Sandy Johnstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Vallance Riddell Johnstone
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|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Sandy" |
| Born | 2 June 1916 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 13 December 2000 (aged 84) Denham, Buckinghamshire |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1934–1968 |
| Rank | Air Vice Marshal |
| Commands held | No. 18 Group (1965–68) RAF Middleton St George (1958–61) Air Sea Warfare Development Unit (1952–53) RAF Ballykelly (1951–52) RAF Fairwood Common (1943–44) No. 602 Squadron (1940–41) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross Air Efficiency Award Mentioned in Despatches |
Alexander Vallance Riddell Johnstone, also known as "Sandy", was a brave Scottish airman. He was born on June 2, 1916, and passed away on December 13, 2000. Sandy became a very important officer in the Royal Air Force (RAF).
During the Second World War, he led many groups of planes and air bases. Later, he commanded forces from the Commonwealth in Borneo during a conflict there. He was a true hero who served his country for many years.
Contents
Early Life and Flying Dreams
Alexander Vallance Riddell Johnstone was born in Glasgow, Scotland. This happened on June 2, 1916. He went to school at Kelvinside Academy.
After school, he worked for a shoe company in Edinburgh. But his real passion was flying! In 1934, when he was 18, he joined No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. This meant he could fly planes on the weekends.
Joining the Royal Air Force
In early 1938, Sandy became a civilian instructor. He taught people how to navigate planes. He worked at Scottish Aviation and then at the Civil Air Navigation School.
When August 1939 arrived, he was called to serve full-time. This was with No. 602 Squadron. Soon after, in November 1939, he took charge of 'B' Flight in his squadron.
Fighting in World War II
Sandy Johnstone and his squadron fought against German planes. They had battles off the coast of Scotland in late 1939 and early 1940. By July 1940, at just 24 years old, Sandy was given command of the entire 602 Squadron!
He had already damaged several enemy planes. These included a Heinkel He 111, a Junkers Ju 88, and a Dornier Do 17. His squadron then moved to RAF Westhampnett in England. They stayed there during the famous Battle of Britain.
Hero of the Battle of Britain
After the Battle of Britain, Sandy had an amazing record. He had destroyed 7 enemy aircraft, and shared in destroying 2 more. He also probably destroyed 1, and damaged 6 (plus 1 shared).
For his bravery and skill, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. This is a very important award for airmen.
Leading Air Bases and Squadrons
After the Battle of Britain, Sandy continued to serve. In 1941, he worked as an operations controller in Scotland. Then, in April 1942, he moved to RAF Haifa in Palestine. There, he was a sector commander.
He later went to Malta and became the commander of RAF Luqa air base. He also led a group of Spitfire planes. In 1943, he returned to Britain to study at the RAF Staff College. After that, he became a sector commander at RAF Fairwood Common.
Preparing for D-Day
In May 1944, Sandy Johnstone was promoted. He became an acting group captain. He worked on the operations staff for the Allied Expeditionary Air Force. They were getting ready for the huge D-Day invasion.
After the D-Day landings, he moved to Normandy. He worked with General Eisenhower's headquarters staff.
Post-War Service
In early 1945, Sandy joined the RAF team in Washington, D.C.. He came back to Britain in June. He then received a permanent commission in the RAF.
In 1946, he became an air attache in Dublin. This meant he represented the RAF there. He also commanded RAF Ballykelly air base. Later, in 1953, he became the Commanding Officer of the Air Sea Warfare Development Unit.
In 1956, he helped set up the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force. He also commanded RAF Middleton St. George. After more important roles, he went to Borneo in 1964. There, he was the Air Commodore for Commonwealth Air Forces.
In 1965, he returned to the UK. He became an air vice marshal, a very high rank. He led Coastal Command's No. 18 Group RAF. He was also the Air Officer for Scotland and Northern Ireland. He even became NATO's North Atlantic maritime air commander.
Sandy Johnstone received another important award in 1966. It was the Companion of the Order of the Bath. He also held the Air Efficiency Award. He retired from the Royal Air Force in 1968.
Life After the RAF
After retiring, Sandy Johnstone stayed busy. From 1969 to 1979, he was vice-chairman of the Territorial Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve. He also worked as a secretary for the Glasgow Golf Club. Later, he became head of National Car Parks (NCP) and secretary of Denham Golf Club.
From 1971 to 1994, he was a Deputy Lieutenant for Glasgow. This is an important role in local government.
Sandy was also a talented writer. He wrote six books about his experiences. He lived near Ipswich in Suffolk. In 1940, he married Margaret Croll. They had a son, Iain, who became an Army officer, and two daughters, Ann and Patricia. Sandy Johnstone passed away on December 13, 2000, at the age of 84.
Books by Sandy Johnstone
