James Bulmer Johnson VC | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1889-12-31)31 December 1889 |
| Died | 23 March 1943(1943-03-23) (aged 53) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | The Northumberland Fusiliers |
| Battles / wars | First World War Anglo-Irish War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
| Other work | Police officer |
James Bulmer JohnsonVC (31 December 1889 – 23 March 1943) was anEnglish recipient of theVictoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded toBritish andCommonwealth forces.
He was aSecond Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion,The Northumberland Fusiliers,British Army, attached to 36th Battalion during theFirst World War and 28 years old when on 14 October 1918 south west of Wez Macquart,France, he performed the act for which he was awarded the VC.
During operations by strong patrols, Second Lieutenant Johnson repelled frequent counter-attacks and for six hours, under heavy fire, he held back the enemy. When at length he was ordered to retire he was the last to leave the advanced position carrying a wounded man. Three times subsequently this officer returned and brought in badly wounded men under intense enemy machine-gun fire.[1]
After World War I, Johnson served in theAuxiliary Division of theRoyal Irish Constabulary.[2]
He died in Plymouth, Devon, in 1943 aged fifty-three, and was cremated atEfford Crematorium, Plymouth.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at theFusiliers Museum of Northumberland,Alnwick, Northumberland.
In 2018, on the hundredth anniversary of Johnson's VC award, a memorial erected by Widdrington Station and Stobswood Parish Council andNorthumberland County Council, and provided by theDepartment of Communities and Local Government, was unveiled atWiddrington Station.[3]
A dispute subsequently arose over the siting of the memorial stone. Widdrington Station and Stobswood Parish Council asserted that Johnson was born inStobswood on 31 December 1889, and used the name "James Bulmer Johnson". However a local resident, and Widdrington Village Parish Council, claimed that Johnson was born in 1882 at the thenWiddrington Colliery, and had no middle name. The latter parish council requested the memorial be moved to their parish. The County Council defended the location and details on the memorial stone, and referred the matter to theMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.[4]