Extracts from his own biography ‘Barefoot Soldier’ from the now ‘Worshipful Brother’ Sergeant Major Johnson Beharry VC, COG:
JOHNSON GIDEON BEHARRY’s determination to be the Worshipful Master of Richard Clowes Lodge on 6th September 2024 at the Southend Masonic Centre, despite suffering constant physical pain, speaks volumes about his character.
Paul Tarrant, Provincial Grand Master, was in attendance, accompanied by Assistant Provincial Grand Masters Martin Howse and Clive Rees. Several other guests were from the Queensman Lodge (a regimental London Lodge where Johnson was Initiated into Freemasonry), including a past Assistant District Grand Master who flew in from Grenada.
After an excellent ceremony, the Provincial Grand Master presented Johnson with a field promotion of a Past Provincial Grand Stewards collar and with five signed copies of Johnson’s book ‘Barefoot Soldier’ being raffled, raised the sum of £615 which will be donated to the JBVC Foundation.
Following a personal interview with Johnson and referring to the VC hero’s own biography ‘Barefoot Soldier’, Tony Hales summarises how the new Worshipful Brother in Essex Freemasonry did what he has accomplished.
It was all about survival
Johnson Beharry’s actions in Al Amarah are well documented. The questions came fast and furious at the MoD press conference announcing the awards his unit had achieved. A journalist asked, “What was going through your head during that second engagement?” Johnson replied, “An RPG.”(rocket-propelled grenade). Everyone fell about laughing. He realised it was not the answer the media was expecting.
Today, 20 years after the ambush, the one thing which could instantly make his day better is to lose the pain caused by the rocket-propelled grenade which exploded six inches from his face. “I am never out of it.” In 2017, Johnson was appointed a Companion of the Order of Grenada (COG) but medically would not be able to live there because of the injuries he sustained.
One of eight children, Johnson remembers sitting on his father’s lap outside their two-roomed shack looking at old ‘Motor’ magazines, especially the one with a Porsche 911 Turbo on the front cover. Growing up, he often imagined driving the convertible model with 300 bhp from his village to the local town, regularly breaking his own speed records. Johnson is an avid petrolhead for all things cars, motorsports, and F1.
He never thought about the future. “Growing up in poverty, it was all about survival. Surviving today and dealing with tomorrow when it comes.” Life was full of family dramas and setbacks. He once worked a few hours each day for six weeks as a fruit picker in exchange for a pair of flip-flops so that he did not have to pick thorns and splinters from his feet when sweeping the yard of an aunt he had been sent to live with. The plan was also to spend more time with his mother by running to her shack in half the time, but they were discovered by the aunt. She accused him of theft and gave them to her own son.
After leaving school, Johnson took up decorating. Local gang members loitering around drinking rum demanded he share the money he earned with them. After weeks of threats, Johnson bravely said, “I will never give you a cent of any money I make, is that clear?” A physical altercation with the gang leader ensued. Johnson won and walked away but heard shouts from behind, “You don’t fit on this island. You don’t fit, you never have. You’s dead Johnson. Dead.”
Ability to change lives to make a difference
Aged 19, to stop his mother worrying about the threats on his life, Johnson decided to leave Grenada. The best piece of advice was from his grandma, “Go to England and make something of your life.” she said. If he could go back in history, it would be to his gran, who died in 2002. “She didn’t have much, but we were happy.” Isabella Bolah meant everything to him. He loves and misses her so much.
Johnson cooks a lot. His favourite family tradition is “Sitting at table together - never had that as a kid.” His favourite time of year is summer, “To spend time with the kids - travelling.” Johnson’s definition of success is good health and happiness. If there was one person in history, he could spend the day with it would be Ghandi whom he admires for what he achieved and how he achieved it.
The personality trait Johnson is most proud of about himself is his “Ability to change lives to make a difference.” His raison d’etre is to make a difference, and he confesses that he does not switch off but instead is constantly thinking about charity work and changing lives. His hobby genuinely is “Helping people in any respect.” If a genie gave him three wishes, he would ask (i) to see his grandma, (ii) to take away the pain, and (iii) to be able to help people on his journey.
If you work hard, you will achieve amazing things, and you can turn things around.
Johnson already applies himself wholeheartedly to his third wish by working hard to expand on what he is already doing to grow the JBVC Foundation (jbvc-foundation.org.uk) with its mission to help young people turn their backs on gang culture. When he founded the JBVC Foundation in 2014, he said,
“I tell all those I help that they can change their life.”
Although some members apply directly to become Freemasons, Johnson was pleased to be invited straight out. He is proud to have joined and is always delighted to meet others at meetings. The collective of Brethren at lodge meetings has had the biggest impact on his masonic journey so far. For newly Initiated Brothers, he has this advice: “Enjoy it. Keep an open mind. Don’t expect anything and go in with no expectations.”
The one thing, above all others, Johnson wants to accomplish in his year as Worshipful Master of Richard Clowes Lodge is to encourage as many as possible “To help with money and be able to give donations to charity.” As a man who is true to himself, that is how he wants the film to be, which is being produced about his life and in which his son Ayden has been selected to play young Johnson. In an interview with the media, he said,
“For those who didn’t come back, and for my colleagues there with me, I’m going to be working with the scriptwriters. My life is a fairy-tale and proof that if you work hard, you will achieve amazing things, and you can turn things around.”
