45363 Norman David Melville JOHNSTONE, MBE, Grenadier Guards

brithm · Jun 30, 2020

Award MBE Captain Norman David Melville Johnstone (45363), Grenadier Guards

Captain Johnstone, who throughout the campaign showed great resource, determination and disregard for his personal safety, distinguished himself particularly on two occasions. It was entirely due to his initiative and ingenuity that a large quantity of rolling stock at AMYNTAION[Amyntaio?], including 20 locomotives, was rendered unfit for use by the enemy, who was approaching the town and who shelled the station whole Captain Johnstone was completing his demolition. On a later occasion Captain Johnstone who had learnt the rudiments of engine driving while destroying the above mentioned locomotives was (with 2/Lt. Barstow) entirely responsible for the success of an attempt to salvage from LARISSA a train containing 120 tons of ammunition and 150 tons of petrol. During the first day of this operation (16.4.41) the station at LARISSA was being repeatedly bombed and machine gunned: and when in the evening we[he?] started south, two low level attacks with cannon and N/G[MG?] were made on the engine. Under these attacks and in the face of very great local difficulties Captain Johnstone showed coolness and determination in a high degree; but for these qualities and for his resourceful application of his elementary technical knowledge, it is quite certain that the amn (which was badly needed) would never reached the troops further back
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WO 373/77/610

London Gazette

With Grenadier Guards T.A. from 1931, captured and wounded in Anzio 9th February 1944. Died Gaddesby, Leicestershire, England 9th October 1995.

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45363 Norman David Melville JOHNSTONE, MBE, Grenadier Guards

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45363 Norman David Melville JOHNSTONE, MBE, Grenadier Guards

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