Robert Johnston (VC) - Military Career

Military Career

When the British Lions tour ended, Johnston, together with Tom Crean, decided to stay on in South Africa. He played rugby for Transvaal and captained them in the Currie Cup. In 1899, at the start of the Second Boer War, again with Crean, he enlisted in the Imperial Light Horse and Johnston subsequently reached the rank of major. Johnston was already an experienced soldier, having previously served with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers between 1890 and 1894. He served in South Africa between 1899 and 1901 and was dangerously wounded during the Siege of Ladysmith. In October 1899, according to the Irish Times, the Imperial Light Horse particularly distinguished themselves in the Battle of Elandslaagte and it was during this engagement that Johnston, while still a captain, won his VC. The joint citation for him and Captain Charles Herbert Mullins reads:

On the 21st October, 1899, at Elandslaagte, at a most critical moment, the advance being momentarily checked by a very severe fire at point blank range, these two Officers very gallantly rushed forward under this heavy fire and rallied the men, thus enabling the flanking movement, which decided the day, to be carried out.

Johnston was badly wounded and was nursed back to health by Crean. Mullins, who was also awarded the VC, was the brother of Cuth Mullins who had earlier been one of Johnston’s British Lions team-mates. In 1902 he was Commandant at a concentration camp at Middelburg, Mpumalanga and in 1903 he was a District Commissioner in the Eastern Transvaal. Johnston was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal and bars and the King's South Africa Medal for his service. .