Frank Johnson (RAF airman)


Sergeant Frank Johnson was a World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories. He flew as both an observer/gunner and as a pilot, and is the only enlisted man to receive a second award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Biography

Johnson scored his first four victories between 24 September 1916 and 4 February 1917 while assigned to No. 22 Squadron. He flew in the back seat of four different F.E.2bs with four different pilots to do it. Johnson was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 26 April 1917. He then retrained as a pilot, receiving Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 4531 on 21 April 1917, and returned to action as a member of No. 20 Squadron, which operated Bristol F.2 Fighters. He then scored nine more victories between 11 October 1917 and 17 February 1918, using four different gunners in the rear seat of the two-seat fighter.
He then transferred to No. 62 Squadron to score his last three victories, one on 27 March 1918, and the other two on 12 April. Once again, he was piloting Bristols, and he used two different gunners to score this last trio of triumphs. He was awarded a Bar to his DCM in lieu of a second award on 3 September 1918.
His final tally showed six enemy aircraft destroyed and twelve driven down out of control.

Awards and citations

;Distinguished Conduct Medal
;Bar to the Distinguished Conduct Medal