Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An Order of St John group of five awarded to Senior Reserve Attendant W. J. Johnson, Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve and St John’s Ambulance Brigade

The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Officer‘s (Brother’s) breast badge, silver and enamel; British War and Victory Medals (M.10234 W. J. Johnson. S.R.A. R.N.); Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, with additional service clasp (2509 W. J. Johnson. L.S.B.A. R.N.A.S.B.R.); Service Medal of the Order of St John, silver, straight bar suspension, with 6 additional service clasps, three silver and three plated (3196 Cpl. W. J. Johnson (C. of Coventry) Div. No. 3 Dist. S.J.A.B. 1923) light contact marks, otherwise good very fine and scarce (5) £400-£500

Order of St John, Officer, 16 November 1955.

R.N.A.S.B.R. L.S. & G.C. awarded 8 June 1922 in rank of Leading Sick Berth Attendant, which rate replaced that of Senior Reserve Attendant in 1921.

L.S. & G.C. clasp awarded 6 May 1941.

William John Johnson was born in Coventry on 4 October 1888. He enrolled into the Co-op Division of the St John Ambulance Brigade on 7 April 1908, and on the outbreak of war joined the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve on a one-year engagement on 8 October 1914. He was placed in H.M.S. Pembroke I, Barrack and Nominal Depot Ship at Chatham, as a Junior Reserve Attendant, and a fortnight later he was transferred to the Royal Sailors’ Home at Chatham. He was promoted to Senior Reserve Attendant on 24 March 1915 and in July 1915 he volunteered to serve until the end of hostilities. He returned to Pembroke I on 11 December 1915 and was then sent to H.M.S. Dominion, battleship, where he served until 4 April 1918, when he moved to a sister ship, H.M.S. Commonwealth, where he remained until he was demobilised on 29 April 1919.

In civilian life he returned to the St John Ambulance Brigade and transferred to the City of Coventry Division at its establishment on 25 September 1919. He is last shown in City of Coventry records in 1952 and disappears from the Roll of Membership between 1957 and 1961.