Lt. R.W.S.  (Rex) Johnstone (Johnston) joined the 2nd Battalion, 48th Highlanders in Toronto and is shown in a 1940 newspaper article as one of the 52 officers of the 2nd Battalion who were training for service in the Second World War. In England Johnstone was in the battalion’s Holding Unit, then the Seaforth Highlanders of the 2nd Division, one of the officers and NCOs left behind when the battalion sailed in June for the landings in Sicily. Their role was to be replacements for casualties or transfers during the Italian campaign. Johnstone joined the 1st Battalion from the Seaforths in Oct 1943, at Torella.  In July 1944 he was assigned to H. Q. Company as Transport Officer following the battalion’s 47 day rest at Piedmonte d’Alife in preparation for the advance through the Gothic Line. Near Ville Grande, after the successful advance to the Foglia River, Johnstone was appointed as OC of the Scout Platoon in September. In January 1945, with the battalion between the Lamone and Senio rivers in northern Italy  Johnstone’ s Scouts and Snipers “had a notable adventure. With skilful stealth and experienced guile, Lt Rex Johnstone led them over the river on such a well-planned expedition they suddenly found themselves in possession of 30 German prisoners. They were also startled to discover they had uncovered a nest of German tanks, hidden close against the river. Such loot filled Lt. Johnstone’s scouts with great elation, but all the panzers brought them was enraged frustration. They had hurled all their grenades and did not have a single Piat. They could not even find a German mortar to blow up the tanks. They had to fight their way back through aroused and angry Germans. They did it and brought back their 30 prisoners to boot.” Dileas page 729.