William Henry Johnson
Encyclopedia
William Henry Johnson VC
(15 October 1890 – 25 April 1945) was an English 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.
He was 27 years old, and on 3 October 1918 at Ramicourt
, France, he performed the deed for which he was awarded the VC.
in 1/5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), British Army
during the First World War.
His VC was gazetted
on 14 December 1918 with the following citation:
He was also awarded the French Medaille Militaire
.
He was in the Home Guard during World War II
, but had to resign due to ill-health.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(15 October 1890 – 25 April 1945) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
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 Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
He was 27 years old, and on 3 October 1918 at Ramicourt
Ramicourt
Ramicourt is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
, France, he performed the deed for which he was awarded the VC.
Details
Johnston was a serjeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in 1/5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the First World War.
His VC was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 14 December 1918 with the following citation:
He was also awarded the French Medaille Militaire
Médaille militaire
The Médaille militaire is a decoration of the French Republic which was first instituted in 1852.-History:The creator of the médaille was the emperor Napoléon III, who may have taken his inspiration in a medal issued by his father, Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland...
.
He was in the Home Guard during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but had to resign due to ill-health.
The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Sherwood Foresters Museum, Nottingham Castle, England.External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Nottinghamshire)
- The Victoria Cross Awards to the Sherwood Foresters (photos, site includes other articles on SF)
- Major R.E. Priestley, Breaking the Hindenburg Line: The Story of the 46th Division, London: T.F. Unwin, 1919 http://www.archive.org/details/breakhindenburg00priesuoft (at archive.org)