JOHNSTON, Kelso James
NAME JOHNSTON Kelso James
RANK Captain 1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 2nd Canadian Infantry Division SERVICE BRANCH Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps
“evil be to him who evil thinks” Residence: 64 West Street - Goderich - Ontario Birth August 16, 1910 - Goderich - County of Huron - Ontario Died: August 30, 1945 35 years
Cemetery: Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery - Groesbeek - Gelderland - Netherlands
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Wife: Mrs. Katherine Isabel Johnston - Owen Sound and Goderich - Ontario
Parents: Mr. George and Bertha Johnston - Owen Sound and Goderich - Ontario
Kelso was born in Goderich on August 16, 1910 and lived at 64 West Street in Goderich. He would have attended Goderich Public School and he attended and graduated from Goderich High School and then took his post - secondary education at Staastead Wesleyan College in Quebec for three years. After he received his education and prior to his enlistment he was employed as an accountant. Kelso served in the Militia in 1931 with the Huron Regiment. Prior to his enlistment he was a prospector at Goldlands - Ontario for 7 years which is now party of Kirkland Lake - Ontario. He would have attended First Baptist Church in Goderich.
Canada
On June 12, 1940 at Owen Sound he enlisted into the Canadian Army and upon his enlistment he was 5' 11" and he weighed 157 pounds. He had a medium dark complexion with blue eyes and dark brown hair with some grey. He was Taken on Service with the Grey and Simcoe Foresters of the Canadian Active Service Force. He was assigned to Camp Borden and given the rank of Acting Staff Sergeant. He was also granted the Tradesman's pay for "Group C". On December 21st he was granted leave until January 4, 1941. As 1941 began he was granted permission to marry Katherine Isabel Parsons in Goderich. In the middle of December he receives Christmas leave until January 2, 1942. On July 6th, 1942 he was "On Command" to the District Pay Office in Camp Borden for three days. Sergeant Johnston received a furlough from October 12-19th. On November 4th after attending Drivers Mechanic School for Officers and he qualified as a driver Class I III for gas combustion wheeled vehicles. Near the end of 1942 he received Christmas leave from December 22-27th. He then is "On Command" to No. 2 Manning Depot in Toronto on March 9-11, 1943. From March 19-22 he is granted leave when back at Debert - Nova Scotia. He is also granted compassionate leave from March 24-29. On July 18th he transfers to No. 11 Officer Training Centre at Gordon Head - British Columbia and that same day reverts to rank of Sergeant. The next day he is Taken on Service to No. 11 District Depot in Vancouver - British Columbia where he stays for a month until August 19th when he is attached to No. 30 Officer Training Centre in Brockville - Ontario. He qualifies with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and then returns to No. 11 District Depot in Vancouver. He is on the move again on October 20th when he is posted to the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps in Ottawa - Ontario. Lieutenant Johnston on November 14th was given the rank of Captain. He is headed back to Vancouver to No. 11 District Depot in Vancouver on November 14th. One month later he is posted to No. 13 Detachment of the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps in Calgary - Alberta. Nine days later it is off to Jasper - Alberta until January 15, 1944 for Winter Training School. Following his return to Calgary from Winter Training in Jasper he is granted leave until January 31, 1944. Two months later on April 13th he is attached to No. 133 Internment Camp in Lethbridge - Alberta and appointed Paymaster. In the summer he was granted leave between August 18-21st. He was then sent to No. 1 Transit Camp in Windsor - Nova Scotia in preparation for going overseas.
Overseas
On February 25, 1945 was when Captain Johnston embarked from Halifax and Canada and Struck off Strength of the Canadian Army in Canada. One day later he was Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army overseas. He arrived in England and disembarked on March 5th and reported for duty. On March 26th he was attached to the Canadian Pay Detachment. On May 21st he embarks from the United Kingdom for the north-west Europe Theatre with the Army of Occupation. On June 1st he is Taken on Service with the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division and on that same day he volunteered to serve in the Pacific Theatre. On June 23rd he is Taken on Service with the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps. In June, the 2nd Canadian Division relieved the 3rd Canadian Division and had command of a triangle in the Netherlands bounded by Amersfoort, Deventer and Zwolle. Captain Johnston visited the Canadian Army Car Park on August 28th and received permission to use a Willys 5cwt jeep for a recreational journey to Utrecht he had planned. At approximately 9:30 pm Captain Johnston was involved in a single vehicle accident resulting in him suffering injuries that would result in his death on August 30, 1945. The Board of Inquiry into this accident took place on August 30th. One witness stated that he was at the Utrecht main roundabout on the road leading from Zeist when a jeep was approaching from Zeist and was travelling at approximately 30-40 mph. The driver he stated tried to make the turn when the front left wheel of the jeep jumped the curb which caused the jeep to leave the road and strike a pole. The driver was thrown from the jeep while the jeep continued forward into a field on the right of the roundabout. A second witness stated the sun was setting and it was getting dark and that there were no lights on or near the roundabout. The jeep sideswiped a pole holding up the supporting wires for a trolley. This witness stated that the driver either struck the pole or the supporting wire and this was positioned on an island leading to the roundabout. Captain Johnston received immediate attention from witnesses and he was taken to Anthonius Zickenhaus Hospital in Utrecht at 10:20 pm. The deliberation of this inquiry ruled that there was no negligence on the part of Captain Johnston when he was travelling from Amersfoort to Zeist. It was determined that Captain Johnston struck the pole and his injuries were on the left side of his head, his left shoulder and left leg. He had a fractured skull. He passed away on August 30th at 10:15 pm.
During the month of October 1945 both his wife Katherine and his mother Bertha received the Memorial Cross. Kelso was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal + Clasp and these were received by his wife Katherine.
He is honoured and remembered on the Goderich - Ontario Cenotaph. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of First Baptist Church in Goderich. He would be honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Goderich Collegiate Institute as well as on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.
