GIANT MURAL TRIBUTE TO TOWN’S OWN ‘TOP GUN’ FLYING ACE
DEDICATION TO RAF FIGHTER ACE IN HIS HOMETOWN IS PART OF LADYBIRD COLLECTIVE ART TRAIL
A FIGHTER ace is flying high on the side of a building in Loughborough.
A giant mural depicts one of the town’s most celebrated sons – the legendary Air Vice Marshal James Edgar “Johnnie” Johnson.
This dramatic piece, at the junction of Queens Road and Great Central Road, pays tribute to the RAF Spitfire pilot Johnnie who shot down more enemy aircraft than any other Allied fighter pilot during the Second World War.
The work has been painted by Dan Smith, known as Buber Nebz, and delivered by The Ladybird Collective behind the art trail springing up in Loughborough.
The Collective’s Nick Hardy said: “As we have made clear from the start of this initiative, it is our intention to include within the art trail representations of celebrated local alumni.
“The first of these was Paula Radcliffe, who enjoys a huge profile across all age groups.
“And with Councillor Ted Parton and I both being old boys of the Grammar School, we always planned to include Johnnie on our list. His place in the history of our town is unrivalled.
“So we were thrilled when during this difficult coronavirus lockdown, we were approached by local businessman Andy Moore, proprietor of Print Monkey and owner of the site of the mural. Not only did Andy want a Ladybird Collective artwork on his wall, but he specifically asked for us to paint one of Johnnie!
“From this point, the Collective quickly became indebted to others for their support.
“Having received a warm welcome from the nearby Loughborough Mosque, the offer to fully fund the mural from Loughborough Schools Foundation, courtesy of an anonymous donor, confirmed the popularity of the choice.
“To secure this backing not only ensured we could afford to proceed, but it gives our work the credibility and prestige that befits its subject.
“It also meant that we could liaise with John Weitzel, who provided us with the evocative words to go with our artist Buber Nebz’s stunning picture.”
A former master at the Grammar School, John Weitzel is the foundation’s archivist and explained the connection and the significance of the artwork.
“The man known to all as ‘Johnnie’ was born in Barrow-upon-Soar, but his father’s promotion to sergeant in Loughborough Police meant that by the time Johnnie entered the grammar school from Cobden Street School in 1924, the family was living at 147 Meadow Lane, just beyond The Boat Inn,” he said.
“When his father was later promoted to inspector in Melton Mowbray, it was his Uncle Charlie who enabled him to remain at LGS as a boarder, paying his fees until he left in March 1932.
“Johnnie excelled at sports, representing the school at both football and cricket and, uniquely in the school’s history, winning the senior cross-country championship in three successive years – 1930, 1931 and 1932. In his final year, he also played the lead role in the school’s production of the Walter Hackett play, Ambrose Applejohn’s Adventure.
“Within a decade of leaving school, Johnnie had become one of the nation’s most celebrated heroes. “Having graduated as a civil engineer at University College, Nottingham, he became articled to the borough surveyor of Melton Urban Council in 1938. Just a year later, he joined the RAF and the rest, as they say, is history.”
As a Spitfire pilot, Johnnie flew more than 700 combat missions and shot down 38 German aircraft. This made him the top scoring RAF pilot of the Second World War, the original “Top Gun”.
After the Second World War, Johnnie remained in the RAF and, in 1960, he was made a CBE. Five years later, he was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath. His Spitfire was immortalised by Airfix, with their best-selling model bearing a maple leaf motif and the letters JE-J.
In 2018, as part of the RAF Centenary, an exhibition featuring Johnnie was displayed in Loughborough Library.
In 2020, that exhibition found a permanent home at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection near Salisbury, alongside a full-size replica of his Spitfire, proudly carrying his initials JEJ – James Edgar Johnson.
Returning to Loughborough, John Weitzel confirms that through his life, Johnnie never lost his connection with his hometown.
“In 1957, Johnnie arrived by helicopter to open the school’s summer fete, and after he died in 2001, he left money in his will for travel scholarships for Year 12 boys midway through their A-level courses and for prizes for outstanding leadership and service to the community,” he said.
“It is therefore entirely appropriate that The Ladybird Collective mural site that is closest to both his old junior and senior schools should honour him, one of Loughborough’s most famous sons.”
■ The Ladybird Collective is creating an art trail across Loughborough, producing 17 murals in just 10 weeks. There will be 22 in total.
As a Spitfire pilot, Johnnie flew more than 700 combat missions and shot down 38 German aircraft