"Melton's Air Ace - Greycap Patrol"

by Brian Fare

‘Meltons’ Air Ace - Greycap Leader’
Supermarine Spitfire LF MK IX MK392 JE-J

James Edgar Johnson is the son of ex-Melton Police Inspector A. Johnson and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School and University College Nottingham. After he left university, he served his time as a Civil Engineer working for Mr. W.H.Jarvis, a surveyor for Melton Urban Council. Johnson applied to join the Auxiliary Air Force, but the bone injury that he sustained whilst playing rugby in 1938 meant he was rejected on medical grounds; he then joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry, where the injury was not a bar to recruitment. However, standards became more forgiving as the RAF expanded, and he later successfully applied to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.



In March 1943, now an acting Wing Commander, he took over the Canadian Wing stationed at RAF Kenley. Despite initial resistance to a British Wing Leader from his tough, obstinate Canadian charges, he quickly won them over with his sheer force of personality. The unit, now flying the Spitfire Mk. IX, became one of the highest scoring fighter wings of the time. Johnson chose his radio call-sign at this time as "Greycap." During offensive sweeps over Europe and as escorts to the USAAF heavy bomber streams, he personally claimed 14 victories during the summer of 1943. Johnson's tour ended in September 1943 with a score of 25 kills. At this time he had been given a substantive promotion to Squadron Leader being given a desk job at No.11 Group Headquarters until March 1944, when he was put in charge of 144 (RCAF) Wing.



As a Wing Leader Johnson was able to use his initials JE-J in place of squadron code letters; he was to score the bulk of his victories flying two Mk IXs: EN398, JE-J in which he shot down 12 aircraft and shared five plus six damaged while commanding the Kenley Wing: MK392 JE-J, an L.F Mk. IX, depicted in this drawing, 12 aircraft plus one shared destroyed on the ground. His last victory of the war was scored in this aircraft. He ended the war flying a Mk XIVe, MV268, JE-J.


Open edition printed on 300 gsm archival quality, acid free white board using lightfast inks.


Overall Print size: 297mm x 420mm