Dudley Graham Johnson VC CB DSO* MC

b. 13/02/1884 Upper Slaughter, near Bourton, Gloucestershire. d. 21/12/1975 Fleet, Hampshire.

Dudley Graham Johnson (1884-1975) was born on 13th February 1884 at Rockcliffe, Eyford, Upper Slaughter, near Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire. His father, William Johnson, was from Northamptonshire, and served in 6th Inniskilling Dragoons as a captain. He married Rosina “Rose” Marguerite nee Arnott, from Glasgow, on 30th October 1872 at the Cathedral, Cork, Ireland. They lived at Rockcliffe House on the Eyford Estate in Upper Slaughter, and later at Fern Bank in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. William later became a farmer, but sadly he took his own life when Dudley was 15 in 1899. Dudley had eight siblings, including his oldest brother William, who drowned in an accident when he was 12. Another brother, Mervyn was killed in the Great War.

Dudley was educated at Bradfield College, near Reading, Berkshire from May 1898 to April 1901. He was boarding at Army College House under Andrew Low at the time of the 1901 Census. He was commissioned into the Militia, 3rd The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment) on 4th March 1901. He was promoted to lieutenant on 31st October 1901 and served on St Helena guarding prisoners from the Boer War. He returned to Britain in May 1902 and passed the qualifying examinations for transfer to a Regular Army commission in March 1903. He was then commissioned into the 2nd South Wales Borderers on 4th July 1903. He served in South Africa and was promoted to lieutenant in 1907. He would return to South Africa for a second time, and to North China prior to the Great War.

Dudley married Marjorie Ailsie Grisewood, from Daylesford, Worcestershire on 5th June 1912 at Daylesford Parish Church and they lived firstly at Abbey House in Colchester, Essex before moving to Orchard House in Church Crookham, Hampshire. They had three children – Peter, Patience and Primrose.

Dudley G Johnson
VC CB DSO* MC

Dudley was promoted to captain on 11th March 1914. He served at Tsingtao, China from September to November 1914, and was present at its capture. He was awarded the DSO for his actions on the night of 5th-6th November 1914, including rescuing several wounded men whilst exposed to heavy machine gun fire. He was also mentioned in despatches on 9th October 1914. Dudley returned to Britain via Hong Kong arriving in Plymouth, Devon on 12th January 1915. The Battalion were stationed in Rugby, Warwickshire before being posted to Alexandria, Egypt. It landed at S Beach, Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. He was wounded in the shoulder shortly afterwards and was evacuated back to Britain.

He was then appointed Second-in-Command of 11th South Wales Borderers at Hazeley Down, Winchester, Hampshire. On 3rd December he was appointed GSO3, Third Army, Central Force, Home Defences and GSO3 Northern Army, Home Forces on 19th December. He was appointed Brigade Major between May and October 1916.

He joined The Royal Sussex Regiment in November 1916 from The South Wales Borderers, and was the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion from March 1918 until April 1919. He was awarded the MC on 1st January 1918. He was the subsequently awarded a Bar to his DSO for his actions at Pontruct on 18th September 1918 when he led his Battalion over difficult terrain. He then reorganised his men after the objective was reached and subsequently carried out a night attack on 24th September advancing over 900m against strong opposition.

It was during the assault on the Sambre Canal on 4th November 1918 (a week before the Armistice) that he was to perform the action which led to the award of the Victoria Cross.

The 2nd Infantry Brigade, of which 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex formed part, was ordered to cross the lock south of Catellon. The position was strong and before the bridge could be thrown, a steep bank leading up to the lock and a waterway about 100 yards short of the canal had to be crossed. The assaulting platoons and bridging parties Royal Engineers, on their arrival at the waterway were thrown into confusion by a heavy barrage and machine gun fire and heavy casualties were caused.

At this moment Lieutenant Colonel Johnson arrived and realising the situation at once collected men to man the bridges and assist the Royal Engineers and personally led the assault. In spite of his efforts heavy fire again broke up the assaulting and bridging parties. Without any hesitation he again organised the platoons and bridging parties and led them at the lock, this time succeeding in effecting a crossing after which all went well. During all this time LieutenantColonel Johnson was under heavy fire, which, though it nearly decimated the assaulting columns, left him untouched. His conduct was a fine example of great valour, coolness and intrepidity, which, added to his splendid leadership and offensive spirit that he had inspired in his Battalion, were entirely responsible for the successful crossing.

He was in Germany after the war as part of the Army of Occupation. The VC, Bar to the DSO and MC were presented by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 14th June 1919.

He was also made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. From 1928-32 he commanded the 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment; Commanding the 12th (Secunderabad) Infantry Brigade from 1933-36; from 1938-1940 he commanded the Fourth Division, which followed by becoming the General Officer Commanding Aldershot in 1940. He became the Colonel of the South Wales Borderers 1944-49. He retired as a Major-General, and spent his retirement in Hampshire, where aged 91, he died on 21st December 1975. He was buried with his wife in Christ Churchyard, Church Crookham, Hampshire. He is commemorated in Church Crookham, Hampshire with Johnson Way and a memorial in Christ Church. There is also Dudley Johnson Close in Bourton on the Water, and a VC commemorative stone placed at the Bourton on the Water War Memorial on 10th November 2018. He also has a plaque at Havard Chapel in Brecon Cathedral, and is on the Roll of Honour at the Royal Welsh Museum in Brecon. He is also named on the Freemason’s Memorial in Covent Garden.

In addition to his VC, DSO and Bar and MC, he was awarded the Queen’s Mediterranean Medal 1899-1902, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf, 1939-45 Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf, George V Silver Jubilee Medal 1935, George VI Coronation Medal 1937, and Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953. The VC is held by the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh in Brecon. The Queen’s Mediterranean Medal is an erroneous award as he should have received the Queen’s South Africa Medal without clasps.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: SOUTH WALES BORDERERS MUSEUM, BRECON, WALES.

BURIAL PLACE: CHRIST CHURCHYARD, CHURCH CROOKHAM, HAMPSHIRE.