raf officer air vice marshal bars march january nicknamed royal_air_force raf pilot flying ace defined pilot shot enemy aircraft aerial combat flew fought second world war born johnson grew educated qualified engineer johnson broke playing rugby injury later complicated ambitions fighter pilot johnson interested aviation youth applied join raf initially rejected social medical grounds august eventually accepted injury problems returned early training flying career resulting missing october johnson operation reset began flying regularly took offensive sweeps german occupied europe rest johnson involved heavy aerial fighting period combat tour included participation raid combined bomber offensive battle normandy operation market garden battle western allied invasion germany johnson progressed rank group captain end war johnson credited individual victories enemy aircraft seven shared victories shared probable damaged shared damaged destroyed ground johnson flew operational sorties engaged enemy aircraft occasions included list individual victories destroyed making successful raf ace score highest scoring western allied fighter ace johnson continued career raf war served korean war retiring rank air vice marshal maintained interest aviation public speaking subject entering business aviation art remained active death cancer early life johnson born march johnson lived brought father policeman inspector mid-1930s evening leader held meeting town license meeting expired time went ejected building johnson educated johnson uncle won paid johnson education according brother ross time johnson nearly expelled refusing punishment believing simply dug heels johnson interests shooting sports shot rabbits birds local countryside johnson attended qualified civil engineer aged johnson surveyor progressing assistant engineer johnson broke playing rugby injury set heal properly later caused difficulty start flying career joining raf keen follow interest aviation johnson started taking flying lessons expense applied join encountered social problems british society time johnson strongly felt rejected grounds class status johnson fortunes improve chances war increased aftermath standards raf relaxed service expanded brought men ordinary social backgrounds johnson applied informed sufficient pilots available balloon squadrons johnson rejected offer inspired friends joined johnson applied join means enter raf young men ordinary backgrounds volunteer possibility commission rejected grounds applicants injury unsuitable flight operations joined injury bar recruitment joined unit reserved occupation war came intention seeing duration building air raid shelters supervising squads johnson content day riding annual camp johnson took raf seeing line fighters johnson remarked got fight hitler sooner fight bloody great horse flight training august johnson accepted began training weekends airfield satellite airfield received ground instruction taught retired service pilots johnson trained tiger outbreak war september rank sergeant johnson cambridge arrived 2nd initial training wing begin flight instruction interviewed senior officers said profession knowledge topography surveying mapping useful reconnaissance role wing commander agreed nonetheless johnson selected fighter pilot training given service number rank sergeant johnson cambridge initial assigned johnson learned basic military drill given slang square december johnson began initial training cambridge flew times december january second pilot february johnson flew solo time march april passed minute flight test followed night flights following day chief flying instructor passed moved completing training operational training unit wales flying miles master earned instrument navigation night flying ratings practised forced landings training complete august johnson received wings immediately inducted general raf pilot officer hours minutes solo flying august johnson flew time weeks practised handling formation flying attacks battle climbs training flights stalled crashed johnson harness loose shoulders revealing earlier rugby injury healed properly ground loop legs forcing port main plane commanding officer johnson short airfield difficult land inexperienced pilot johnson got impression watched closely felt mistake certainly washed johnson tried pack injured shoulder wool held place tape reduce vibrations johnson found lost feel right hand practised pressure aggravated shoulder tried fly left hand handled hands simple manoeuvres despite difficulties injuries august course complete johnson hours operational types including injury training august briefly posted squadron pilot officer equipment difficulties squadron unable complete johnson training left unit september johnson posted squadron squadron leader took johnson minute training flight flight burton impressed johnson difficulties shooting technique killing shot line astern near line astern positions duty number job shoot enemy aircraft ensure leader tail safe burton directed johnson critical tactical importance keeping good battle formation tactical use sun cloud height days later johnson flew raid patrol qualifying johnson old injury continued trouble found flying high performance aircraft like extremely painful raf gave options operation correct problem meant miss training instructor flying light johnson opted operation hoped treatment word soon reached johnson taken flying duties sent return squadron december took johnson test flight december minute flight johnson fitness fly approved second world war johnson returned operational flying early squadron forming wing johnson found flying alongside wing commander australian ace january johnson recently appointed squadron leader burton pilot officer hugh arrived squadron september took offer cover convoy controller pair enemy aircraft attacked bomber lost sight controllers intercepted distress signals bomber johnson crash credited enemy aircraft damaged time johnson engage german bomber end january johnson added flying hours opening months johnson flew night fighter pilot day fighters act night fighters radar largely unsuccessful german bombers blitz johnson action occurred february damaged week later johnson squadron moved channel coast johnson eager combat operational hours welcomed prospect meeting enemy germans resume assault wing fight november douglas air officer commanding december directive called sector offensive sweeps ordered hit run operations belgium france operations conducted squadrons harass german air defences