Johnnie Johnson | Timeline

James Edgar Johnson (9 March 1915 – 30 January 2001), nicknamed "Johnnie", was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot and flying ace, who flew and fought during the Second World War. Johnson was credited with 34 individual victories over enemy aircraft, as well as seven shared victories, three shared probable, 10 damaged, three shared damaged and one destroyed on the ground. Johnson flew 700 operational sorties and engaged enemy aircraft on 57 occasions. (based on Wikipedia)

March 9, 1915 - Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire - James Edgar Johnson is born

January(?) 1(?), 1937 - Nottingham - Qualifies as a civil engineer from the University of Nottingham

January(?) 1(?), 1938 - Chingford(?) - Breaks his collarbone playing rugby for Chingford Rugby Club

August 1(?), 1939 - ? - Johnson is accepted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

September 1(?), 1939 - Cambridge - Arrives in Cambridge for Flight Training

December 1(?), 1939 - Cambridge - Begins initial training at Elementary Flying Training School

February 29, 1940 - Cambridge - Johnson flies solo for the first time on Tiger Moth

March 15, 1940 - Cambridge - Johnson passes flying test

April 24, 1940 - Cambridge - Johnson passes another flying test

May 6, 1940 - Cambridge - Chief Flying instructor passes Johnson

August 7, 1940 - RAF Hawarden, Wales - Completes training on instruments, navigation, night-flying and forced landings

August 19, 1940 - RAF Hawarden, Wales - Flies a Spitfire for the first time

August 28, 1940 - RAF Hawarden - Johnson completes training, despite collarbone injury

September 6, 1940 - RAF Coltishall (NE of Norwich) - Johnson is posted to No.616 Squadron =(START)

September 11, 1940 - RAF Coltishall - Flies a X-raid patrol and qualifies for Battle of Britain Clasp
October(?) 1(?), 1940 - Rauceby (West of Boston, UK) - Forced to choose between surgery or flying tiger moths. Misses Battle of Britain
December 28, 1940 - RAF Coltishall - Johnson returns to the squadron after operation
December 31, 1940 - RAF Coltishall - Johnson's fitness to fly is tested and he passes
January 1(?), 1941 - RAF Coltishall - Returns to operational flying in 616 Squadron, part of Tangmere Wing
January 15, 1941 - off North Coates - Johnson takes off in mission to cover a Convoy and damages a Dornier Do-17
February 22, 1941 - Johnson damages a Bf110
February 29, 1941 - Tangmere (East of Portsmouth) - Johnson's Squadron is moved to RAF Tangmere on the Channel coast
May 6, 1941 - Johnson is involved in dogfight with Bf109Fs led by Werner MÖLDERS
June 26, 1941 - Near North Coates - 1 Bf 109 shot down near North Coates (1 total)
July 4, 1941 - over Gravelines - 1 Bf 109 damaged over Gravelines
July 6, 1941 - South of Dunkirk - 1 Bf 109 shot down south of Dunkirk (2 total)
July 14, 1941 - over Fauquembergues - 1 Bf 109 shot down over Fauquembergues (3 total)
July 21, 1941 - over Merville - 1 Bf 109 shared with Officer Hepple over Merville. Looses Wingman
July 23, 1941 - South of Boulogne - 1 Bf 109 damaged South of Boulogne in an air battle in which Adolf Galland is wounded
August 9, 1941 - Near Dover - Mission where Douglas BADER is lost - 1 Bf 109 shot down over Béthune (4 total) + 1 damaged
August 21, 1941 - Probable Bf 109 destroyed East of Le Touquet
September 4, 1941 - 1 Bf 109 shared probable over Le Touquet
September 21, 1941 - near Le Touquet - 2 Bf 109 shot down over Le Touquet (6 total)
January 31, 1942 - RAF Kings Cliffe - The 616th squadron moves to Kings Cliffe
April 1(?), 1942 - RAF Kings Cliffe - Offensive operations restart, now on the Spitfire V
April 15, 1942 - over Le Touquet - 1 FW190 damaged over Le Toquet
May 25, 1942 - near RAF Kings Cliffe - Engages a Do217 and lets rookies attack it - only damaged
June 26, 1942 - RAF Kings Cliffe - Awarded a Bar to his DFC
July(?) 1(?), 1942 - RAF Kings Cliffe - The Spitfires Mk.IX begin arriving
July 10, 1942 - RAF Kings Cliffe - Promoted to Squadron Leader - given command of 610 Squadron
August 1(?) - RAF West Malling - Preparations for a major operation "Jubilee" at Dieppe
August 19, 1942 - over Dieppe - 1 Fw 190 shot down over over Dieppe + 1 shared Fw 190 + 1 shared Bf 109F (7 total)
August 20, 1942 - off french coast - 1 Fw 190 probable off French Coast
September 1(?) - RAF Castletown - Squadron is moved to protect the Royal Navy at Scapa Flow
November 14, 1942 - Norwich - Marries Pauline Ingate during home leave

