THE VICTORIAN OFFICER'S SWORD OF MAJOR WILLIAM HENRY JOHNSTON, V.C.

Victoria Cross Gazetted 25 Nov 1914:

"At Missy, on September 11th, under heavy fire all day until 7pm, he worked with his own hand two rafts, bringing back wounded and returning with ammunition, this enabling advanced brigade to maintain its position across the river."

William Henry Johnston was born on 21 Dec 1879 in Leith, Scotland, the son of William Johnston and Mary Johnston and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Engineers in March 1899 and employed in the Intelligence Department in Gibraltar to 1905 and promoted to the rank of Captain in March 1908 and appointed General Staff Officer in China and employed in the Geographical Section of the War Office in 1912. On the outbreak of WWI, Johnston was serving with the 59th Field Company, Royal Engineers on 14 Sep 1914 during the Race to the Sea at Missy, France when he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He then served with the tunnelling companies of the Engineers at St. Eloi and commanded the 172nd Tunnelling Company, mentioned in despatches a total of three times and appointed Brigade Major in May 1915. At 19:30 hrs on 7 June 1915, Johnston was Killed In Action by machine gun fire. He was buried the next day at 18:30 at Frezenberg Chateau, St. Eloi front and Perth Cemetery, China Wall.

His godson, Anthony Henry George Dobson was educated at Clare College and also served as a Captain with the Royal Engineers during WWII, mentioned in despatches in 1941 and 1942 and was serving with the 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division in North Africa. Dobson was taken Prisoner of War at Tobruk in 1942 and handed over by the Germans to the Italians and held at Campo PG 29, Piacenza, Italy. After 15 months, Dobson escaped and walked from Milan over the mountains to Switzerland. In 1944, he crossed into France and rejoined the Army to serve in the Netherlands and Germany, awarded the Military Cross. After the war, Dobson became Chief Engineer, HQ Eastern Command, deputy Quartermaster General at HQ BAOR and Chief Engineer at Northern Army Group, BAOR.