january circus attacks initiated sending small bomber formations protected large numbers fighters offensive operations designed draw luftwaffe took increasingly offensive stance operations known circus offensive penned operations instruction written february outlined distinct operations day fighters bomber escort primary goal destruction target goal fighters escorted ground attack fighters bomber escort anti operations operation bombers poor weather ground attack operation circus operations johnson contact enemy single engine fighters planned undertook patrol number johnson followed section number guarding tail red johnson spotted feet higher travelling direction johnson report number type position enemy shouted look sign pilot question imminent danger bounced section broke directions headed singly mistake brought embarrassing johnson flew operations france including ground attack missions johnson hated considered waste pilots successful fighter pilots lost way flight lieutenant wing commander killed operations august july respectively squadron leader captured carrying similar operation january time pilots expressed dissatisfaction formation tactics wing long conversation early hours accepted suggestions senior pilots agreed use flexible tactics chances taken surprise bounced tactical changes involved operating overlapping line abreast formations similar german finger formation tactics raf pilots wing use tactics wing wing engaged fighter wing led noticing approaching germans ignorance waiting moment turn tables called break whip unfortunately tactic successful avoiding surprise attack break left battle followed wing shot damaged shot second time career remained british able nurse crippled fighter base crash land month later johnson gained air victory june johnson participated crossing coast near warned nearby southeast wing saw british turned attack lower squadron rear watching dive port johnson lost sight wing commander feet immediately flew turned slightly port range yards receiving hits hood pilot squadron pilots witnessed victory expended rounds guns lost fighter wing day action followed july expended rounds damaged section attacked johnson turned firing saw streaming july wing flew circus losing sight squadron johnson proceeded inland feet spotting aircraft turning identified johnson come underneath enemy blind spot closing yards gave trailing second burst tail blown covered oil johnson saw spinning control having lost johnson climbing crossing coast johnson bounced giving chase dive feet firing yards observed flying starboard wing johnson owing oil covered claim second victory probably corporal iii group posted missing july johnson shared destruction pilot officer johnson disappeared battle mortally wounded wheels landing near impressed flying badly wounded germans buried honours july johnson damaged battle wing commander wounded life saved recently installed armour plate head johnson took august mission lost france sortie destroyed solitary johnson flew section wing crossed coast reported area luftwaffe aircraft wing spotting group feet led bounce lower group formations fell apart air battle mass twisting aircraft biggest danger collision shot close got bouncing squadron leader came section lot yards apart awful think surviving getting mass aircraft johnson exited mass aircraft immediately attacked closest yards away maintaining steep tight turn cloud immediately headed dover coming cloud johnson saw lone chased searched seeing johnson attacked shot fourth victory johnson ended month tally adding probable victory august bad day month wing circus raids cost fighters germans lost september johnson promoted flight lieutenant awarded johnson certain victories year achieved september escorting bristol cover wings failed rendezvous bombers feet johnson section bounced johnson broke turned approaching quarter astern slightly johnson fired closing yards pilot officer smith johnson section observed pilot bail pursued enemy aircraft johnson ground level miles attacked allowing germans close range johnson turned steep left hand turn took tail johnson fired broke away yards hit stalled crashed sea johnson pursued miles south dover victories johnson total destroyed meant official flying ace winter johnson squadron moved training duties odd convoy patrol flown idle period squadron concluded tour squadron leader wing commander january squadron moved raf kings uneventful months resumed offensive policy april weather cleared large scale operations flew seven sweeps month situation changed flown raf match germans introduced new fighter faster altitudes feet possessed faster roll rate heavily armed dive climb turn introduction new enemy fighter resulted heavier casualty rates squadrons new mark produced johnson claimed damaged april witnessed better british pilots consistently yes causing real problems time turn couldn turn day number increased depth deceased drove coast johnson experienced unusual mission section engaged carrying british markings miles west base johnson allowed inexperienced pilots attack managed damage bomber days later june johnson awarded bar welcome news received late month began reaching raf units july johnson promoted rank squadron leader effective july given command squadron operations france johnson wing commander insisted line astern formation caused johnson question tactics finger universally adopted johnson criticised lack tactical consistency squadron flew cover changed finger soon reached french coast hoping wing leader wouldn notice august preparations begun major operation jubilee raid took place august johnson took running pairs singly climbing attack johnson shot crashed sea shared destruction heading base johnson attacked alert met attack head descended zero feet flying johnson destroyer hope fire drive tail worked johnson landed remainder year squadron moved september protect royal_navy fleet scapa_flow johnson took command wing canadians based christmas received new answer gaining probable february selected minute test flight march regular mount wing commander meant initials painted machine carried allotted sign johnson set changing wing tactical approach quickly forced wing abandon line astern tactics finger formation offered safety combat enabling multiple pilots participate scanning skies enemy aircraft avoid attack better able spot position unit surprise attack enemy johnson alteration units operations ground attack missions highly trained fighter pilots forced participate abandoned ground attack missions weeks