Remembering the Telegraphist Air Gunners
Anthony Johnson (in front on left)
Anthony Kenneth Johnson (1925 - 2011) – Telegraphist Air Gunner (Royal Navy)
Anthony
Johnson
was
born
on
August
18,
1925.
Growing
up
he
was
a
child
performer
on
the
stage
and
on
the
screen.
Although
only
fourteen
at
the
outbreak
of
World
War
II,
Anthony
worked
in
a
Fairey
aircraft
production
factory
that
made
Albacores,
a
British
single-engine
carrier-borne
biplane
torpedo
bomber
built
by
Fairey
Aviation
between
1939
and
1943
for
the
Royal
Navy
Fleet
Air
Arm
and
used
during
the
Second
World
War.
The
factory
also
produced
parts
for
Spitfires
and
Barracudas.
“Little did I know I was making things that perhaps I’d fly in later.”
As
part
of
the
war
effort
Anthony
also
served
as
a
warden
with
the
ARP
(Air
Raid
Precautions)
rescuing
people
from
bombed buildings during the blitz.
In
1941
the
Air
Training
Corps
(ATC)
was
officially
established
with
training
programmes
to
prepare
young
men
for
entry
to
the
Royal
Air
Force.
Squadrons
arranged
visits
to
RAF
and
Fleet
Air
Arm
stations
as
part
of
the
cadets'
training.
Anthony
joined
the ATC and had his first flight in a Tiger Moth. “It was quite exhilarating and all that. They [The ATC] taught me a lot.”
He
volunteered
to
join
the
Royal
Navy
as
a
Telegraphist
Air
Gunner
when
he
was
seventeen
and
received
his
papers
at
eighteen
to
report
for
training.
“It
just
appealed
because
I
saw
a
poster
and
it
had
this
picture
of
a
Telegraphist
air
gunner
with
his
flying
gear
and
his
machine
gun
pointed
to
the
sky.
I
thought
that
looked
a
good
old
job
firing
out
in
the
blue so I decided for that”
Initial
training
was
at
HMS
Royal
Arthur,
a
former
Butlin's
holiday
camp
in
Skegness,
Lincolnshire.
After
HMS
Royal
Arthur
it
was
to
HMS
St
Vincent
in
Gosport
where
he
would
learn.
“…the
basics
of
flying
and
because
I
was
going
to
be
a
telegraphist
air
gunner
you
had
to
learn
the
basics
of
telegraphy,
electron
theory,
electro-magnetic
theory,
and
so
on”.
Anthony
was
one
of
the
Telegraphist
Air
Gunners
selected
to
continue
his
training
at
East
Camp,
Yarmouth
Nova
Scotia,
Canada.
Of
the
TAG
recruits,
those
at
the
top
of
their
classes
were
often
chosen
for
training in Canada.
After
completing
training
in
Canada,
Anthony
returned
to
England
in
1944
and
was
with
713
Squadron
(Isle
of
Man)
until
stationed
with
822
Squadron.
In
early
1945,
822
Squadron
was
re-
allocated
to
RAF
Coastal
Command
for
anti-submarine
duties
in
the
English
Channel.
Anthony
recalls
searching
for
and
firing
at
floating
mines
in
the
English
Channel
and
flights
over
the
Channel
Islands,
occupied
by
the
Germans
where
“we
fired
at
them
and
they
took
pot
shots at us”.
In
1946,
Anthony
left
active
service
with
the
R
oyal
Navy
and
returned
to
civilian
life.
“I
learned
a
lot.
I
learned
about
camaraderie,
I
learned
about
always
trying
to
do
your
best
at
the
time
and
the
greatest
thing
I
think
was
I
made
my
father
proud.
He
was very, very proud.”
Anthony
Johnson’s
son,
Pieter,
is
an
independent
social
media
journalist
and
publisher
in
the
UK.
His
passion
about
almost
everything
in
aviation
and
his
love
of
aircraft
and
flying
started
when
he
was
introduced
to
flying
by
his
father.
Pieter
talked to his father about his wartime experience and posted the interview.
Click to listen to the interview (May 2011)
(please allow a few moments for the file to load)
copyright © Wartime Heritage Association 2012-2024
Website hosting courtesy of Register.com - a web.com company
Wartime Heritage
ASSOCIATION
Early in 2013 Pieter Johnson posted a second segment in the story his when Anthony Johnson’s pilot, Derek Armson, and good
friend passed away. The story in this segment reminds one of Anthony Johnson’s comment, “I learned about camaraderie, I
learned about always trying to do your best at the time”.
Xtended is an internet radio programme covering all aspects of the aviation world. Whatever your
interest in aerospace, Xtended has got it covered. Produced and presented by XTP Media’s Pieter
Johnson, the show is co-hosted by Gareth Stringer (Editor of Global Aviation Resource) and Tim
Robinson (Editor of Aerospace International).
www.aviation-xtended.co.uk
Course 58A - (January 13, 1944)
Johnson (middle row, sixth from right)
