This Is Your Life: Johnnie Johnson

Air Vice-Marshal Johnnie JOHNSON CB, CBE, DSO, DFC (1915-2001)

A specially extended edition as part of a day of programmes broadcast to celebrate the 40th anniversary of VE Day.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - James Edgar Johnson, nicknamed 'Johnnie', Royal Air Force officer and fighter pilot, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in London's Trafalgar Square, where he had been led to believe he was to be photographed in celebration of the 40th anniversary of VE Day.

Johnnie grew up and was educated in the East Midlands, where he qualified as an engineer. Having been interested in aviation since a youth he joined the RAF, and by 1940 was flying regularly in the offensive sweeps over German-occupied Europe. His combat tour included participation in the Battle of Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and the Western Allied invasion of Germany.

Johnnie, who was credited with 34 individual victories over enemy aircraft, flew 700 operational sorties and engaged enemy aircraft on 57 occasions. This made him the highest scoring Western Allied fighter ace against the German Luftwaffe. He continued his career in the RAF after the Second World War, serving in the Korean War, and retired in 1966, with the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.

"Conned again!"

programme details...

Edition No: 678
Subject No: 672
Broadcast date: Wed 8 May 1985
Broadcast time: 8.00-9.00pm
Recorded: Fri 3 May 1985
Venue: Royalty Theatre
Series: 25
Edition: 27
Code name: unknown

on the guest list...

Janet Partridge - partner
Sqn Ldr Danny Browne
Chris - son
Pamela - daughter-in-law
Michael - son
Kay - daughter-in-law
Fiona Partridge
Emma Partridge
Ross - brother
Betty - sister-in-law
Teresa - niece
Duncan - nephew
Dick Black
Gp Capt Hugh Dundas
Sqn Ldr 'Nip' Heppell
Sir Denis Crowley-Milling
Flt Lt Larry Robillard
Wg Cdr Hugh Godefroy
Gp Capt 'Hawkeye' Wells
Sqn Ldr Jeff West
Air Cdre Pat 'Jamie' Jameson
Arthur Ratcliffe
Fred Burton
Peter Brough and Archie Andrews
Bill Fraser
Doris Hare
Evelyn Laye
Hugh Lloyd
Richard Murdoch
Cardew Robinson
Elisabeth Welch
Harry Worth
Russ Conway
Flt Lt Johnny Irwin
Sqn Ldr Terry Spencer
Col Bud Mahurin
Sir Kenneth Cross
Maj Walter Matoni
Nick - grandson
Tim - grandson
Julia - granddaughter
Nicola - granddaughter
Herb Miller Orchestra
Anne Shelton
Col Charles Rossell - uncle
Wyn Lane
residents of St Croix-sur-Mer
Prince George Of Denmark
Jim Lunney
residents of Kenley Lodge

production team...

Researchers: Caroline Blackadder, Claire Jenkinson
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
Associate Producer: Brian Klein
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Military Life

saluting the armed forces

Extended Life

the special editions

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Timeline

the show's fifty year history

Screenshots of Johnnie Johnson This Is Your Life

Dilip Sarkar recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, Spitfire Ace of Aces...

On 8 May 1985, the 40th anniversary of VE Day, Johnnie walked through Trafalgar Square in London, unaware that his progress was being filmed and that he had himself become a target. The hunter in this case was Eamonn Andrews, presenter of the long-running and popular Thames Television series This Is Your Life.

Achieving the perfect bounce, Andrews then escorted the surprised Air Vice-Marshal to the studio. There Johnnie's family filed in, including his partner, Jan Partridge, sons Mike and Chris with their wives, and his brother Ross. Even Uncle Charlie Rossell – aged over 100 – contributed to the programme from his Australian home.

Dick Black was there, with whom Johnnie had joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry all of those years ago, and – typically – his ground crew from 616 Squadron: rigger Arthur Ratcliffe and fitter Fred Burton. French civilians from St-Croix, where Johnnie's Spitfires had been the first to land in France after D-Day, paid tribute to him on screen (the French actually awarded him the Legion d'Honneur in 1988).

Fighter pilots gathered on stage thick and fast: Air Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling, Group Captain Sir Hugh Dundas (who was, coincidentally, and as Johnnie pointed out to Eamonn Andrews, the Chairman of Thames Television!), Group Captains Pat Jameson and 'Hawkeye' Wells, Wing Commander Hugh Godefroy, Squadron Leaders Danny Browne, Jeff West, Terry Spencer and 'Nip' Heppell, and, indeed, the German ace Walter Matoni.

It was a never-to-be-repeated galaxy of Second World War fighter pilots – who afterwards drank the bar dry! Today, the programme provides a unique snapshot of Johnnie's life, and in particular the love and friendship that surrounded him.

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

Few have lived more dangerously than the RAF's most outstanding fighter pilot of the war – Air-Vice-Marshal J E 'Johnnie' Johnson CB, CBE, DSO and Two Bars, DFC and Bar, whom we surprised with a special VE Day tribute on 3 May 1985.

Those decorations for gallantry were won by risking his life when 'the Few' flew into battle with the Luftwaffe's Messerchmitts. Johnnie Johnson beat the Battle of Britain record of thirty-two enemy aircraft shot down, held by fighter ace 'Sailor' Malan. He got his thirty-third on the last day of June 1944, when he led the first Spitfire wing into Normandy.

The author of The Story of Air Fighting had flown into battle with Douglas Bader and other Battle of Britain heroes, such as Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling and Group Captain Hugh Dundas. All had flown in what Johnnie Johnson called 'that hot, sweaty, tiny greenhouse of a cockpit'.

What he wanted most was 'a joust' with a particular German air ace, built up by the press into a personal challenge. Alas, the German pilot had been shot down and wounded. After the war he wrote to Johnnie regretting he had been unable to accept the challenge.

Forty years on we flew in that German fighter ace, Major Walter Matoni, for a more peaceful meeting with Air-Vice-Marshal Johnson.

Series 25 subjects