Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

Pair: Major-General R. M. Johnstone, Royal Army Medical Corps

Korea 1950-53 (Lt. Col., M.B.E., M.C., R.A.M.C.); U.N. Medal, extremely fine (2) £400-500

M.B.E. London Gazette 26 October 1954. ‘... in recognition of distinguished services in Malaya during the period 1st January to 30th June 1954.’

M.C. London Gazette 19 August 1943.

Robert Maxwell Johnstone was born in Edinburgh on 9 March 1914 and educated at the Edinburgh Academy, Craigflower, Fettes College, Christ College Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh. Gaining the M.A. M.B. B.Chir. from Cambridge and the M.B. Ch.B. from Edinburgh in 1938, he became a M.R.C.P. in 1940, a F.R.C.P. in 1944 and a M.D. (Edinburgh) in 1954. He was employed as a Resident House Physician and Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, 1938-39. Serving in the Second World War with the R.A.M.C., he was employed with the 129 Field Regiment 1938-41, was company commander of the 167 Field Regiment 1941-43, employed at the Staff College, Haifa during 1943 and was C.O. of 3 Field Ambulance 1945-46. He attained the rank of War Substantive Major in January 1946 and was awarded the M.C. for his services at Enfidaville in April/May 1943. Employed as Advisor in Medicine, H.Q. East Africa Command 1950-51; during the Korean War he was then Consultant Physician at the Commonwealth General Hospital in Japan. He was later Professor of Medicine and Honorary Consulting Physician to the Iraqi Army 1959-63. He attained the rank of Major-General in May 1967 as Consulting Physician to the H.Q. Far East Land Forces 1965-67, after which he was employed as Deputy Director of Medical Services, Southern Command 1967-68 and Army Strategic Command 1968-69, in which latter year he retired.

Sold with a letter from Major-General Johnstone in which he provides some service details, lists his medals and explains why he parted with his British Korea Medal, believing (erroneously) that he was not entitled to it.

Major-General Johnstone was awarded the M.B.E., M.C., C.St.J., 1939-45 Star; Africa Star with 8th Army clasp, Italy Star, Defence and War Medals, G.S.M. 1 clasp Palestine 1945-48, British and U.N. Korea Medals and Coronation 1953.