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Johnnie Johnson
| Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson CB, CBE, DSO**, DFC* (deceased) James Edgar Johnson was born in Barrow on Soar near Loughborough on 9th March 1915. He lived in Melton, the first house on the left of Welby Lane as you leave Nottingham Road, with his parents - his father being a local Police Inspector. Johnnie qualified as a Civil Engineer at Nottingham University in 1937. He joined the RAFVR and did his flying training at 21 E&RFTS, Stapleford before enlisting for full-time service in the RAF at the beginning of WWII. He first went to ITW at Jesus College, Cambridge, completed his ab initio flying at 22 EFTS, Cambridge and his intermediate and advanced flying at 5 FTS, Sealand. Johnnie Johnson joined 92 Spitfire squadron in August 1940, but it was with 616 squadron that he scored his first victory on June 26th 1941 while flying with Douglas Baders Tangmere Wing. He was squadron leader of 610 squadron in July 1942, but it was as Wing Commander of the Kenley Wing in 1943 that his scores really started to mount. He was W/C of 144 wing during D-Day and led 127 and 125 wings until the end of the war when we has the topscoring allied fighter pilot with 38 air victories. Inspired by the great British WW 1 aces like Bishop and Ball, Johnnie Johnson dreamed often as a child of becoming an R.A.F. pilot. The young Johnson enthusiastically joined the Volunteer Reserve at the first opportunity. After completing his initial flight training Johnson was posted to 616 Squadron at Kenley. However, this Squadron had been hit hard with the loss of six pilots and five wounded, and the unit was withdrawn to Coltishall prior to Johnson encountering combat. With only 12 hours of flight time in a Spitfire this was no doubt advantageous. In February 1941 Billy Burton moved the Squadron to Tangmere. Douglas Bader then arrived to take over the Tangmere Wing, and fly with the 616 Squadron. Johnnie, Alan Smith and Cocky Dundas were chosen to fly with Bader. During the summer of 1940 the Battle of Britain was at its peak. Bader took the time to instruct Johnson carefully in both the art of flying and the skills necessary to attain success in aerial combat. Baders idea of an afternoon off duty, according to Johnson, was to take his section over the Channel in hopes of running into Adolph Galland and his Abbeyville Boys. On August 19, 1941 Bader failed to return from a mission when 616 Squadron was hit hard by a group of Messerschmitt 109s. Johnson flew on in Baders absence, and in the summer of 1942 he was promoted to command of the 610 Squadron. In 1943 he was promoted again to Wing Commander of the Canadian Spitfire Wing in Kenley. By that time Johnson had attained eight confirmed victories. During the spring and summer of 1943 Johnnie led the Canadian unit on more than 140 missions over Northwest Europe. Johnsons squadron attained more than 100 victories during this period, and Johnnies own personal score rose to 25. After a short leave, Johnson was posted to lead the 144 Canadian Spitfire Wing. On D-Day Johnson led his Wing on four missions in support of the Allied invasion. On June 8, Johnsons Wing was the first Spitfire group to land in newly liberated France. Johnson continued fighting in France through September 1944 when he achieved his 38th and final victory. Patrolling the Rhine Johnsons unit jumped nine 109s which were flying beneath them in the opposite direction. Five of the 109s were downed. Early in 1945 Johnson was promoted to Group Captain and put in command of the 125 Wing, which was equipped with the Spitfire XIV. Flying from former Luftwaffe airfields the 125 Wing assisted in the final Allied push to Berlin. Johnson attributed much of his aerial combat success to his ability to make tight turning maneuvers. Johnsons tightest call came on August 19, 1942 when he was unable to dislodge an Me-109 from his tail during the raid on Diepppe. Johnson raced his Spitfire flat out at a group of Royal Navy ships. The usual barrage of flak and tracer fire came right at him, and fortunately for the ace, missed his Spitfire but effectively eliminated the brave pilot on his tail. During the Korean War Johnson flew fighter-bombers with the USAF. Following his retirement from the R.A.F. in 1966 Johnson founded the Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust that has provided homes for more than 4000 disabled and elderly persons, and his sixth book Winged Victory was published in 1995. Johnson flew many of the Spitfire models. His favorite was the beautiful Mark IX, the best of them all. Johnnie passed away in 2001 at the age of 85, in Derbyshire, England. |
  Midwinter Dawn by Robert Taylor. |   A Call to Arms by David Pentland. (P) |   Enemy Approaching by David Pentland. (P) |   Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor. (B) |
Items Signed by Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson CB, CBE, DSO**, DFC* (deceased) |
