Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The uniquely dated Polar medal awarded to Captain William Johnston, M.N., for many years Commander of the Royal Research Ship John Biscoe for the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in the Antarctic

Polar Medal 1904, E.II.R., 2nd issue, silver, 1 clasp, Antarctic 1950-61 (Captain William Johnston, M.N.) extremely fine £2500-3000

Polar Medal London Gazette 13 December 1963: ‘For good services with the British Antarctic Survey as Master of the R.R.S. John Biscoe from 1950-61.’ Unique clasp with these dates.

Captain William Johnston, for many years Commander of John Biscoe, was born on 3 March 1908. He was educated at Whitehead, Northern Ireland, leaving school at the age of sixteen to go to sea as an apprentice with the Head Line and qualifying as a Master Mariner in 1933. In 1936 he became Chief Officer, and later Master, of the Falkland Islands Company vessel Lafonia. In 1940 the vessel was taken over by the Ministry of Transport for war duties and Johnston joined the Royal Navy, serving as Lieutenant in charge of rescue tugs and seeing service in various Mediterranean engagements, particularly the Allied landings in southern Europe. He returned to the Falkland Islands in 1946 to command a new Lafonia until she was sold four years later. He was then appointed to command the old (wooden) John Biscoe for the Falkland Island Dependencies Survey, and later the new (steel) John Biscoe, which he commanded until his retirement, due to ill health, in October 1965. ‘Bill’ or ‘Kelly,’ as he was known, was ideally suited by temperament to command in polar waters. He was calm and always completely unruffled. Reading, bridge and a ‘flutter’ were his interests and his ambition was always to own a farm in his home country. Bill Johnston died in Larne, County Antrim, on 27 February 1968. Sold with research including a photograph of the John Biscoe at sea.

Johnston Passage, a channel running north-south and separating the Amiot Islands from the south-west part of Adelaide Island, is named after Bill Johnston for his assistance to the Royal Navy Hydrographic Survey Unit in charting this area in 1963.