Battles/wars World War II Battles and wars World War II Name George Johnson Service/branch British Army | Role British Army officer Rank Major-general Died 1980 Allegiance United Kingdom | |
Commands held 3rd Bn Scots Guards
201st Guards Motor Brigade Group
32nd Guards Brigade
1st Guards Brigade
London District Awards Royal Victorian Order, Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Service Order | ||
Major General Sir George Frederick Johnson, KCVO, CB, CBE, DSO (1903–1980) was a senior British Army officer who fought in the Second World War and was Major-General commanding the Household Brigade and General Officer Commanding London District.
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Military career
Johnson entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Scots Guards in 1925. He was appointed a General Staff Officer (GSO) at London District in 1939.
He served in the Second World War, becoming Commanding Officer (CO) of the 3rd Battalion, Scots Guards in 1940. He went on to be Commander of 201st Guards Motor Brigade Group and was captured while fighting in the Western Desert Campaign in North Africa in 1942 and became a prisoner of war in Italy, but escaped in 1943. He then took command of the 32nd Guards Brigade in North West Europe.
After the war he commanded the Scots Guards and then became Commander of the 1st Guards Brigade in Palestine in 1947. In 1949 he was made Chief of Staff at Scottish Command and in 1953 he was appointed Major-General commanding the Household Brigade and General Officer Commanding London District. He retired in 1957.
He lived at Castlesteads near Brampton in Cumbria. He was appointed High Sheriff of Cumberland for 1966.
Family
In 1938 he married Lady Ida Mary Ramsay and they went on to have one daughter and two sons.