johnson wing escorted bombers targets france fighter sweep johnson destroyed eighth victory parachute failed open spring proved busy johnson claimed damaged days later destroyed reach individual air victories sharing destruction later date june victories achieved june claimed june june leading wing bounced led shot killed june claimed destroyed damaged victory 27th brought total johnson scored success july began concentrated effort german targets escorting american bombers johnson destroyed damaged shot july tally stood standard formation procedure johnson use finger wing distinct air earned wing nickname remained wing moved advanced landing ground renamed wing command group raf tactics proved successful canadian wing johnson scored victories august whilst claiming september 19th victory gained sergeant killed johnson 21st victim killed normandy rhine lead day landings johnson continued score regularly 23rd victories achieved april johnson highest scoring ace operations victories followed iii lost killed air battle landings france june johnson added tally claiming aerial victories month including june mission johnson recorded 26th victory june particularly fell wing bouncing formation shot 29th victory days later johnson destroyed reach 31st air victories johnson wing stationed french soil following invasion radius action far extended compared squadrons britain wing scored heavily summer august johnson leading squadron patrol near paris johnson bounced formation shooting recorded camera climbing starting point johnson attempted join formation aircraft thought fighters actually johnson escaped series steep climbs nearly stalled eventually evaded trying flank stuck tail johnson hit enemy aircraft fire time taking cannon shells rudder elevators johnson surpassed sailor record score shooting air victories johnson considered exploits better johnson points fought outnumbered matched enemy johnson said fought great distinction odds matched handful greatly superior numbers luftwaffe fighters bombers forced fight defensive battle southern england tactical disadvantage cover high sun fought offensive squadron wing wings september johnson wing participated support actions operation market garden netherlands september johnson victory war flight bounced formation johnson shot combat squadron leader squadron joined johnson action went missing possibly shot fighter wing wing rarely saw enemy aircraft remainder year january germans appear large numbers support attack johnson witnessed german attack wing airfield brussels recalled germans inexperienced shooting johnson led patrol prevent second wave german aircraft attacking engaged enemy aircraft follow attack late january february johnson reduced flying time march johnson patrolled pushed allied armies germany little sign luftwaffe numerous ground attack operations carried instead march johnson wing relocated promoted group captain days later johnson took command wing april returning patrol switched engine flew overhead seeing turned attack johnson took cover fighter airfield defences shot april johnson wing moved germany week war johnson squadron flew patrols berlin kiel german resistance flight central germany looking jet fighters johnson squadron attacked luftwaffe airfields sortie unit destroyed preparing sortie enemy transport sighted took action retreated german held territory johnson pilots shot occasion johnson intercepted flight german fighters wings signal non hostile intent johnson unit escorted raf airfield german capitulation johnson relocated unit copenhagen denmark association belgian squadron raf led awarded palm rank officer post war war johnson commanded west_germany wrote wartime memoir followed circle history air fighting written member parliament brother law korean war johnson given permanent commission raf war initially squadron leader retaining wartime substantive rank wing commander later confirmed rank exchange posting usa flew north american went serve korean war flying lockheed shooting star johnson leave written record experiences korean war believed saw action enemy aircraft service received air medal legion merit united_states johnson commanded wing following year johnson air officer commanding deputy director operations october johnson commanding bombers air commodore attended served group raf commanding june commander order british empire johnson promoted air vice marshal appointed companion order bath retired later life johnson appointed deputy lieutenant established housing association managed properties death friend johnson sir set continue supporting disabled charities passionate supporter johnson recognise skills aviation artist 1980s depictions aircraft battle scenes print began popular helped taylor promote venture successful johnson sons set distribution networks united_states britain johnson spent 1980s 1990s speaker fundraiser spending time travelling fishing shooting walking dogs johnson appeared long running british television life 40th anniversary day programme guests german fighter ace british wartime propaganda alleged johnson challenged personal duel version events denied johnson men arranged meet war unable programme guests flew alongside johnson operation earned johnson wing commander uncle years old time personal life teenager johnson fascinated speed joined friends johnson enjoyed lifestyle cars women early interests johnson later settle add family november johnson married home leave acted best man lord son wing commander attended war worked sons michael october chris born december couple split johnson lived partner january johnson aged years died cancer memorial service took place april hymns jerusalem thee country played children scattered ashes estate memorial bench dedicated favourite fishing spot estate inscription reads memory fisherman list air victories johnson wartime record sorties flown aircraft claimed destroyed seven shared destroyed shared victories probable destroyed damaged shared destroyed ground victories fighters johnson able use initials place squadron code letters scored bulk victories flying shot aircraft shared plus shared damaged commanding wing aircraft plus shared destroyed ground victory war scored aircraft johnson ended war flying post war mount carry initials ability verify british claims british main opponents limited volumes produced survived war attempted use limited german material available compare losses air victory claims acknowledges lack sources leave possibility error list individual victories
Johnnie Johnson (RAF officer)