James Johnson VC

b. 28/01/1882 Widdrington Colliery, Northumberland. d. 23/03/1943 Plymouth, Devon.

James Johnson (1882-1943) was born on 28th January 1882 at Widdrington, Northumberland. His name is often incorrectly seen as James Bulmer Johnson. The only such birth of such a name is in 1895 in Scarborough and that man served in the Great War, but in the Royal Artillery, so is clearly not the correct man. The only time Bulmer appears in James’ story is on his death certificate but there is no reason for it. His father, Robert Johnson was a railway fireman in 1871. He married Elizabeth Johnston in 1871 in Berwick-upon-Tweed, where she was born. Robert later became an engineman in a colliery, and later at a factory when they moved from Widdrington to Benwell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. James had nine siblings in total.

James was educated at Widdrington Colliery Village School, Northumberland. He was employed as a machine man in 1901 and then worked at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne as a porter and clerk. James enlisted in the Royal Horse Guards on 13th October 1914 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He departed from Southampton on 18th May 1915, arriving at Rouen, France the following day, and joined his Regiment in the field on 23rd May. He was promoted to lance corporal on 11th August. He was admitted to 8th Cavalry Field Ambulance with tonsilitis between 13th and 22nd April 1916 and with a wounded finger on 11th January 1917. He rejoined the unit on 10th March and reverted to a trooper at his own request on 20th May.

James returned to England on 21st October as a candidate for a commission and was posted to No 8 Officer Cadet Battalion, Lichfield on 7th December. He was treated at Lichfield General Hospital between 6th-15th January 1918 for lymphangitis. He was commissioned in the Northumberland Fusiliers on 29th May 1918 and returned to France on 29th September, disembarking at Boulogne. He joined E Infantry Base Depot on 3rd October and 36th Battalion on 9th October, just 5 days before his VC action.

James Johnson VC

On 14th October 1918, south west of Wez Macquart, France, Second Lieutenant Johnson repelled frequent counter-attacks and for six hours, under heavy fire, he held back the enemy. When at length he was ordered to retire he was the last to leave the advanced position carrying a wounded man. Three times subsequently this officer returned and brought in badly wounded men under intense enemy machine-gun fire.

When the GOC of 59th Division, Major General Sir Neville Maskelyne Smyth VC KCB, learned of the award on 24th December 1918, he sent Corporal Foulkes to hand the telegram to James. When James read it, he waltzed Foulkes around his billet and then threw away every piece of shaving kit through the window. A runner then arrived with an invitation from the Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Thomas Wolryche Stansfeld CMG DSO for James to join him for dinner that evening. He gave the runner 10 francs and told him to say James could not be found. He then whisked Foulkes off to the photographers instead. The VC was presented by King George V in the quadrangle of Buckingham Palace on 14th June 1919.

James returned to Britain from Boulogne on 9th October 1919 and was demobbed on 12th October. He relinquished his commission on 1st September 1921 and retained the rank of second lieutenant. In May 1921, he was sandbagged when on his way home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and had 38 shillings stolen from him. He served in the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary from 15th June 1921 and joined the Depot on 18th June. He was struck off strength as an absentee on 22nd August. He was unemployed and living at 72 Gerald Street, Benwell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne when he applied for a VC pension in February 1922 but at that time it was not paid to commissioned officers.

He was then employed by the Northern Branch Racecourse Betting Control Board at Doncaster Racecourse until October 1933. While unemployed in March 1934 he asked for work at the War Office but no opportunities existed. He was living at 18 Essex Avenue, Doncaster at the time. He then moved to Plymouth, Devon with his landlord and lady, William Thomas Ramsay and Gertrude Florence Ramsey, and was living with them at 74 Fletemoor Road, Plymouth in 1939. At the time, James was working as a civilian clerk for the Army Recruiting Office. He then gained employment from Plymouth City Treasury from 28th July 1941 as a Rating Assessment Officer for buildings. He later lived at 2 Salisbury Road, Plymouth, probably because his previous address was damaged in the Blitz.

James attended two VC Reunions – the VC Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on 26th June 1920 and the VC Dinner at the House of Lords on 9th November 1929.

James died at Plymouth City Hospital on 23rd March 1943. The informant was his landlady, Gertrude Ramsey, whose address was now 1 Evelyn Street, St Budeaux, Plymouth. His funeral was held on 26th March at St Boniface Church, St Budeaux, Plymouth, followed by cremation at Efford Crematorium, Plymouth, where there is a memorial plaque. His ashes were scattered in the Garden of Remembrance. Only one member of his family attended the funeral, his brother-in-law, William Ruddick Dodd of Whitley Bay. James’ sister, Chris, sent a wreath in the design of a Victoria Cross. Members of Plymouth City Council, the Old Contemptibles Association, British Legion and his former Regiment attended. He has a VC commemorative stone placed at the Memorial Garden in Widdrington, Northumberland on 14th October 2018.

In addition to his VC, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 and George VI Coronation Medal 1937. The VC was lost when his home was destroyed in an air raid on Plymouth. The replacement VC is held by the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Regimental Museum in Alnwick Castle, Northumberland.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS, ALNWICK CASTLE

BURIAL PLACE: EFFORD CREMATORIUM, PLYMOUTH, DEVON. ASHES SCATTERED.