William Henry Johnson (15 October 1890 – 25 April 1945) was an English recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

forces. He was 27 years old, and on 3 October 1918 at Ramicourt, France, he performed the gallant act, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Details

Johnston was a

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

in 1/5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment),

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

during the First World War. His VC was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

on 14 December 1918 with the following citation: He was also awarded the French

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' (, "Military Medal") is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...

. He was in the

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

during World War II, but had to resign due to ill-health.

Medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the

Sherwood Foresters Museum Nottingham Castle is a Stuart Restoration-era ducal mansion in Nottingham, England, built on the site of a Norman castle built starting in 1068, and added to extensively through the medieval period, when it was an important royal fortress and ...

, Nottingham Castle, England.

References

Sources

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a British historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took ...

(David Harvey, 1999) *

The Register of the Victoria Cross ''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the f ...

(This England, 1997) *

Citation links

''(Nottinghamshire)''

''(photos, site includes other articles on SF)'' * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, William Henry 1890 births 1945 deaths Burials in Nottinghamshire People from Worksop Sherwood Foresters soldiers British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel of World War I British Home Guard soldiers British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Military personnel from Nottinghamshire People educated at Dinnington High School Territorial Force soldiers

Details

Medal

References

Sources

Further reading

Citation links