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James Edgar "Johnnie" Johnson
9 March 1915–30 January 2001
Nickname	"Johnnie"
Place of birth	Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1939 – 1965
Rank	Air Vice Marshal
Battles/wars	Second World War

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 the Second World War shot down 38 Luftwaffe aircraft, thus becoming the British flying ace with the most "kills" during the war.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Second World War fighter pilot 3 After the war 4 Medals 5 References 6 External links

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 also sustained a broken collar bone playing rugby union that did not properly heal.

Johnson applied to join the Auxiliary Air Force, but the bone injury meant he was rejected on medical grounds; he then joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry, where the injury was not a bar to recruitment. However, standards became more forgiving as the RAF expanded, and he later successfully applied to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Johnson worked as a civil engineer in Nottingham before the war. ^[1]

In August 1939 Johnson was called up, and after training posted to No. 19 Squadron in the following August, though he was soon transferred to 616 Squadron at Coltishall 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 opened his account by claiming a Bf 109 fighter in May 1941. Flying extensively through the summer fighter offensives he was quickly promoted and by June 1942 Johnson was in command of 610 squadron. Johnson led his squadron through Operation Jubilee the Allied amphibious assault on the port of Dieppe. After shooting down a Fw 190, Johnson had what he considered his most difficult combat of the war, embroiled in an exhausting and hectic dogfight with a single Fw 190, and only managing to escape by power-diving through the AA barrage over the Allied destroyer screen. Returning to base Johnson was rebuked by West Malling wing leader Wing Commander Pat Jameson for his swearing over the radio.

In March 1943, now a Wing Commander, he took over the Canadian Wing stationed at RAF 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, now flying the Spitfire Mk. IX, became one of the highest scoring fighter wings of the time. Johnson chose his radio call-sign at this time as "Greycap." During offensive sweeps over Europe and as escorts to the USAAF heavy bomber streams, he personally claimed 14 kills during the summer of 1943. Johnson's tour ended in September 1943, being given a desk job at No.11 Group Headquarters until March 1944, when he was put in charge of 144 (RCAF) Wing. With his 28th claim on 5 May 1944 Johnson became the highest scoring ace still on operations.

After D-Day in June 1944, Johnson added further to his tally, claiming another 10 aircraft shot down from March- July 1944. The Wing was the first to be stationed on French soil following the invasion. With their radius of action now far extended compared to the squadrons still in the UK, the Wing scored heavily through the summer. After the Normandy break-out, 144 Wing was disbanded, Johnson being given command of 127 Wing. In August 1944, while outrunning a flight of Bf 109s, Johnson's Spitfire IX was hit by enemy aircraft fire for the first and only time, taking a cannon shell in the right wing root. His 38th and last claim of the war was on 27 September 1944 over Nijmegen.

His wartime record was 515 sorties flown, 34 aircraft claimed destroyed with a further seven shared destroyed, three probable destroyed, ten damaged, and one shared destroyed on the ground. All his kills were fighters.

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

Johnson was offered a full commission by the RAF after the war, becoming OC Tactics at the Central Fighter Establishment. After an exchange posting to the USA, he flew F-86 Sabres with Tactical Air Command and went on to serve in the Korean War flying the F-80 Shooting Star. In 1952 he became AOC RAF Wildenrath. An Air Commodore by 1960, his next job was SASO at HQ No. 3 Group. By the time of retirement in 1965 Johnson was an Air Vice Marshal and AOC Air Forces Middle East.

He established the Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust in 1969.

• Distinguished Service Order & Two Bars
• Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar
• 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)

Notes

Bibliography

• A period newspaper biography of AVM Johnson
• Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - AVM Johnson
• Biograph With Photo of Medals
• Times obituary
• Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust
• Biography
• Johnnie Johnson on Find-A-Grave