
Born 21 December 1879 in ], ] to Maj. William Johnston and Mary Johnston.<ref name=cwgc>, Commonwealth War Graves Commission</ref> Johnston was a ] in the 59th Field Company, ], ].


Johnston afterwards served with the ] at ] in the ]. Mining activity by the Royal Engineers began at St Eloi in early 1915. The Germans exploded mines under the area known as ''The Mound'' just south-east of St Eloi in March 1915 and in the ensuing fighting the British suffered some 500 casualties. A month later, on 14 April 1915, the Germans fired another mine producing a crater over {{convert|20|m|ft}} in diameter. Much of the British tunnelling in this sector was done by the ] and ], the latter commanded in early 1915 by Captain William Henry Johnston VC.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Tonie |last1=Holt |first2=Valmai |last2=Holt |title=Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide to the Ypres Salient & Passchendaele |location=Barnsley |publisher=Pen & Sword Books |date=2014 |orig-year=1997 |isbn=978-0-85052-551-9 |page=248}}</ref> Johnston left 172nd Tunnelling Company in early May<ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Simon |title=Underground Warfare 1914–1918 |publisher=Pen & Sword Military |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-84415-962-8 |page=79}}</ref> and was killed in action at ] on 8 June 1915.<ref name=cwgc/> He eventually achieved the rank of ].<ref name=cwgc/>
===Citation===
⚫ {{quote|At Missy, on 14th Sept., under a heavy fire all day until 7 p.m., worked with his own hand two rafts bringing back wounded and returning with ammunition; thus enabling advanced Brigade to maintain its position across the river.|], No. 28985, 25 November 1914<ref name=cwgc/>}}
==Death==
He later achieved the rank of ]. He was killed in action, ], Belgium, on 8 June 1915.


⚫ His Victoria Cross is displayed at the ], ], ].
==The medal==
⚫ His Victoria Cross is displayed at the ] ''(Chatham, England)''.
]


==References== ==References==
Line 41: Line 43:
*] (This England, 1997) *] (This England, 1997)
*] (Gerald Napier, 1998) *] (Gerald Napier, 1998)
*] (Graham Ross, 1995) *Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
*] (Gerald Gliddon, 1994) *] (Gerald Gliddon, 1994)


==External links== ==External links==
*{{Find a Grave|7270735}}
* Sappers VCs
*


{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, William Henry}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, William Henry}}
] ]
] ]

] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 11:12, 7 August 2024

Recipient of the Victoria Cross Not to be confused with William Henry Johnson.

William Henry Johnston
Born(1879-12-21)21 December 1879
Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
Died8 June 1915(1915-06-08) (aged 35)
St. Eloi, Belgium
BuriedPerth Cemetery (China Wall)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1899–1915 †
RankMajor
UnitRoyal Engineers
Battles / warsWorld War I
AwardsVictoria Cross

William Henry Johnston VC (21 December 1879 – 8 June 1915) was a British soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Born 21 December 1879 in Leith, Edinburgh to Maj. William Johnston and Mary Johnston. Johnston was a captain in the 59th Field Company, Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army. He was 34 years old, on 14 September 1914 during the Race to the Sea at Missy, France, in the First World War, he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

His citation read:

At Missy, on 14th Sept., under a heavy fire all day until 7 p.m., worked with his own hand two rafts bringing back wounded and returning with ammunition; thus enabling advanced Brigade to maintain its position across the river.

— The London Gazette, No. 28985, 25 November 1914

Johnston afterwards served with the tunnelling companies of the Royal Engineers at St Eloi in the Ypres Salient. Mining activity by the Royal Engineers began at St Eloi in early 1915. The Germans exploded mines under the area known as The Mound just south-east of St Eloi in March 1915 and in the ensuing fighting the British suffered some 500 casualties. A month later, on 14 April 1915, the Germans fired another mine producing a crater over 20 metres (66 ft) in diameter. Much of the British tunnelling in this sector was done by the 177th and 172nd Tunnelling Company, the latter commanded in early 1915 by Captain William Henry Johnston VC. Johnston left 172nd Tunnelling Company in early May and was killed in action at Ypres on 8 June 1915. He eventually achieved the rank of major.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham, Kent.

References

  1. ^ Johnston, William Henry, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  2. "No. 28985". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 November 1914. p. 9958.
  3. Holt, Tonie; Holt, Valmai (2014) . Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide to the Ypres Salient & Passchendaele. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-85052-551-9.
  4. Jones, Simon (2010). Underground Warfare 1914–1918. Pen & Sword Military. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-84415-962-8.

External links

Categories: