Early career From Winchester, he proceeded to the
Royal Military College at Sandhurst, which he graduated from as a
second lieutenant in November 1903; prior to taking up an appointment with the
Worcestershire Regiment, he spent a year in
Colorado and
New Mexico as a
cowboy. the same year in which he was seconded to the
Northern Nigeria Regiment for three years, which formed part of the
West African Frontier Force. Whilst serving in Nigeria, he played
polo for Western Nigeria. Just under two years later in August 1912, he was seconded to the
Army Signal Service.
WWI service With the outbreak of the
First World War on 28 July 1914, Johnston travelled with the Worcestershire Regiment to the
Western Front as part of the
British Expeditionary Force in the opening days of the war. He saw action in the allied defeats at the
Mons and
Le Cateau in August, while in September he fought in the indecisive
First Battle of the Aisne. In that same month he gained promotion to
captain. He was awarded the
Military Cross in February 1915 for actions at
Soissons. Johnston was seconded to the
25th Division as a
General Staff Officer, 3rd Grade in January 1916, an appointment which disappointed him; however, his appointment to the 25th proved beneficial, as he gained the rank of
brevet major in February – a coveted junior position – an appointment which he took up in March. Johnston was active in the
mining operations around the
Vimy Ridge during 1916 and took part in the
Battle of the Somme which lasted from July to November 1916. During the Battle of the Somme, he was placed in command of the 10th Battalion,
Cheshire Regiment, who needed careful leadership to bring them up to fighting efficiency. His skill in command was noted by the battalion's success at the end of the offensive and subsequent
Battle of Messines in 1917. In December 1916, Johnston was decorated by France with the
croix de guerre, while in the June
1917 Birthday Honours he was made a Companion of the
Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his efforts at the Somme. The following month he took part in the
Battle of Passchendaele with the 10th, where his strong leadership of the battalion was rewarded shortly after the battle, when he was placed in command of the
126th Infantry Brigade and assumed the temporary rank of
brigadier-general, becoming the youngest
general in the
British Army. gained through his efforts at Passchendaele. Johnston served with distinction during the course of the war, being mentioned in despatches on five occasions. By July 1919 he had recovered from his wounds, when he returned to service and travelled to the
occupied Rhineland later in 1919. After the war, he held a number of important appointments in connection with education in the
British Army, and in the same year he was appointed commandant at the
Duke of York's Royal Military School in
Kent, an appointment he held until 1925. Johnston was appointed chief education officer at Sandhurst in August 1927, a post which he held until August 1929. After promotion to brevet
colonel in January 1931, Johnston served in
British India with the
Army Educational Corps. There, he was inspector and commandant of the Army School of Education in
Belgaum for six years from December 1931 to until his retirement in 1937. Johnston returned to military service during the
Second World War, in which he held several
staff posts, including as a staff officer in air defence at the
Aldershot Command, before joining the
Political Intelligence Department of the
Foreign Office. In its service, he returned to India as head of the Foreign Office Mission there. He would serve as an assistant commissioner in HM Forces' Saving Committee between 1945 and 1948, with his duties taking him to Italy and
Allied-occupied Austria following the conclusion of the war. ==First-class cricket==