Gerald MacIntosh Johnston

Actor Gerald MacIntosh Johnston, known professionally as Gerald Kent, was a Canadian Broadway stage and film actor who was captured at the Dieppe Raid during the Second World War and died in a German POW camp.

tage and film career

Gerald MacIntosh Johnston was born in 1903 or 1904 to James Macintosh Johnston and Clare Maud.

cite web
author= | publisher=CWGC | year=
url= http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2777633
title= Casualty Details: Johnston, Gerald Macintosh
accessdate=2007-06-19

] Johnston’s family relocated to New York City and in the 1920s he became a professional stage actor. He took up the stage name "Gerald Kent" and appeared in numerous Broadway plays, including The Royal Family and That's Gratitude. When WWII began he joined the Canadian military and served in the first battalion of the "The Black Watch of Montreal" as a private; he later joined the commandos under Lord Louis Mountbatten. “JOHNSTON, ACTOR, DIES !”"New York Times (1857-Current file "); Nov 24, 1944; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003)pg. 23. Hennepin County Public Library, Minneapolis. 29 Nov. 2006. ] In 1941, while stationed with his unit in Britain, Johnston landed a role in the film "From the Four Corners", which starred Leslie Howard. Johnston played a character based on himself, "Private J. Johnston", who was a member of "The Black Watch of Canada" regiment.

cite web
author= | publisher=IMDB | year=
url= http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033636/
title=From the Four Corners
accessdate=2007-06-19

]

Dieppe raid and imprisonment

The next year the "Black Watch of Montreal" participated in the disastrous Dieppe Raid on 19 August1942. Johnston’s status was unknown for months after the battle and he was listed as missing in action, until it was finally reported in December that he had been captured. “Dieppe Casualties”"The Globe and Mail"; Dec 22, 1942; Democracy at War: Canadian Newspapers and the Second World War. Canadian War Museum pg. 23. 19 June. 2007.] Johnston, along with thousands of other Canadians captured at Dieppe, was transferred Stalag II-D Prisoner-of-war camp located near Stargard in the Baltics. On November 5, 1944 Johnston was caught attempting to escape and was shot dead by guards after following their command to raise his hands.Johnston’s obituary states that he died on the fourth of November, but his grave stone states that he died on the fifth of November.] cite book |last=Vance |first=Jonathan F. |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Objects Of Concern:Canadian Prisoners Of War Through The Twentieth Century |year=1994 |publisher=UBC PRESS |location=VANCOUVER |id=ISBN 0-7748-0504-8 |pages=161 ] In January, 1945 the Sunday Pictorial, published out of London, reported that Johnston’s death occurred during a mass escape of 1,500 Canadian P.O.W’s. cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title =Ottawa Can’t Confirm Break of 1,500 Canadians.
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Toronto Daily Star
date =08 January1945
url =http://pagesofthepast.ca
accessdate =2007-06-28 ] Several days later the Toronto Daily Star rebuked this story, calling it pure “fabrication” and the “figment of someone’s imagination.” cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title =No break out tried. No Canadians killed.
work =
pages =3
language =
publisher = Toronto Daily Star
date =11 January1945
url =http://pagesofthepast.ca
accessdate =2007-06-28 ]

Johnston’s remains are buried in the Heverlee War Cemetery in Belgium.

tage performances

* December-November 1936 - "Iron Men" at Longacre Theatre in New York. Role: "Fred. "

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=11212
title=Iron Men
accessdate=2007-06-19]

* September 1936 - "Arrest That Woman" at National Theatre in New York. Role: "Davis. "

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=12148
title=Arrest That Woman
accessdate=2007-06-19]

* October-November 1933 - "A Divine Drudge" at Royale Theatre in New York. Role: "Kid Pauker".

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=11779
title=A Divine Drudge
accessdate=2007-06-19]

* June-December 1932 - "That's Gratitude " at Waldorf Theatre in New York. Role: "Clayton Lorimer".

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=11606
title=That's Gratitude
accessdate=2007-06-19]

* April 1932 - "Angeline Moves In" at Forrest Theatre in New York. Role: "Jerry Dugan".

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=11532
title=Angeline Moves In
accessdate=2007-06-19]

* February 1932 - "New York to Cherbourg" at Forrest Theatre in New York. Role: "Floyd Warren".

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=11497
title=New York to Cherbourg
accessdate=2007-06-19]

* September 1930-March 1931 - "That's Gratitude" at John Golden Theatre in New York. Role: " Clayton Lorimer."

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=11147
title=That's Gratitude
accessdate=2007-06-19]

* 1928 - "The Royal Family" at Selwyn Theatre in New York.

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=10540
title=The Royal Family
accessdate=2007-06-19]

* December 1927 - "Brass Buttons" at Bijou Theatre in New York. Role: "Kid Dickson."

cite web
author= | publisher=IBDB | year=
url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=10511
title=Brass Buttons
accessdate=2007-06-19]

References

Links

* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=47925 IBDB Internet Broadway Database: Gerald Kent]
* [http://www.mapleleaflegacy.org/grave_page.asp?id=48840 The Maple Leaf Legacy Project: Gerald Macintosh Johnston]
* [http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/Detail&casualty=2777633 V.A.C. Canada Remembers: Gerald Macintosh Johnston]