Squadron Leader E.L. Johnston, A.F.C., O.B.E., Reserve of Air Force Officers, Navigator of R101 was born in Sunderland in 1891 and was educated at Tynemouth High School and the Marine School, South Shields.

He is a qualified Master Mariner and originally served in the Royal Naval Reserve. He transferred to the R.N.A.S. (Airship Section) in 1916 and after commanding coastal type airships he later became Commanding Officer of Luce Bay airship station, in the South West of Scotland. On the formation of the Royal Air Force he was appointed Captain and later was promoted to the rank of Major.

After the War he served in the navigation branch in the Air Ministry but later retired from the Royal Air Force. He was appointed to the Royal Airship Works, Cardington, in 1924 for navigational duties and was loaned for some time to Imperial Airways Ltd., in order to open up European aeroplane routes. In 1927 he was navigator to the Secretary of State for Air on the first Imperial Airways flight to India and back. He is navigator tor R.100 as well as R.101 and in that capacity flew with the former on her voyage to Canada and return in July and August of this year.

He was also an Air Ministry Examiner for Navigators licences. He recently organised the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators of the British Empire and holds the Position of Deputy Master in that organisation.