John Henry's Story.
John Henry Johnstone, known to his family as Harry, was born in Boughton, Cheshire in 1884 to parents John and Martha.
By 1891 the family lived at Cresswellshaw Road, Alsager. John senior was a Police Constable at that time but previously had a military career, taking part in the Second Afghan War. Harry was the eldest child and had three younger sisters, Emily Clara, Elizabeth Maud, and Edith Maggie. He attended the Township School in Sale.
At some time during the 1890’s the family moved to Poulton, Wallasey. Harry attended St. Mary’s School, Liscard and was also a boy chorister at St. Luke’s Church, Poulton. The 1901 census records that the family lived at 14, Romeo Street, also in Poulton. John senior had changed occupation to that of a shoe/boot maker and Harry had become an apprentice joiner/carpenter. He now had two younger brothers, Robert Frederick and William Donald. He was a keen sportsman, played football with Poulton A.F.C., and was a member of the Central Park Bowling Club. He became one of the first members of the Vicar’s Bible Club and also a Sunday School teacher.
Harry married Catherine Goulbourne Blundell on the 21st August 1907 at St. Luke’s Church, Poulton, Wallasey. They had their first child, Vera in 1907 followed by Muriel in 1910. By 1911 he and his family lived at 3, Corbyn Street, Seacombe and his occupation was a foreman stevedore.
With the outbreak of the First World War Harry enlisted in the 10th Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Scottish). He, along with his comrades arrived in France on 2nd November 1914. Much of the period following their arrival was spent around the Belgian town of Ypres. The first major engagement they undertook was the Battle of Bellewaerde in June 1915.
On the 30th December 1915 Harry was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers. It is likely that he would have returned to the UK for training, as he was posted to the 2/6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, who were based in the U.K until early 1917. In late 1916, Harry and Catherine’s third child Joyce was born.
Harry is seated in the middle row 4th from the left
Harry is seated left
After their arrival in France on the 26th February 1917, Harry, with his battalion, spent the next four months near to the village of Givenchy, going in and out of the front line. The Battalion war diary entry for the 2nd July 1917 stated “Official intimation received that 2nd Lieut. J. H. Johnstone had been awarded the Military Cross for his work on June 13th (Date of award June 26th).” The diary entry for the 13th June detailed how two companies of the battalion conducted a successful minor operation against the German trenches opposite their positions at ‘Right Cover Trench’ and ’16 Island’ in spite of a heavy enemy bombardment with gas shells. The extract below from the London Gazette, dated 16th August 1917, detailed the circumstances of Harry’s bravery that led to the award of the decoration.
In early 1918 Harry was returned to the UK suffering from the effects of gas poisoning. On the 18th May 1918 at the No. 3 General Hospital, Wandsworth, Captain John Henry (Harry) Johnstone M.C. died of his wounds from gas. His body was brought back to Wallasey and on Friday 24th May, following a service at St, Luke’s Church, he was buried at Rake Lane Cemetery. His coffin, draped with the Union Jack, was borne on a gun carriage with an escort from the South Wales Borderers. After the burial, three volleys were fired over the grave and the Last Post was sounded. His funeral was very well attended by both family and military personnel.
Tragically, just a few months after Harry’s death, his wife, Catherine, who had also lost her own brother, Private Thomas Blundell (killed in action in 1917 in Belgium) suffered further loss when their youngest daughter Joyce died, aged just 22 months. Then in 1928 their eldest daughter Vera died aged 20. Both daughters are buried in the same grave in Rake Lane Cemetery with their father. Catherine never remarried and died in Northamptonshire in 1978.
As well as the Military Cross Harry was awarded the 1914 Star, the British and Victory medals.
Captain John Henry Johnstone M.C. is remembered on the Wallasey War Memorial, and on the war memorial inside St. Luke’s Church, Poulton.
Research by Chris Booth. Photographs of Harry by kind permission of his great-niece, Susan Elizabeth MacLeod.