Johnny Johnson in the USAF?

No, Moondance, I was the lowest of the low, a J/T working in the tower on ground radar, and he was an exalted person I only saw from a distance. He did however seem to inspire the fear of God into the officers!

Thanks for that info Papa.

Air Vice-Marshal J. E. (Johnnie) Johnson, CB, CBE, DSO and two Bars, DFC and Bar, fighter ace, was born on March 9, 1915. He died on January 30 2001 aged 85.
http://www.mishalov.com/Johnson_Johnnie.html
RIP
(He was my Commanding Officer at RAF Cottesmore)

Dan,

A little off-topic to this thread I’m afraid, but as you seem to be interested in the Spitfire Mk XII, I thought I might mention this book in case you’re not aware of it.

Green Kiwi versus German Eagle, by J. Norby King.
http://www.rsa.org.nz/review/bs2004february/bookshelf_8.html

He was a Hurricane and Spitfire pilot and he did a short stint on the Mk XII. He’s still alive so perhaps if you order the book from him you can get a bit more info dircrectly from him if you wish to. I hope this helps.

PS – is Johnnie Johnson still alive? The last I saw of him anywhere was when he was guest at the Wanaka airshow about ten years ago.

Folks-

Someone help me with this or clarify the details….was talking at the Front Range airshow here in Colorado today with 5 old gaffers about their various experiences, and one was a regular Duxford attendee…he happened to mention something about Johnnie Johnson and how Johnnie had become an air attachee to Washington (post WWII) and from there had wrangled his way to an operational F-86 group flying combat in Korea and managed to get up on some missions there with the Americans…anyone know more about this or if it’s true? This same old guy said he had talked to Johnson’s crew chief during the war and the crew chief told him Johnson was a real pain to work for and could be a sonofabitch when he wanted to…had never heard that before and in fact when I met Johnson at DX in 2000 the guy could’nt have been nicer….

Mark

My understanding is that JEJ flew missions in A26 Invaders in Korea. They were B26s by that point of course as the Marauder had been retired. I’ve never seen anything that said he flew Sabres.

And as an aside, when I was first hunting Spit XII stuff I was lucky enough to get his address and he was very kind in taking the time to reply to my questions about his one flight with the Tangmere Spit XII wing as well as commenting on Ray Harries

Dan

I suppose they could all be a pain to crew for,their lives depended on their decisions , i heard the same about Douglas Bader,you either loved him or loathed him.
http://www.mishalov.com/Johnson_Johnnie.html i found this on here
“After the end of the war Johnson was offered a permanent commission and stayed in the RAF. In 1950 he was attached to the USAF as the Korean War was breaking out and he went to Korea, adding the US Air Medal and the Legion of Merit to his Second World War decorations. Among his later appointments was the important command of RAF Wildenrath in the 2nd TAF in Germany, 1952-54, and he was commander of the V Bomber base RAF Cottesmore from 1957 to 1960. His last appointment was as AOC Air Forces Middle East, from 1963 to 1965; he opted to take early retirement the following year. He was appointed CBE in 1960 and CB in 1965. “

Had a quick look on google but it’s the wee small hours of the morning so going to bed,good luck.