Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

Four: Reverend A. Johnston, Army Chaplains Department

1914-15 Star (Rev., A.C.D.); British War and Victory Medals (Rev.); Portugal, Military Order of Christ, breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, slip-bar on ribbon, good very fine (4) £160-200

Order of Christ, Officer’s Class London Gazette 7 October 1919. ‘The Reverend Arthur (Athanasius) Johnston, Temporary Chaplain to the Forces (R.C.), 4th Class. Royal Army Chaplains Department’.

Arthur Johnson was born in Harwich, Essex on 2 May 1873. He received the habit of the Franciscan Order, the Order of the Friars Minor (O.F.M.), in Killarney, Ireland on 13 December 1888 and he entered the Order on 14 December 1889 taking the name “Athanasius”. He was ordained at Gorton, Manchester on 13 October 1895. Johnson was a Friar at Glasgow, 1896-1902, the Guardian at Stratford, London, 1907-10 and a Vicar at Manchester, 1911-13 and Glasgow, 1913-15. Joining the Army Chaplain’s Department, he was commissioned a Roman Catholic Chaplain 4th Class on 25 April 1915 - his last address given as the Friary, South Ascot, Berkshire. He served with the A.C.D. in France/Flanders from 26 June 1915. For his wartime services he was awarded the Officer Class of the Military Order of Christ by the Portuguese Republic. Relinquishing his emergency commission in June 1918, he returned to the Friary at Cumberland Street, Glasgow. During 1921-24 he was Vicar and Guardian at Stratford. He was at the Friary at Gorton, Manchester, 1924-30, was Guardian at Glasgow, 1932-33, at the Friaries at Woodford Green, Essex, 1933-42, Nottingham, 1942-45 and Manchester, 1945-47, returning to Woodford Green in 1947 where he died on 3 December 1947. Sold with copied research.