▁With ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁not ▁field ing ▁a ▁candidate , ▁the ▁Liberal ▁camp ▁felt ▁optim istic . ▁Johnson ▁was ▁be aten ▁by ▁ 6 , 5 4 3 ▁votes , ▁in ▁a ▁constitu ency ▁in ▁which ▁Bald win ▁had ▁been ▁uno pp osed ▁at ▁the ▁two ▁previous ▁elections . ▁ ▁W art ime ▁activities ▁Johnson ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁part - time ▁Dem on str ator ▁of ▁An atom y ▁at ▁Oxford ▁University ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁As ▁war ▁threatened ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁he ▁en list ed ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Army ▁Medical ▁Corps ▁( TA ), ▁being ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁Captain ▁and ▁serving ▁in ▁Br istol . ▁During ▁the ▁Bl itz ▁on ▁London , ▁Johnson ' s ▁Belg ian ▁first ▁wife ▁Christian e ▁C ous sa ert ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁married ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁was ▁killed ▁by ▁German ▁bomb s . ▁ ▁Johnson ▁himself ▁moved ▁to ▁Wood stock , ▁Oxford shire ▁where ▁he ▁bought ▁the ▁Mar l borough ▁Ar ms ▁Hotel . ▁He ▁remained ▁interested ▁in ▁politics ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Assembly ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁he ▁protest ed ▁against ▁the ▁" gener ally ▁st agn ant ▁state " ▁of ▁the ▁party , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁tr uce . ▁This ▁position ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁other ▁Liber als ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁speech ▁Johnson ▁found ▁himself ▁made ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Action ▁Group ▁( l ater ▁known ▁as ▁" Rad ical ▁Action ") ▁which