William Johnstone (VC)

William Johnstone VC (6 August 1823 – 20 August 1857) was a Royal Navy sailor and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He enlisted and served as John Johnstone.

He is listed as being born in Hanover, according to his Royal Navy file, however he is now known to have been born Johan Fredric Lindroth, in the Vaasa district, Finland, on 6 August 1823. He served on four ships; the St. Vincent, an emigrant ship transporting people to Australia (1845-1849), HMS Reynard (1849-1852) which operated in the China Seas, fighting pirates and was shipwrecked near Pratas Island in the South China Sea on 31 May 1851. The whole crew survived the sinking when HMS Pilot rescued them. After that, he moved on to HMS Arrogant and then to HMS Brunswick.