  | Return from Schweinfurt by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT | B-17 Fortresses of the American 8th Air Forces 1st Wing, fighting their way back from Schweinfurt on 17th August 1945. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | The Hunting Party by Ivan Berryman (B) Price : £170.00 | Depicting Spitfires of No.92 Squadron, which on their first mission over Dunkirk, encountered six ME109Es and succeeded in shooting down every one of them! Such actions came to symbolise the spirit of the 92nd Squadron which went on to see intense f...... | |
| | The Hunting Party by Ivan Berryman. (D) Price : £190.00 | Depicting Spitfires of No.92 Squadron, which on their first mission over Dunkirk, encountered six ME109Es and succeeded in shooting down every one of them! Such actions came to symbolise the spirit of the 92nd Squadron which went on to see intense f...... | |
  | Johnnie Johnson by Graeme Lothian. (P) SOLD OUT | A superb portrait of one of the Royal Air Forces top fighter pilots of World War Two. Johnnie Johnson has also signed this original pencil drawing. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Time to Leave by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £310.00 | Spitfire L1062 (DW-L) of 610 Sqn was hit by flak over Dunkirk on 29th May 1940 and this picture depicts Sergeant Peter Jenkins struggling to get out of the cramped cockpit as his stricken aircraft plunges toward the sea. ...... |
  | Kerr's Last Combat by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £480.00 | Spitfire L1000 (DW-R) of No.610 Sqn is terminally damaged by an Me109 over Dunkirk on 29th May 1940. The Spitfire pilot, Flying Officer Gerald Kerr is listed is missing after this combat. ...... | |
  | Tribute to Air Vice Marshal James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson by Ivan Berryman. (C) Price : £280.00 | Pictured above the beaches of Normandy shortly after D-Day in June 1944, Spitfire Mk IX MK392 was the personal aircraft of Wing Commander Johnnie Johnson, carrying his initials JE-J instead of the usual squadron codes. He went on to become Britain&...... | |
  | Clipped Signature - Johnnie Johnson. Price : £60.00 | Despite missing the Battles of France and Britain due to an old sports injury preventing him from flying, Johnnie Johnson became the top-scoring RAF Ace of the war, claiming 34 individual victories. Flew Spitfires with No.616 and No.610 Sqn then le...... | |
  | Clipped Signature - Johnnie Johnson (B) Price : £70.00 | James Edgar Johnson was born in Barrow on Soar near Loughborough on 9th March 1915. He lived in Melton, the first house on the left of Welby Lane as you leave Nottingham Road, with his parents - his father being a local Police Inspector. Johnnie q...... | |
  | Beware of the Lion by Geoff Lea (C) Price : £120.00 | Spitfires of 602 City of Glasgow Squadron in the disitnctive white stripe marking of the d- day invasion patrol the Normandy beaches. Seen below are the landing craft and ships of the invasion force as the troops form Britian, America, Canada invad...... |
  | Normandy Beach Head Patrol by Geoff Lea (B) Price : £120.00 | Spitfire Mk9. of 56 squadron patrol the D-Day landings. ...... | |
| | Normandy Beach Head Patrol by Geoff Lea. (C) Price : £180.00 | Spitfire Mk9. of 56 squadron patrol the D-Day landings. ...... | |
  | Combat Over Normandy by Graeme Lothian. Price : £160.00 | Spitfires of R.C.A.F 144 Wing led by Wing Commander Johnson in combat with ME109s of JG3 over Arromanches, France June 1944. ...... | |
  | Fighting Lady by Graeme Lothian. Price : £145.00 | A solo Spitfire on patrol off the coast of Dover during the Battle of Britain. ...... | |
| | Fighting Lady by Graeme Lothian (B) Price : £480.00 | A solo Spitfire on patrol off the coast of Dover during the Battle of Britain....... |
  | Ranger by Graeme Lothian. Price : £125.00 | Before D-Day allied fighters ranged far and wide across the North of Europe. ...... | |
| | Ranger by Graeme Lothian. (B) Price : £140.00 | Before D-Day allied fighters ranged far and wide across the North of Europe. ...... | |
| | Ranger by Graeme Lothian. (XX) SOLD OUT | Before D-Day allied fighters ranged far and wide across the North of Europe. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Ranger by Graeme Lothian. (Y) Price : £95.00 | Before D-Day allied fighters ranged far and wide across the North of Europe. ...... | |
  | Combat over the Pas de Calais by Simon Smith. Price : £150.00 | Two Me109s of Adolf Gallands famed JG26 breaking away after a head on attack against Johnnies Johnsons Spitfire formation....... |
| | Combat over the Pas de Calais by Simon Smith (AP) Price : £170.00 | Two Me109s of Adolf Gallands famed JG26 breaking away after a head on attack against Johnnies Johnsons Spitfire formation....... | |
| | Combat over the Pas de Calais by Simon Smith. (B) Price : £150.00 | Two Me109s of Adolf Gallands famed JG26 breaking away after a head on attack against Johnnies Johnsons Spitfire formation. ...... | |
  | Wing Commander Johnnie Johnson DSO**, DFC* by Graeme Lothian. Price : £60.00 | 144 Wing RCAF, Normandy, 1944. ...... | |
