William Morton Johnson
William Morton Johnson (1881-1916)
1916 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM MORTON JOHNSON, Captain, Manchester Regiment, M.A., F.R.G.S., was the eldest son of the late William Henry Johnson, B.Sc., of Woodleigh, Altrincham, Chairman of Messrs. R. Johnson, Clapham & Morris, Ltd., metal merchants, Manchester.
Captain Johnson was born on September 2, 1881, educated at Summer Fields, near Oxford, at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took the History Tripos. Always a lover of history and geography he had read widely in these subjects, and had travelled extensively.
After leaving the University he entered his father's firm and on the death of his father became the Chairman and a Managing Director. Captain Johnson took a great interest in the welfare of the employees; some 450 attended the Memorial Service held in St. Margaret's Church Altrincham, to show their respect and esteem for him.
Captain Johnson was a great lover of children - many little orphan children in Manchester will never forget the happy joy, rides he took them in his motor when they came out to spend the day at Woodleigh. Obituary 211
On the outbreak of war Captain Johnson joined the army as a private in the Public Schools' Battalion, but was shortly after given a commission in the Manchester Regiment, and subsequently became a Company Commander. He was first through the village of Montauban on July 1, and chalked his regiment's name on three German guns.
A brother officer wrote: "During the advance to, and the consolidation of, the village Captain Johnson acted throughout with the greatest bravery and coolness. It was mainly through his ability and foresight that the front of the village was put in such an excellent state of defence, and the men so disposed, that we were able to beat off the counter-attack when it came. He was buried where he fell with the men of his Company who died with him. The battalion has lost in him an excellent and able officer whom, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to replace, and we officers have lost a personal friend whom we all admired and loved."
Captain Johnson was president of the Australian and New Zealand section of the Manchester Importers' and Exporters' Association, and, like his father, was also an original member of the Institute of Metals.