Col Murray Caister Johnston, MSM, CD (Ret'd)
Service & Leadership
Colonel (Col) Murray C. Johnston, MSM, CD (Retired) served 31 years in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1952 to 1983. A graduate of both the Royal Military College and the Canadian Army Staff College, he held degrees in engineering from the University of British Columbia and the University of Michigan. Col Johnston’s postings included command and senior staff roles in Germany, Vietnam, and Ottawa, where he served as Director of Support Vehicles Engineering and Maintenance and as Team Leader in the DEVIL Maintenance System Working Group. He also commanded 202 Workshop Depot and served with the International Commission in Vietnam in 1973.
Legacy & Impact
Following retirement, Col Johnston served as Director of the National Emergency Agency for Energy and represented Canada at NATO’s Petroleum Planning Committee. Appointed Colonel Commandant of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch in 1991, he held the role for 13 years. He researched and authored two Corps histories, founded the RCEME Honour Roll and Book of Remembrance, and made over ten visits to deployed RCEME troops in the Balkans. As Corps Historian Emeritus, his contributions to remembrance, history, and esprit de corps are lasting.
Awards & Recognition
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Canadian Forces Decoration
- NATO SFOR Medal (Former Yugoslavia)
- Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal
- Colonel Commandant, RCEME Branch (1991–2004)
- RCEME Corps Historian Emeritus
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