Elizabeth Johnston

Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps

There are 103 names on the Cellardyke and Anstruther war memorials. Only one of them is a woman.  Elizabeth Johnston was a telephonist serving in the Signals Unit of Queen Marys Army Auxiliary Corps in France when she died on Christmas Day 1918.

She was born in 11 Rodger Street Cellardyke on 26 December 1890 – the second oldest child of Thomas Johnston, a sail-maker and his wife Maggie McQueen. Within 10 years the growing family had moved to a house in Anstruther. It was beside the loft and yard that her father owned in East Green.

Elizabeth went to Waid Academy and then trained as a telegraphist with the Post Office. She seized the opportunity to contribute to the war effort after the formation of the Woman’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1917. She joined up as a telephonist and was sent to Calais and then to Rouen. There she was known as Johnnie to many of her military friends.

Elizabeth was a prolific letter writer and also sent articles back to the East of Fife Record, the local newspaper, including a vivid eye-witness account of the Armistice Celebrations.

She survived several attacks by German night bombers on her Unit and almost died in the great flu epidemic of late 1918. On Christmas morning she climbed the tower of St Ouen Church and spent some time reading and sketching. It is assumed that at some point she was overcome by dizziness and toppled over a balustrade, falling to her death.

She was buried in St Severs cemetery south of Rouen on 30 December 1918. Her funeral with full military honours is notable in that her coffin was draped, in accordance with her wishes, with the Scottish saltire rather than the Union flag.

After her death a book ‘Johnnie of QMAAC’, compiled from her letters and those of her colleagues in France, was published.