| | Wing Commander Johnnie Johnson DSO**, DFC* by Graeme Lothian. (AP) Price : £100.00 | 144 Wing RCAF, Normandy, 1944. ...... | |
  | Those Valiant Few by Robert Taylor. (AP) SOLD OUT | The Battle of Britain commenced at the beginning of June 1940, and for the next two and a half gruelling months the young men of Royal Air Force Fighter Command, duelled with the cream of Goerings Luftwaffe over the skies of southern England. It wa...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Those Valiant Few by Robert Taylor. (B) SOLD OUT | The Battle of Britain commenced at the beginning of June 1940, and for the next two and a half gruelling months the young men of Royal Air Force Fighter Command, duelled with the cream of Goerings Luftwaffe over the skies of southern England. It wa...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Summer of 44 by Nicolas Trudgian. Price : £160.00 | As the Allied invasion of northern France drew nearer, the entire length of southern England had seemingly become one huge army camp. While the local population went about its daily business as best it could, British and American troops massed at ev...... | |
| | Summer of 44 by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) Price : £200.00 | As the Allied invasion of northern France drew nearer, the entire length of southern England had seemingly become one huge army camp. While the local population went about its daily business as best it could, British and American troops massed at ev...... | |
| | Summer of 44 by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Price : £180.00 | As the Allied invasion of northern France drew nearer, the entire length of southern England had seemingly become one huge army camp. While the local population went about its daily business as best it could, British and American troops massed at ev...... | |
| | Summer of 44 by Nicolas Trudgian. (RM) SOLD OUT | As the Allied invasion of northern France drew nearer, the entire length of southern England had seemingly become one huge army camp. While the local population went about its daily business as best it could, British and American troops massed at ev...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Summer of 44 by Nicolas Trudgian. (XX) Price : £145.00 | As the Allied invasion of northern France drew nearer, the entire length of southern England had seemingly become one huge army camp. While the local population went about its daily business as best it could, British and American troops massed at ev...... | |
| | Summer of 44 by Nicolas Trudgian. (Y) SOLD OUT | As the Allied invasion of northern France drew nearer, the entire length of southern England had seemingly become one huge army camp. While the local population went about its daily business as best it could, British and American troops massed at eve...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Ramrod by Robert Taylor Price : £100.00 | During operation Ramrod 792 on April 25, 1944, leading his Spitfire wing, Johnnie Johnson had a long-running combat with an FW190. Robert Taylor shows the last moments of the duel which ended in victory for the Allied Air Forces leading fighter Ace....... | |
| | Ramrod by Robert Taylor (B) Price : £150.00 | During operation Ramrod 792 on April 25, 1944, leading his Spitfire wing, Johnnie Johnson had a long-running combat with an FW190. Robert Taylor shows the last moments of the duel which ended in victory for the Allied Air Forces leading fighter Ace....... | |
  | Fighter Legend - Johnnie Johnson by Nicolas Trudgian. Price : £110.00 | A special tribute to fighter Ace Johnnie Johnson who personally signed this entire edition - published late 1980s....... |
| | Fighter Legend - Johnnie Johnson by Nicolas Trudgian. (Y) Price : £90.00 | ...... | |
  | Canadian Wing by Robert Taylor Price : £160.00 | Spitfires of Johnsons Canadian Wing, complete with Normandy Invasion markings, making a sweep above the Normandy beaches on the 6th June, 1944 - D-Day. Johnson and his Canadian pilots flew sweeps on this day from dawn till dusk, limited most of the ...... | |
  | Bader Legend by Robert Taylor SOLD OUT | The legendary Wing Leader Douglas Bader high above the south coast of England, flying his beloved Mark Va Spitfire. Baders inspired leadership spawned some of World War IIs greatest fighter leaders- Johnnie Johnson, Denis Crowley-Milling, Cocky Dund...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Bader Legend by Robert Taylor (AP) Price : £325.00 | The legendary Wing Leader Douglas Bader high above the south coast of England, flying his beloved Mark Va Spitfire. Baders inspired leadership spawned some of World War IIs greatest fighter leaders- Johnnie Johnson, Denis Crowley-Milling, Cocky Dund...... | |
| | Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT | Leading 433 (Canadian) Squadron, top Allied Fighter Ace Johnnie Johnson -Greycap Leader - has already bagged an Fw190, and is hauling his MKIX Spitfire around looking for a second in heavy dog-fighting over the Rhine, September 1944. In the distance...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor (AP) Price : £325.00 | Leading 433 (Canadian) Squadron, top Allied Fighter Ace Johnnie Johnson -Greycap Leader - has already bagged an Fw190, and is hauling his MKIX Spitfire around looking for a second in heavy dog-fighting over the Rhine, September 1944. In the distance...... | |
| | Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor. (B) Price : £310.00 | Leading 433 (Canadian) Squadron, top Allied Fighter Ace Johnnie Johnson -Greycap Leader - has already bagged an Fw190, and is hauling his MKIX Spitfire around looking for a second in heavy dog-fighting over the Rhine, September 1944. In the distance...... | |
  | A Time for Heroes by Robert Taylor. (C) SOLD OUT | Royal Air Force and Royal Navy fighter aircrews flew combat throughout the six long years of World War Two. At the outbreak of war in 1939 four RAF Hurricane squadrons and two equipped with Gladiators went immediately to France where in short time N...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Foes Now Friends by Alan S Holt Price : £115.00 | Symbolically Johnnie Johnsons Spitfire Mk9 flies with Adolf Gallands ME109E on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The two top scoring fighter aces represent all the pilots of the Allies and the Luftwaffe who fought against each other in ...... | |
| | Foes Now Friends by Alan S Holt. (B) Price : £330.00 | Symbolically Johnnie Johnsons Spitfire Mk9 flies with Adolf Gallands ME109E on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The two top scoring fighter aces represent all the pilots of the Allies and the Luftwaffe who fought against each other in ...... |
| | Foes Now Friends by Alan S Holt (XX) Price : £88.00 | Symbolically Johnnie Johnsons Spitfire Mk9 flies with Adolf Gallands ME109E on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The two top scoring fighter aces represent all the pilots of the Allies and the Luftwaffe who fought against each other in...... | |
  | Normandy Fighter Sweep by Nicolas Trudgian. Price : £80.00 | Johnnie Johnson leads his Canadian Wing Spitfires over the Normandy beaches on D-Day, 1944. ...... | |
  | Battle Line by Philip West. Price : £115.00 | On the 6th June 1944 the invasion of Normandy commenced. The RAF was, of course, a major combatant and formed part of a dedicated Allied force tasked with freeing Europe. VE Day finally signalled the end of hostilities on the 8th May 1945. During ...... | |
| | Midwinter Dawn by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT | The engineers at Rolls-Royce had worked their magic. They had somehow managed to squeeze every available ounce of power out of the current Merlin engine and by D-Day on 6 June 1944 the sleek Mk.IX Spitfires of Fighter Command reigned supreme in the...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Midwinter Dawn by Robert Taylor. (APB) SOLD OUT | The engineers at Rolls-Royce had worked their magic. They had somehow managed to squeeze every available ounce of power out of the current Merlin engine and by D-Day on 6 June 1944 the sleek Mk.IX Spitfires of Fighter Command reigned supreme in the...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Midwinter Dawn by Robert Taylor. (B) Price : £295.00 | The engineers at Rolls-Royce had worked their magic. They had somehow managed to squeeze every available ounce of power out of the current Merlin engine and by D-Day on 6 June 1944 the sleek Mk.IX Spitfires of Fighter Command reigned supreme in the...... | |
| | Midwinter Dawn by Robert Taylor. (C) SOLD OUT | The engineers at Rolls-Royce had worked their magic. They had somehow managed to squeeze every available ounce of power out of the current Merlin engine and by D-Day on 6 June 1944 the sleek Mk.IX Spitfires of Fighter Command reigned supreme in the...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Midwinter Dawn by Robert Taylor. (RM) SOLD OUT | The engineers at Rolls-Royce had worked their magic. They had somehow managed to squeeze every available ounce of power out of the current Merlin engine and by D-Day on 6 June 1944 the sleek Mk.IX Spitfires of Fighter Command reigned supreme in the...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Midwinter Dawn by Robert Taylor. (RMB) SOLD OUT | The engineers at Rolls-Royce had worked their magic. They had somehow managed to squeeze every available ounce of power out of the current Merlin engine and by D-Day on 6 June 1944 the sleek Mk.IX Spitfires of Fighter Command reigned supreme in the...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Enemy Approaching by David Pentland. (P) Price : £720.00 | Hurricanes of No.605 Squadron, October 1940. Aircraft pictured are P3308 UP-A of A A McKellar and N2471 of P Parrott. ...... |
| | A Call to Arms by David Pentland. (P) Price : £720.00 | Spitfires of No.603 Squadron, 23rd November 1940. The nearest aircraft is P7389 of Archie Winskill. ...... | |
  | Chariots of Fire by Gerald Coulson. Price : £220.00 | Chariots of Fire depicts Spitfires of 610 squadron (County of Chester) engaging Messerschmitts 190E of the Luftwaffe over the South Coast of England, August 1940. ...... |
