The unique Great War ‘Bristol Fighter Ace’ 1917 D.C.M. and 1918 Second...

The unique Great War ‘Bristol Fighter Ace’ 1917 D.C.M. and 1918 Second Award Bar group of three awarded to Sergeant F. Johnson, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps, the most highly decorated surviving British N.C.O. fighter pilot Ace of the Great War; after four victories as an Observer/Gunner in an FE 2b during six perilous months from September 1916, Johnson become a Bristol Fighter Pilot and took his score up to sixteen; he usually closed to within 50 yards of an enemy aircraft before engaging and opening fire

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (6391 Cpl. F. Johnson. 22/Sqn. R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (6391 Sgt. F. Johnson, R.A.F.) minor edge bruising, otherwise good very fine (3) £20,000-£30,000

Provenance
Dix Noonan Webb, March 2012.

Footnote
D.C.M. London Gazette 26 April 1917:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as an Observer. He was attacked by three hostile machines and shot one of them down.
He had previously shot down three other machines.’

D.C.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 3 September 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in encounters with enemy aeroplanes, with the following results:- Attack and crashed a Pfalz scout, drove down an Albatross out of control. On previous occasions he had destroyed four enemy aeroplanes and driven three down out of control.’

Frank Johnson was born in Oldham, Lancashire on 28 December 1896, the son of James and Rachel Johnson. He enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps in June 1915, aged 18, and soon qualified as an Air Mechanic, then as an Observer/Air Gunner.

22 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, F.E. 2b Observer and Air Gunner
Johnson was sent out to France in February 1916, to No. 22 Squadron, as an Observer and Air Gunner for the F.E. 2b, which was intended for long-range reconnaissance and escort duty. The F.E.2b was a robust two-seater biplane with a rear-mounted ‘pusher’ engine. The observer was located in the nose of the nacelle with the pilot sitting above and behind him. The F.E.2 could also carry an external bomb load and was routinely fitted with an air-photography camera. The observer was armed with a .303 Lewis machine gun firing forward on a specially designed, swivelling mount that gave it a wide field of fire. A second Lewis gun was set up in the front of the pilot’s cockpit on a high telescopic mounting so the pilot could fire forward over his observer’s head.

In practice, this ‘pilot’s gun’ was appropriated by the observers, especially when they discovered that by climbing onto the rim of their cockpit they could fire backwards over the top wing. To some extent this overcame the notorious vulnerability of rear-mounted engine ‘pusher’ aircraft types to ‘stern’ attacks from behind. The view from standing on the cockpit rim was excellent in most directions, although even this desperately dangerous position failed to cover a very large blind spot under the aircraft’s tail. The observer's perch was a precarious one, especially when firing the ‘rear/pilot’s gun’, and the observer was liable at any time to be suddenly thrown out of the aircraft.

The arrangement was described by Frederick Libby, an American ace who served as an F.E.2b observer in 1916: ‘When you stood up to shoot, all of you from the knees up was exposed to the elements. There was no belt to hold you. Only your grip on the gun and the sides of the nacelle stood between you and eternity. Toward the front of the nacelle was a hollow steel rod with a swivel mount to which the gun was anchored. This gun covered a huge field of fire forward. Between the observer and the pilot a second gun was mounted, for firing over the F.E.2’s upper wing to protect the aircraft from rear attack ... Adjusting and shooting this gun required that you stand right up out of the nacelle with your feet on the nacelle coaming. You had nothing to worry about except being blown out of the aircraft by the blast of air or tossed out bodily if the pilot made a wrong move. There were no parachutes and no belts. No wonder they needed observers.’

