I recently learnt that my great-great-uncle Ernest Johnson won bronze medals at the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games as part of Team GB’s team pursuit cycling team. This weekend I was lucky enough to see his cap and jersey from the 1936 Berlin Olympics as they’re currently on display at Brooklands Museum until the end of September.
The exhibit also provided me with some new information about Ernest, stating that he had raced at Brooklands in the 1934 World’s Cycling Championship Trial as a member of the Belle Vue Cycling Club. I’ll be looking into these two new clues about Ernest’s life, but in the meantime here are some photos of his Olympic cap and jersey:
With Ernest Johnson’s cap and jersey from the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games
A close up of the cap, showing the Olympic logo
You can just about see that ‘E. A. Johnson’ is written in the collar of the jersey
Amy: Finding My Past 
December 27, 2012 at 5:17 pm |
[…] to a trip to Brooklands Museum in September, I discovered that my great-great-uncle Ernest Johnson had raced there in 1934 as part […]
June 17, 2013 at 8:07 pm |
Hi Amy is Ernest any relation to Horace Thomas ‘tiny’ Johnson? Tiny is my great uncle and lived in Putney also. Quite a coincidence I think. I’m trying to source information about him as he cycled in the 1908 games, tandem with my grandfather. Do get in touch if we could link information, cheers valerie
June 18, 2013 at 9:19 am |
Hi Valerie, how interesting – I’ve not heard of Horace before but I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for him. Ernest’s parents were Arthur William Johnson and Mary Magdalen Targett – do those names ring any bells?
June 18, 2013 at 12:54 pm |
Hi Amy thank you for your reply, I wish I knew more of Horace’s family, the only names I know, he was married to may, who I think had a brother called vic Johnson who also won gold in the 1908 games. Horace and may had 5 children, may, three other daughters and a son called Owen who would be late 80 s early 90s now. That’s all the information I have. It’s so hard to find things out, but interestingly your visit to brook lands, I believe they have in their archives a photo of Horace with his bike. I have a cousin who lives just up the road from there. I have him on the case to try and obtain a copy. Your story I found so interesting. I have an Olympic champions book from 1964 which has your Ernest in the 32 and 36 medal awards. That’s what made me look up the name as the surname and time line matched up. I wandered if horace was ernests father, thats not the case, They could be cousins, or related somehow. Thank you ever so much for your reply. I’m not brilliant with modern technology so didn’t know where my question went to yesterday, but yyyyaaaeeee you replied so I didn’t get lost up in cyber space. If I come across any info on Ernest I will contact you through here, I’m looking for stuff all the time. Thanks again for replying to me, cheers from valerie.
June 20, 2013 at 8:51 am |
Well, thank you for commenting! I’ll let you know if any of your Johnsons turn up in my research too – it feels like there must be a link somewhere!
June 21, 2013 at 8:58 am |
My name is Yvonne Gough. My mother was Maria Jones, whose sister (Lilie) married Ernie Johnson. I have a photo of their wedding hanging in my bedroom because I was a three-year old bridesmaid. Do you know that my cousin, Christine, who is Ernie’s daughter is still alive and lives in Dorking, Surrey? During the war, I remember visiting Aunt Mag (as we called her). She was Ernie’s mother and was a housekeeper in Putney.
June 24, 2013 at 3:03 pm |
Hi Yvonne, lovely to hear from you! It sounds like we’re related – I’ll send you an email to find out more. Exciting 🙂