JOHNSON, William John
| Service Number: | 1940 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 May 1915, Ipswich |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 26th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, 10 November 1893 |
| Home Town: | Ipswich, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Coach Builder |
| Died: | Natural causes, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, 30 November 1966, aged 73 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Ipswich Central Congregational Church Honour Board, Ipswich Soldier's Memorial Hall Great War |
World War 1 Service
| 14 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1940, 26th Infantry Battalion, Ipswich | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug 1915: | Involvement Private, 1940, 26th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Aug 1915: | Embarked Private, 1940, 26th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kyarra, Brisbane |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Michael Silver
William Johnson was born on 10 November 1893. He was the son of F. W. Johnson who owned a coach works at Ipswich, Queensland.
Enlisting in the army at the age of 21 years and 6 months old he served at Gallipoli and was later sent to the Western Front. On the 29 July 1917 he was wounded in action by a shell blast. He returned to Australian in February 1917 and was discharged as permanently unfit.
In 1920, William Johnson married Ruby Horsnell at 'Rosemere', North Ipswich. There were to have three children.
William and his brother, Ernest Briggs Johnson took over ownership of their father’s coach works business in 1920 and the firm then began dealing in motor cars. F.W. Johnson & Sons City Motor Works was located at the top end of Brisbane Street, Ipswich in the early 20s. They purchased the Old Flour Mill at 231 Brisbane Street in 1926 to use as a garage and motor car showroom.
William Johnson funded the establishment of the Ipswich Broadcasting Company with other local Ipswich businessmen in the early 1930s to secure a licence for a local radio station after several failed attempts. He later became managing director of Radio Station 4IP which opened on 2 September 1935. The studios, offices and transmitter were established in the top floor of the Old Flour Mill building with entry being via an external staircase on the western side.
He started a weekly broadcast for young talent, the 4IP Smiles Club in 1937. It’s ‘Studio Presentation’, Saturday program featured young and adult local artists. Johnson took the alter ego ‘Uncle Bill’: it was the character behind the very successful Smiles Club.
Between 1965-1977 4IP was one of the most successful hit radio stations in Australia taking on the larger radio stations transmitting out of Brisbane. In the early 1970s the station moved to Brisbane and in 1982 it changed hands becoming known as Radio 10. On 29 December 1991, 4IP closed for the final time to be relaunched as 4TAB.
William Johnson died at Ipswich in 1966, his wife, Ruby, surviving him and passing away in 1978.
Reference: Picture Ipswich
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