Johnson fought his first combat on the last day of August 1916. It was a protracted dog-fight on account of several different enemy attacks, and one that resulted in Johnson expending all his ammunition. On 24 September 1916 he had his first taste of success, sharing in the destruction of an enemy aircraft (probably a Halberstadt D) over Epehy, but a few days later, on 30 September, his pilot was compelled to make a forced landing at Bray after their aircraft’s propeller was damaged during an encounter with several enemy aircraft over Ligny.
Between September 1916 and February 1917 Johnson shot down four enemy aircraft. His victories were achieved in four different F.E.2bs, working with four different pilots. After his first success over Epehy in September, an Albatross D.1 fell to his gun in combat over Guedecourt on 16 October, when he engaged his quarry from a range of 15 to 20 yards. He followed up with another attack at 30 yards range on 20 October over Le Sars, this time observing his opposing gunner collapse into the enemy machine. Johnson claimed another Albatross D.1 over Bancourt on 22 November, after emptying a double drum at 70 yards range. Finally, in terms of his claims with 22 Squadron, he emptied a double drum into an Albatross D.II at 50 yards range over Haplincourt on 4 February 1917, the enemy aircraft being seen to crash at Bancourt.

For his achievements up to February 1917 Johnson was awarded the D.C.M. rather than the M.M. This was a most unusual tribute for a Sergeant, given that, had Johnson been a Warrant Officer, he would have been eligible for the M.C. It probably reflected his outstanding keenness and devotion to duty, mentioned in both of his citations, in addition to his high level of conspicuous gallantry when heavily outnumbered during air battles.

20 and 62 Squadrons Royal Flying Corps - Bristol Fighter Pilot and Ace
Johnson was then sent back to the UK to be trained as a pilot. He took his Aviator’s Certificate (No. 4531) on a Maurice Farman Biplane at the Military School, Ruislip in April 1917. At the end of the year he was posted back to France as a member of No. 20 Squadron, which operated the strong and agile Bristol F.2 Fighter. Its primary armament was a single fixed Vickers machine-gun mounted in front of the pilot, supplemented by a flexible, rear-mounted Lewis gun for the observer. 20 Squadron was probably the highest scoring and most decorated R.F.C. Squadron serving on the Western Front, with 613 combat victories.

Johnson scored nine more victories between 11 October 1917 and 17 February 1918, with four different gunners in the rear of the two-seater Bristol Fighter. He often flew with ‘Ace gunner’ Captain J. H. Hedley. Johnson quickly added to his four earlier victories, sending an Albatross D.III out of control over Moorslede on 11 October. In December 1917 he rapidly increased his score to double figures, adding five Albatross D.Vs to his tally; two of them in the same patrol back over Moorslede on 22 December. After Johnson downed one with his front guns at 50 yards, Captain Hedley hit another at point-blank range and watched it fall in flames.

1918 got off to an equally impressive start, when Johnson locked-on to an Albatros D.III over Staden on 25 January and buckled the enemy aircraft’s wings with 100 rounds at only 10 yards range. A few weeks later, on 17 February, once more over Moorslede, Pilot and Observer each claimed a Pfalz D.III, one of them from a range of 15 yards.

Johnson was then transferred to No. 62 Squadron, which also flew Bristol Fighters, and scored his last three victories, one on 27 March 1918, and the other two Albatross D.Vs on 12 April. These two enemy aircraft were seen to crash near Allennes and Chemy. He worked with two different gunners during this time. By April 1918 he had shot down sixteen enemy aircraft, the majority being Albatross biplane fighters, the mainstay of German air power from 1916 to 1918. They could climb fast, powered by mighty Mercedes or Benz engines, and hit hard, with their lightened twin Spandau machine-guns.

Johnson returned to home establishment in May, just after the Royal Flying Corps became the Royal Air Force. He was awarded an unprecedented Second Award Bar to his D.C.M. in September, making him the most decorated living N.C.O. fighter pilot in the British air force.

After demobilisation, Johnson appears to have found further employment as a Motor Mechanic. He re-enlisted in the rank of Sergeant on the Class ‘E’ Reserve at R.A.F. Cardington in April 1939. Frank Johnson died in Oldham in 1961.

Sold with an original autographed portrait postcard of the recipient, and extensive research, including copied combat reports.