George Johnson (British Army officer)

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.

Military career

Johnson entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Scots Guards in 1925.^[1] He was appointed a General Staff Officer (GSO) at London District in 1939.^[1]

He served in the Second World War, becoming Commanding Officer (CO) of the 3rd Battalion, Scots Guards in 1940.^[1] 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.^[1] He then took command of the 32nd Guards Brigade in North West Europe.^[1]

After the war he commanded the Scots Guards and then became Commander of the 1st Guards Brigade in Palestine in 1947.^[1] 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.^[1] He retired in 1957.^[1]

He lived at Castlesteads near Brampton in Cumbria.^[2] He was appointed High Sheriff of Cumberland for 1966. ^[3]

Family

In 1938 he married Lady Ida Mary Ramsay and they went on to have one daughter and two sons.^[2]

References