Orders, Decorations and Medals

An outstanding Second World War North Africa operations M.M. awarded to Lance-Sergeant G. Johnstone, Scots Guards, ‘a well-known Chesterfield heavy-weight boxer’, who was decorated for his gallantry at “Knightsbridge”, Tobruk in May 1942 - he was subsequently reported as wounded and missing but had in fact been taken P.O.W.

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (2696687 L./Sjt. G. Johnstone, S. Gds.), good very fine £1200-1500

M.M. London Gazette 29 November 1945. The original recommendation - for a D.C.M. - states:

‘At Knightsbridge Box, near Tobruk, on 27 May 1942, this N.C.O. was Acting Platoon Sergeant to his platoon of 2-pounder Anti-Tank guns.

The Platoon position was attacked by 17 German tanks. Noticing that No. 1 gun had ceased to fire, Lance-Sergeant Johnstone left his position, went to this gun which was under heavy fire from the German tanks, and found his Platoon Commander badly wounded: he immediately went into the open to fetch a truck in order to take his Platoon Commander to the R.A.P. This truck was repeatedly hit and caught fire, but nevertheless Lance-Sergeant Johnstone made a second attempt to bring a truck up to the position. This truck was also hit and set on fire.

This Sergeant then remained at the gun, and although told it was no good, succeeded in getting it into action again and, firing several rounds single handed, he knocked the tracks off a Mk. IV tank. Immediately the German tanks moved further away and Sergeant Jonhstone fetched a vehicle and drove his Platoon Commander to the R.A.P.

Throughout the afternoon Lance-Sergeant Johnstone showed complete disregard for his own safety, and again on 13 June 1942, when he displayed the greatest bravery in continuing to fire his gun after Nos. 2 and 3 of his crew had been killed and he himself wounded, until the gun itself was put out of action.’

A covering remark states: ‘This Sergeant has been reported as wounded and missing.’

In fact, Geoffrey Johnstone, a member of 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, had been taken P.O.W. and ended the War in Stalag 317 at Markt Pongau (St. Johann); sold with a copied local newspaper cutting which states that he was ‘a well-known Chesterfield heavy weight boxer’.