Clarence Johnston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clarence Johnston
DSO, DSC
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| Birth name | Clarence Howard-Johnston |
| Nickname(s) | "Johnny" |
| Born | 1906 |
| Died | 1996 |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1917–? |
| Rank | Rear admiral |
| Commands held |
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| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
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Rear Admiral Clarence "Johnny" Howard-Johnston DSO, DSC (1903–1996) was a British naval officer and inventor. He became an expert in fighting submarines between the two World Wars.
Clarence's parents came from America and Scotland. Both sides of his family worked in engineering. He grew up in Nice, France. He later added "Howard" to his last name to make it unique. Everyone called him "Johnny" because he didn't like the name Clarence.
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Johnny joined the Royal Navy in 1917. Some records say he first went to sea in 1922 as a midshipman, a junior officer. He spent some time in France and then served in China. He was second-in-command of HMS Tarantula on the Yangtze river.
By 1931, Johnny decided to focus on anti-submarine warfare. This meant learning how to find and destroy enemy submarines. He served on destroyers and at HMS Osprey, a training center.
Inventing for Anti-Submarine Warfare
While at HMS Osprey, Johnny invented something important. It was called the Towed Asdic Repeater Target. Asdic was an early type of sonar, used to detect submarines underwater. His invention helped train sailors to use Asdic more effectively.
By 1937, he was promoted to commander. His first ship to command was HMS Viscount. After this, he spent some time helping the Royal Hellenic Navy (the Greek Navy). The Greeks honored him for his service there.
World War II Hero
When the Second World War began, Johnny was working at the Admiralty, the Royal Navy's headquarters. In 1940, he was sent to Norway. His job was to organize anti-submarine operations.
He earned the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in Norway. This award was for his bravery during the evacuations at Andalsnes and Molde. A month later, he was ordered to destroy the port at St Malo in France. He received a Mention in Despatches for this important work.
Fighting U-boats in the Atlantic
Johnny then took command of HMS Malcolm. This ship protected convoys of supply ships in the North Atlantic Ocean. These convoys were often attacked by German submarines, called U-boats. He received another Mention in Despatches for his work.
He then earned the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). This high award was for sinking the German U-boat, U-651. After this, he went to Liverpool to train other sailors. In 1943, he was promoted to captain. He became the director of the Anti-Submarine Division at the Admiralty.
Post-War Service and Retirement
In 1945, Johnny commanded HMS Bermuda. Later, he commanded HMS Vernon. In 1951, while at Vernon, he helped organize a search for HMS Affray. His son was serving on the Affray at the time. Sadly, there were no survivors from the submarine.
In 1953, Johnny was promoted to Rear Admiral. He served with NATO, a military alliance, before he finally retired from the navy.
