A Collection of Awards to the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force

The unique and important Great War D.C.M. and Bar group of three awarded to Sergeant F. Johnson, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps, who, having claimed four victories as an Air Gunner and Observer in No. 22 Squadron, raised his score to 16 piloting Bristol Fighters of No. 20 and No. 62 Squadrons - more often than not engaging his victims at ranges under 50 yards

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (6391 Cpl. F. Johnson, 22/Sqn. R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (6391 Sgt. F. Johnson, R.A.F.), one or two edge bruises, otherwise good very fine (3) £15000-18000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force.

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D.C.M. London Gazette 26 April 1917:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as an Observer. He was attacked by three hostile machines and shot one of them down. He had previously shot down three other machines.’

Bar to D.C.M. London Gazette 3 September 1918:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in encounters with enemy aeroplanes, with the following results: attacked and crashed a Pfalz Scout, drove down an Albatross out of control, and on previous occasions he had destroyed four enemy aeroplanes and driven three down out of control.’

Frank Johnson was born in Oldham, Lancashire in December 1896, and enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps in June 1915. Having then gone out to France in February 1916, he trained as an Observer and Air Gunner in No. 22 Squadron, a Bristol Fighter unit, and commenced his operational career that August, when he fought his very first combat on the last day of the month - a protracted affair on account of several different enemy attacks, and one that resulted in Johnson expending all of his ammunition. Then on 24 September, he had his first taste of success, sharing in the destruction of an enemy aircraft over Epehy, but a few days later, on the 30th, his pilot was compelled to make a forced-landing at Bray after their aircraft’s propeller was damaged during an encounter with several enemy aircraft over Ligny.

An Albatross DI having then fallen to his guns in combat over Guedecourt on 16 October - when he engaged his quarry from a range of 15 to 20 yards - he followed up with another attack at 30 yards range on the 20th over Le Sars, this time observing his opposing gunner collapse into the enemy machine. And he claimed another Albatross DI over Bancourt on 22 November, after emptying a double drum at 70 yards range. Finally, in terms of his claims with No. 22, he emptied a double drum into an Albatross DII at 50 yards range over Haplincourt on 4 February 1917, the enemy aircraft being seen to crash at Bancourt. He was awarded the D.C.M.

Recalled to the U.K. for pilot training, Johnson took his Aviator’s Certificate (No. 4531) on a Maurice Farman Biplane at the Military School, Ruislip in April 1917, and was posted back to France as a member of No. 20 Squadron at the end of the same year, thereafter often flying with ‘ace gunner’ Captain J. H. Hedley. And he quickly added to his earlier victories, sending an Albatross DIII out of control over Moorslede on 11 October. But it was in December that he rapidly increased his score to double-figures, adding five further victims to his tally, all of them Albatross DIIIs or DVs, and two of them in the same patrol back over Moorslede on the 22nd - Johnson having downed one with with his front guns at 50 yards, Captain Hedley hit another at point-blank range and watched it fall in flames.

1918 got off to an equally impressive start, when Johnson locked-on to an Albatross DIII over Staden on 25 January, and buckled the enemy aircraft’s wings with 100 rounds at 10 yards range. A few weeks later, on 17 February, once more over Moorslede, pilot and Observer each claimed a Pfalz DIII, one of them from a range of 15 yards.

Finally, on removing No. 62 Squadron, he claimed three more victories in the period March-April, including a brace of Albatross DVs on the 12th of the latter month - these enemy aircraft being seen to crash near Allennes and Chemy. Johnson returned to the home establishment in May and was awarded a long-overdue Bar to his D.C.M. in September.

Little of his subsequent career is known, though he appears to have found employment as a Motor Mechanic and re-enlisted in the rank of Sergeant on the Class ‘E’ Reserve at R.A.F. Cardington in April 1939; sold with an original autographed portrait postcard and extensive research, including copied combat reports.