Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whawhai a Johnston i te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao, i mahi i nga raina o mua o te Hauauru ki te Mana Whakahaere Tuatahi, e wha nga wa i whara, ka eke ki te taumata o te Brigadier General. I te timatanga ko Johnston te kaitohutohu tohu mo te 7 Infantry Brigade. I haere ia ki te mahi i taua kaha ki te Wahanga 3 i mua i te wa i riro ai ia ia, hei Kaihauturu Pirihimana, hei Kaihauturu Kaihauturu o te 10th Battalion Cheshire Regiment me te mutunga o te Kaihauturu Kaihauturu o te 126 Infantry Brigade. I uru a Johnston ki ngā pakanga i Mons,
Ko Le Cateau me te hokinga mai o muri me te anga whakamua ki Aisne. I te tau 1916, i a ia e whakahau ana i te 10th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, i whakawhiwhia ia ki te Tohu Ratonga Tohu (DSO) mo ana mahi i te Pakanga o te Somme. I te tau i muri mai i te tau 1917, ka whakawhiwhia ia ki tana DSO mo ana mahi i Ypres. I te wa o te pakanga i whakahuatia ia i roto i nga Despatches e kore e iti iho i te rima nga wa, a i te tau 1916 i whakawhiwhia ki te French Croix de guerre. I tuhia e Johnston he pukapuka i roto i ana mahi i te pakanga.