Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Major R. N. M. Johnstone, Royal Marines and Special Boat Service

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Brunei (Lieut. R. N. M. Johnstone. R.M.); General Service 1962-2007, 2 clasps, Borneo, South Arabia (Lieut. R. N. M. Johnstone. R.M.) mounted as worn, light contact marks, good very fine (2) £700-900

Robert Neil Muspratt Johnstone was born in January 1938, and was educated at Radley College. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Marines on 29 June 1957: ‘I joined for National Service and wanted to be a frogman and eventually took an S.B.S. course and went out to join 6 S.B.S. in Malta under “Sticks” Dodds. He was a flamboyant character and in fact created the motto that exists today. Kuwait was being threatened and 2 S.B.S. in Singapore was extended by an officer and four men to cover the Middle East. I was sent to open up our first base for a permanent detachment in Bahrain The beaches had to be checked. We were going around all the beaches up there, updating our previous intelligence. In December 1961 we were ordered to pack our kit because Kuwait was threatened again. The Iraqis had massed their troops on the border. We were embarked on H.M.S. Empire, a War Department Landing Ship Tanks with 17/21 Lancers and sent up to Kuwait. We stood by off Kuwait, but nothing happened; the Iraqis withdrew and we weren’t required operationally. From then on we were deployed with the Amphibious Warfare Squadron, largely on beach reconnaissance during my time there, and taking part in major training exercises along the coast and around Aden.’ (the recipient’s account in The Inside Story of the Special Boat Service by John Parker refers).

Promoted Lieutenant on 29 August 1960, and Captain on 29 August 1968, Johnstone served for over 30 years in the Special Boat Service, latterly as a Training Officer, and it was in this role that he dreamed up a system of breathing apparatus and air bottles on the casing of midget submarines that would allow for the multi-release of 14 swimmers that could then surface and swim towards the target- this proved so successful in trials that Johnstone was awarded a Herbert Lott award, presented with a bonus of £45, and the system was accepted into service within 14 months. Appointed Acting Major in 1974, he retired on 16 August 1993.

Sold together with copied research and a copy of the book The Inside Story of the Special Boat Service by John Parker, which contains numerous references to the recipient.