Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 52:
Description
A significant archive of five mounted service ribbon bars formerly the property of the legendary RAF ace, Air Vice-Marshal James Edgar ‘Johnie’ Johnson. This collection comprises eighteen ribbon sections that map the distinguished career of one of the Royal Air Force’s most decorated fighter pilots. The bars include a Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon with a second-award rosette, a 1939-1945 Star bearing the Battle of Britain clasp rosette, and a bronze Mention in Despatches oak leaf, among other high-ranking campaign and service decorations. This lot consists of five separately mounted ribbon racks, ranging from a simple two-ribbon configuration to complex four-section bars. As a record of Johnson’s trajectory, these ribbons illustrate a career spanning the heat of the Battle of Britain, the intense air war over Europe, and his subsequent long-term service. The presence of the Battle of Britain rosette-awarded only to aircrew who flew during that critical window between 10 July and 31 October 1940-is a poignant testament to his pivotal role during the defense of the United Kingdom. The array is further augmented by ribbons for the Air Crew Europe Star, the Africa Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal, and various long-service and jubilee awards, all adhering to the strict order of official precedence required by RAF protocol. Each bar is professionally stitched edge-to-edge on buckram mounting strips in the standard British fashion. The physical condition is excellent for vintage textile stock, exhibiting only minor surface soiling and light edge fraying commensurate with operational wear; all metallic rosettes and the oak leaf emblem remain securely affixed. While no full-size medals or accompanying documents are present, the provenance of these ribbon bars as belonging to Air Vice-Marshal Johnson offers a rare, intimate connection to the equipment worn by the RAF’s highest-scoring Western Allied fighter ace of the Second World War.
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