Alexander Colin Johnston DSO & Bar MC (26 January 1884 – 27 December 1952) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in the British Army.
He was wounded several times during the war and received awards for gallantry, most notably the Distinguished Service Order with medal bar and the Military Cross.
A prolific batsman before the First World War, he placed second in the national batting averages in 1912, behind C. B. Fry and narrowly missed out on playing Test cricket that year for England.
The son of the Scottish cricketer and Royal Engineers officer Duncan Johnston, he was born in Derby in January 1884.
[4] From Winchester, he proceeded to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, which he graduated from as a second lieutenant in November 1903;[5] prior to taking up an appointment with the Worcestershire Regiment, he spent a year in Colorado and New Mexico as a cowboy.
[10] He saw action in the allied defeats at the Mons and Le Cateau in August,[10] while in September he fought in the indecisive First Battle of the Aisne.
[15] Johnston was active in the mining operations around the Vimy Ridge during 1916 and took part in the Battle of the Somme which lasted from July to November 1916.
[16] During the Battle of the Somme, he was placed in command of the 10th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, who needed careful leadership to bring them up to fighting efficiency.
[16] In December 1916, Johnston was decorated by France with the croix de guerre,[17] while in the June 1917 Birthday Honours he was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his efforts at the Somme.
[20] His wounds were so serious that there seemed to be little hope for his survival, but through the care of Agnes Keyser at the King Edward VII's Hospital, he was able to recover,[21] albeit with one leg four inches shorter the other.
[16] After the war, he held a number of important appointments in connection with education in the British Army,[4] with his war-wounds having rendered him unfit for service on an active basis,[16] in addition to leaving him with a permanent limp.
[30] After promotion to brevet colonel in January 1931,[31] Johnston served in British India with the Army Educational Corps.
[27] He would serve as an assistant commissioner in HM Forces' Saving Committee between 1945 and 1948,[27] with his duties taking him to Italy and Allied-occupied Austria following the conclusion of the war.
[4] Johnston made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Surrey at Southampton in the 1902 County Championship, whilst still a cadet at Sandhurst.
[21] His highest first-class score of 175 came against Warwickshire that season, with Johnston having shared in a stand of 250 for the second wicket with Mead (111).