A MEDAL GROUP TO JOHN JAMES NOEL JOHNSTONE, Medal group to John James Noel Johnstone, an important and significant group of nine medals to a WWII Veteran, who took part in one of the best known Campaigns of World War Two, the group is swing mounted on a wearing bar and as follows (L-R) 1939-45, Africa, Italy, France & Germany Stars, Defence & War medals (un-named as issued), General Service Medal with Bar, Palestine 1945-48, & Mentioned in Dispatches Laurel leaf fitted to ribbon, named 1876625 Cpl J.J.N. Johnstone RE (Royal Engineers) Queens Coronation Medal 1953,(un-named) & Regular Army L.S.G.C. Medal, named 1876625 Sgt J.J.N.Johnstone R.E, this archive also consists the following, miniature period group of medals as above, several small pin badges, and two Royal Engineers cap badges, Red Regular Army Certificate of Service dated 1963, 2nd class Army Certificate of Education, dated July,1939, original Warrant for promotion to Warrant Officer dated 30th March, 1962, a large B & W group photo of one Training Regiment Royal Engineers dated 1961 featuring the Recipient, two other small photos of the Recipient in Uniform, one believed to be with his wife and an original press cutting of an article which appeared in a Lincolnshire paper dated Thursday 11th August 1994, by Claire Ashton, concerning six soldiers local to Sleaford who had been helping the author Martin Middlebrook with a Book entitled 'Arnhem 1944, the Airborne Battle', John James Noel Johnstone was born on 24th December, 1923, and enlisted in the Royal Engineers at 16 years on 2nd March, 1939, at Chatham, Kent, when the Second World War broke out, he was initially stationed in the UK, but went overseas to serve in the North African & Italy Campaigns, his training also included a specialist qualification of Parachutist, which would be invaluable in September 1944, he also qualified in a No 1 Tank Commanders course, Licence driver & platoon weapons course, on the 17th September, 1944, the largest Airborne Invasion ever seen began with the Allies dropping Infantry & support units in Holland, this was code named 'Operation Market Garden', and was designed to bring forward the end of the War, Johnstone by this stage was serving with the 9th Field Company RE who were attached to the British 1st Airborne Division. JOHNSTONE would recall in the interview that 'I can remember going out in the Glider, sitting at the back with the side door open, the first lot set off, then us with the Reconnaissanse unit, we got into Arnhem but did not manage to complete the mission, we were evacuated at night over the Rhine and he remembers being given a cup of Cocoa, it should be noted that a total of 194 men went in from Johnstones unit, forty four died, seventy nine missing/killed or POW and only seventy one made it out to safety, including the Recipient, Johnstone is mentioned by name in the book by Middlebrook, and also appears in the acknowledgements, after WWII he went to Palestine and was mentioned in dispatches for actions in the conflict, he also served with BLA Norway and was promoted to WO II, he retired from the Army on 23rd December, 1963 after serving a total of 24 years and 297 days, this group represents the finest in the traditions of the British fighting soldier, and groups to Arnhem and 'A Bridge Too Far' do not come to market very often.
