George Napier Johnston
Encyclopedia
Major General
George Napier Johnston, CB, CMG, DSO
(1867 – 1947) served with New Zealand
forces during World War I
. He served at Gallipoli
on 18 May 1915.
in Kingston, Ontario
in 1888, cadet # 175.
, the United Kingdom
, and as a Captain served as an instructor in gunnery in Murree, Punjaab, India. He was loaned to New Zealand
Forces from 1904 to 1907and again from 1911 to develop its specialist artillery capabilities and served as Director of Ordinance and Commander of permanent artillery in the New Zealand Military Forces. At the commencement of World War I
in 1914 LtCol Johnston embarked from Wellington, New Zealand with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
on the Troop Ship Arawa to Suez, Egypt, where he was responsible for organising the 1st New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade. He served at ANZAC on Gallipoli
and on establishment of the New Zealand Division in 1916 was appointed Divisional Commander of Royal Artillery as a Colonel. When the New Zealand Division
deployed to France
New Zealand’s artillerymen perfected their tactics and accuracy while supporting trench raids at Armentières and saw action on the Somme from 15 September 1916. Suffering heavy casualties they supported the Somme battle for 56 consecutive days, providing well coordinated barrages and counter fire which allowed the Infantry to take the majority of their objectives. This feat owed much to the proficiency of Johnston who was awarded the Croix de Officier of the Légion d’honneur in May 1917, in recognition of his leadership and his unit’s outstanding performance. Affectionately referred to as ‘Blinky’ by his troops, Johnston employed them with great mastery on the Western Front
at Messines, Passchendaele and during the last 100 days of the War. The Unit journeyed past Maubeuge; Mons, Belgium; Charleroi; Namur, Belgium; Liege, Belgium and so into Germany, arriving at Cologne, Germany shortly after Christmas 1918 where Major General Johnston was for a short period in temporary command of the New Zealand Division. He rejoined the British Army in 1920 and served with the 52nd (Lowland) Division until retiring in 1924. Major (temp. Brigadier-General) George Napier Johnston was Mentioned in Despatches six times. He died 3 April 1947 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
George Napier Johnston, CB, CMG, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(1867 – 1947) served with New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
forces during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He served at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
on 18 May 1915.
Early life
He was born 2 August 1867 in Quebec, Canada. He graduated from the Royal Military College of CanadaRoyal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
in 1888, cadet # 175.
Military career
Johnston accepted a commission with the Royal Garrison Artillery on July 27, 1888 and attained a captaincy ten years later. He served in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and as a Captain served as an instructor in gunnery in Murree, Punjaab, India. He was loaned to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Forces from 1904 to 1907and again from 1911 to develop its specialist artillery capabilities and served as Director of Ordinance and Commander of permanent artillery in the New Zealand Military Forces. At the commencement of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914 LtCol Johnston embarked from Wellington, New Zealand with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
New Zealand Expeditionary Force
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I and World War II. Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I was known as the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force...
on the Troop Ship Arawa to Suez, Egypt, where he was responsible for organising the 1st New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade. He served at ANZAC on Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
and on establishment of the New Zealand Division in 1916 was appointed Divisional Commander of Royal Artillery as a Colonel. When the New Zealand Division
New Zealand Division
The New Zealand Division was a World War I infantry division formed in Egypt in January 1916 following the evacuation of Gallipoli. At the outbreak of war the New Zealand Expeditionary Force contained a single infantry brigade which was combined with the unattached Australian 4th Infantry Brigade...
deployed to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
New Zealand’s artillerymen perfected their tactics and accuracy while supporting trench raids at Armentières and saw action on the Somme from 15 September 1916. Suffering heavy casualties they supported the Somme battle for 56 consecutive days, providing well coordinated barrages and counter fire which allowed the Infantry to take the majority of their objectives. This feat owed much to the proficiency of Johnston who was awarded the Croix de Officier of the Légion d’honneur in May 1917, in recognition of his leadership and his unit’s outstanding performance. Affectionately referred to as ‘Blinky’ by his troops, Johnston employed them with great mastery on the Western Front
Western Front
Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the east and the Allies to the west...
at Messines, Passchendaele and during the last 100 days of the War. The Unit journeyed past Maubeuge; Mons, Belgium; Charleroi; Namur, Belgium; Liege, Belgium and so into Germany, arriving at Cologne, Germany shortly after Christmas 1918 where Major General Johnston was for a short period in temporary command of the New Zealand Division. He rejoined the British Army in 1920 and served with the 52nd (Lowland) Division until retiring in 1924. Major (temp. Brigadier-General) George Napier Johnston was Mentioned in Despatches six times. He died 3 April 1947 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika.
Legacy
The diaries Major General Johnston kept during service as Director of Ordnance and Artillery, Gallipoli and the Western Front 1914-18 are in the Imperial War Museum. A portrait of Brigadier General Johnston, the Commander of the Royal Artillery of the New Zealand Division in World War I, taken by Henry Armytage Sanders in 1917 is part of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association :New Zealand official negatives World War 1914-1918 As the C. R. A. of New Zealand Artillery, 1914–19, he wrote the introduction [to New Zealand Artillery in the Field] He was mentioned in The New Zealand Division 1916 - 1919: A Popular History Based on Official RecordsAwards and decorations
-
Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(Great Britain) - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(Great Britain) -
Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(Great Britain)) -
1914-15 Star1914-15 StarThe 1914-15 Star was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The 1914-15 Star was approved in 1918, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who served in any theatre of the War between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 .Recipients of this medal also...
(Great Britain) -
British War Medal 1914-19British War MedalThe British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
(Great Britain) - Victory MedalVictory Medal (United Kingdom)The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at...
with Mention in Despatches (6 times) (Great Britain) -
Officier de la Légion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(France)
Books
- 4237 Dr. Adrian Preston & Peter Dennis (Edited) "Swords and Covenants" Rowman And Littlefield, London. Croom Helm. 1976.
- H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada" 1997 Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1969.
- H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "Canada's RMC - A History of Royal Military College" Second Edition 1982
- H16511 Dr. Richard Preston "R.M.C. and Kingston: The effect of imperial and military influences on a Canadian community" 1968
- H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember". In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876-1918. Volume II: 1919-1984. Royal Military College. [Kingston]. The R.M.C. Club of Canada. 1984
- Haigh, B.J. & Polaschek, A.J., New Zealand and the Distinguished Service Order, Christchurch: John. D. Wills, 1993, p.136.
- McDonald, W. Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War 1914-1918, Napier: H. McDonald, 2001, p.164.
Articles
- Brewer,M 'New Zealand and the Legion d'honneur: Officiers, Commandeurs and Dignites', The Volunteers: The Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society, 35(3), March 2010, pp.131-147.