Johnson and his Spitfire Mk.IX

December 26, 1942 - RAF Kenley - Johnson takes command of the No.144 Wing (canadians) - Spitfires Mk.IX
February 13, 1943 - near Boulogne - 1 Fw 190 probable near Boulogne
March 22, 1943 - RAF Kenley - Test flight - selects a new aircraft - Spitfire Mk.IX
April 3, 1943 - over Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais (8 total)
April 5, 1943 - over Ostend-Ghent - 3 Fw 190s damaged over Ostend-Ghent area
May 11, 1943 - over Gravelines - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Gravelines (9 total)
May 13, 1943 - over Berck-Le Touquet - 1 Fw 190 shot down + 1 damaged over Berck-Le Touquet (10 total)
May 14, 1943 - over Nieuwpoort - Escorting B-17's. 1 Fw 190 shot down near Nieuwpoort (11 total)
June 1, 1943 - over Somme estuary - 1 Bf 109 shared over Baie de Somme
June 15, 1943 - over Yvetot - 2 Fw 190 shot down over Yvetot (13 total)
June 17, 1943 - over Ypres-Saint-Omer - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Ypres-Saint-Omer (14 total)
June 24, 1943 - over Fécamp-Valmont - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Fécamp + 1 damaged (15 total)
June 27, 1943 - over St.Omer - Fighter swep over St.Omer - 1 Fw 190 shot down (16 total)
July 15, 1943 - over Senarpont - 1 Bf 109 shot down over Senarpont (17 total)
July 25, 1943 - over Schipol - 1 Bf 109 shot down over Schipol (18 total)
July 29, 1943 - over Amsterdam - 1 Bf 109 damaged over Amsterdam
July 30, 1943 - over Schipol - 1 Bf 109 half-shared
August(?) 1(?), 1943 - Lashenden - The squadron is moved to Advanced Landing Ground and renamed No.127 wing RCAF
August 12, 1943 - 2 Bf 109 half-shared
August 17, 1943 - over Ghent - 1 Bf 110 quarter-shared over Ghent
August 23, 1943 - over Gosnay - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Gosnay, recorded on his camera (19 total)
August 26, 1943 - over Rouen - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Rouen (20 total)
September 4, 1943 - over Roubaix - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Roubaix (21 total)
September 5, 1943 - over Daynze - 1 Bf 109 damaged over Daynze area
April 25, 1944 - over Laon - 2 Fw 190 shot down over Laon (23 total)
May 5, 1944 - over Douai - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Douai (24 total)
June 15, 1944 - St-Croix-sur-Mer (B-3 Airfield) - First Wing to move to liberated France

"Johnnie" Johnson in Normandy

June 16, 1944 - over Villers-Bocage - 1 Fw 190 shot down over Villers-Bocage, recorded on his camera (25 total)
June 22, 1944 - over Argentan - 1 Bf 109 shot down over Argentan, recorded on his camera (26 total)
June 28, 1944 - over Caen - 2 Bf 109 shot down over Caen (28 total)
June 30, 1944 - East of Gace - 1 Bf 109 shot down East of Gace (29 total)
July 5, 1944 - over Alençon - 2 Fw 190 shot down over Alençon (31 total)
July 20, 1944 - over Argentan - 1 Fw 190 damaged over Argentan
August 23, 1944 - over the Seine - 2 Fw 190 shot down over Senlis (33 total)
September 27, 1944 - over Nijmegen - 1 Bf 109 shot down over Rees on Rhine - 60-victories ace Franz Hrdlicka manages to parachute (34 total, probably 38)
October 16, 1944 - Michael, Johnson's first son, is born
January 1, 1945 - Brussels-Melsbroek - The squadron's base is attacked in Operation Bodenplatte
March 1, 1945 - Klein Brogel, Belgium - 127th Wing RCAF starts arriving to Kleine Brogel
March 26, 1945 - Twente - Johnson's wing is relocated to Twente - promoted to group captain
April 5, 1945 - Twente - After switching off the engine of his Spitfire Mk.XIV, he is attacked by a Bf109
April 16, 1945 - RAF Celle, Germany - The wing moves to Celle
May 15(?), 1945 - Copenhagen - Relocated to Copenhagen - Awarded croix de guerre with palm and the rank of Officer of the Order of Léopold with Palms
December 1, 1945 - Chris, Johnson's second son, is born
January(?) 1(?), 1950 - South Korea - involved in the Korean War, flying the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star
May 1(?), 1951 - RAF Fassberg - Commands a RAF Wing
January 1(?), 1952 - RAF Wildenrath, Germany - Commands the RAF second Tactical Air Force
January(?) 1(?), 1956 - Johnson writes his wartime memoir, "Wing Leader"
October 28, 1957 - RAF Cottesmore, Rutland - Becomes AOC at RAF Cottesmore, commanding V bombers
January 5, 1960 - London - Attends the Imperial Defence College
June 1(?), 1960 - He is made Commander of the Order of the British Empire
December 17, 1960 - Aden - Promoted to Air Commodore - No3 Group RAF - middle East
October 7, 1963 - Khormaksar, Aden - AOC, RAF Middle East
January(?) 1(?), 1964 - Writes "Full Circle, a history of air fighting", co-writen with Percy "Laddie" Lucas
January(?) 1(?), 1965 - Promoted to Air Vice Marshal and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
January(?) 1(?), 1966 - Buxton(?) - "Johnnie" Johnson retires
January(?) 1(?), 1967 - Buxton(?) - Appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Leicestershire
January(?) 1(?), 1969 - Buxton(?) - Establishes the Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust
October(?) 1(?), 1982 - Buxton(?) - After Douglas Bader's death, Johnson sets up the Douglas Bader Foundation
May 8, 1985 - Buxton(?) - Appears on the TV show "This is your life", on the 40th anniversary of VE day
August 27, 1990 - Leicester - Present at the Leicestershire Airshow
January(?) 1(?), 2001 - Buxton(?) - Johnson establishes the Housing Association, managing 4000 properties
January 30, 2001 - Buxton - "Johnnie" Johnson dies, aged 85 =(END)