Johnnie Johnson (pilot)

Air Vice Marshal James Edgar "Johnnie" Johnson CB, CBE, DSO and two Bars, DFC and Bar (9 March 1915–30 January 2001) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot who during World War II shot down 38 Luftwaffe aircraft, thus becoming the British flying ace with the most "kills" during the war.

Biography

Early life

Johnson was born in Barrow Upon Soar, Leicestershire, England, and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School and the University of Nottingham where he qualified as a civil engineer. He would shoot rabbits and birds in the countryside. There is also a story of him being found in the school's swimming pool with a young lady, which was very taboo at the time. He was expelled from the school due to this incident. He sustained a broken collar bone playing rugby that did not properly heal.

Johnson applied to join the Auxiliary Air Force, but the collar injury meant he was rejected on medical grounds. He successfully applied to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

Fighter pilot

In August 1939 Johnson was called up, and after training posted to No. 616 squadron in September 1940. However his injury continued to trouble him, and he found flying extremely painful. He opted to have an operation that would correct the problem, but this meant he would miss the Battle of Britain. He returned to operational flying in early 1941, and with 616 Squadron forming part of the Tangmere Wing Johnson often found himself flying alongside the legendary W/C Douglas Bader. Proving himself both a capable fighter pilot and excellent formation leader, Johnson was quickly promoted and in June 1942 Johnson took command of 610 squadron. In March 1943 he took over the Canadian Wing stationed at Kenley. Despite initial resistance to a British Wing Leader from his tough, obstinate Canadian charges, he quickly won them over with his sheer force of personality, the unit becoming one of the highest scoring fighter wings of the time. During offensive sweeps over Europe and as escorts to the USAAF heavy bomber streams, he personally claimed 14 kills during the summer of 1943. By the time of D-Day he was in charge of 144 Wing, claiming another 10 aircraft shot down as the invasion month proceeded. In August 1944, his Spitfire was hit by enemy aircraft fire for the first and only time. His wartime record was 515 sorties flown, 34 aircraft claimed destroyed with a further 7 shared destroyed, 3 probable destroyed, 10 damaged, and one shared destroyed on the ground. All his kills were fighters.

In 1942 he married Pauline Ingate, and they had two sons.

After the war

Johnson was offered a full commission by the RAF after the war, and went on to fight in the Korean War. He also established the Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust in 1969.

Medals

3 Distinguished Service Orders
2 Distinguished Flying Crosseses
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1960)
Companion in The Most Honourable Order of the Bath
Légion d'honneur (France)
Croix de Guerre (Belgium)
Order of Léopold (Belgium)
Distinguished Flying Cross (USA)
Air Medal (USA)
Legion of Merit (USA)

Bibliography

(1956) Wing Leader (Fighter Pilots) ISBN 0-907579-87-6
(1985) The Story of Air Fighting ISBN 0-09-159820-6
(1992) Courage in the Skies ISBN 0-7529-0415-9