Quick Facts
Biography
Major General Dudley Graham Johnson, VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC (13 February 1884 – 21 December 1975) was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Military career
Johnson served with the Wiltshire Regiment in the Second Boer War. He transferred to the South Wales Borderers upon graduating from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in 1903.
He was 34 years old, and an acting lieutenant colonel in the South Wales Borderers, British Army, commanding the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment during the First World War when the following deed took place at the Sambre Canal, France for which he was awarded the VC.
On 4 November 1918 at Sambre Canal, France, the 2nd Infantry Brigade, of which the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment formed part, was ordered to cross by the lock south of Catillon. The position was strong and the assaulting and bridging parties were halted on arrival at the waterway 100 yards from the canal by a heavy barrage. At this point Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson arrived and personally led an assault but heavy fire again broke up the attack. He reorganized the assaulting and bridging parties and this time effected a crossing but the success of this dangerous operation was entirely due to his splendid leadership.
Between the wars he attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1923 to 1924 and held a number of instruction and staff posts before being appointed Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment in 1928. He commanded the 12th (Secunderbad) Infantry Brigade in 1933 and became General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 4th Division from 1938 to 1940. He was replaced as divisional commander after the Battle of Dunkirk in June 1940 and made GOC Aldershot Command later on in 1940 before becoming Inspector of Infantry in 1941. He retired in 1944 and was Colonel of the South Wales Borderers from 1944 to 1949.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the South Wales Borderers Museum, Brecon, Powys, Wales.
Family
He was married to Marjorie Grisewood, who died in 1950. They had one son and two daughters and, after his wife's death, spent the last 25 years of his life a widower.
