Captain Montague Joseph Charles Somerset JOHNSTONE
2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) attached to the Royal Flying Corps and Staff

Date of birth: 16th June 1882
Date of death: 7th September 1953

Died aged 71
Buried at All Saints Church, Selworthy
Montague Joseph Charles Somerset Johnstone was born at 30 Clarges Street, Mayfair in London on the 16th of June 1882 the elder son of Montague George Johnstone, a gentleman, and Agnes (nee Harrison) Johnstone of 66 Beaufort Mansions, Chelsea.

He left Hazelwood School in April 1895 for Eton College where he was in Miss J.M. Evan’s House leaving in 1900.

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion the Highland Light Infantry (Militia) on the 13th of September 1900 and transferred to the Royal Scots Greys with the same rank on the 4th of December 1901. He was five feet eleven and a half inches tall. He served in the UK until the 18th of May 1902, attending a musketry course at Hythe in 1902, and in South Africa until the 15th of November 1903. He attended a signalling course in 1904 and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 22nd of October 1904. He was promoted to Captain on the 4th of January 1913.

On the 31st of October 1906 he was married to Victoria Louise (nee Stewart); they had three children, Desiree Barbara Montague born on the 28th of March 1908, Eileen Agnes Montague born on the 18th of July 1909 and Rosemary Maud Montague born on the 10th of November 1913.

On the outbreak of war he embarked for France on the 27th of August 1914 joining his regiment in the field on the 17th of September 1914 as a replacement, along with Lieutenant St Lawrence, sixty two men and sixty three horses. From April 1916 to March 1918 he was attached to Military Intelligence MI7B at the War Office and was mentioned in despatches in 1916.

Sadly, his wife died on the 25th of January 1916 and he was re-married at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square on the 20th of October 1916 to Mary Marion Spottiswood (nee Bayley); they lived at 109 Gloucester Place, Hyde Park and at “Annan”, Framfield in Sussex and had two children, Gloria Barbara Montague born on the 4th of January 1918 and Roy Henry Montague born on the 13th of July 1919. On the 15th of December 1926, his wife filed for divorce on the grounds of his adultery with Margaret Foster Fraser at the White Lion Hotel, Hertford Bridge in Hampshire between the 21st and 24th of November 1926 and at the Hotel de France, Blois in France from the 24th of November to the 5th of December 1926. She was granted a decree nisi on the 2nd of June 1927. He was later married to Margaret Foster (nee Fraser); they lived at Abbortsford in Melrose and had a son, Alastair Montague, born on the 20th of November 1928.

He was appointed as Deputy Director, Air Intelligence at the War Office on the 7th of November 1918 and was transferred to the Unemployed List for the Royal Air Force on the 17th of January 1919. In 1926 and 1927 he served as Private Secretary to the Under Secretary of State for War.

On the 20th of December 1940 he was appointed as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force. He rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and served with them until 1943 and latterly at the War Office until 1944.

He died peacefully at his home, Upper Crossacre, Selworthy, Minehead in Somerset, and his funeral took place at 2pm on the 10th of September 1953.

Went on to Eton College

Back