William Johnson studied at St Bartholomew's Hospital and graduated MB BS in 1949. After qualification he was for a time registrar in thoracic surgery and general and urological surgery at Bradford Royal Infirmary. He subsequently moved to the United States and held posts at the Doctor's Hospital, New York. Returning to Britain, he obtained his Fellowship in 1963 and moved to Ghana as a surgical specialist with the Government of Ghana. On returning to Britain, he went into general practice in Devon, first at Exeter and afterwards at Crediton. He was also medical officer to Exeter University from 1975 to 1990. He published papers on myxoma of the atrium with peripheral arterial emboli, and on the anatomical and technical considerations of the employment of the ileum in urology and the surgical aspects thereof. He died in 1991.