James Wilson (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir (Alexander) James Wilson KBE
MC
(13 April 1921 - 17 December 2004) was a British Army
officer who commanded South East District
.
and New College, Oxford
, Wilson originally enlisted with the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and was then commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1941. He served in World War II
in North Africa
and in Italy
earning the MC
for taking the village of Lusia
. After the War he served as private secretary to the Commander-in-Chief of the newly independent Pakistan Army
. He served in Kenya
during the Mau Mau Uprising
in 1954 and became Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers
in 1962. He was appointed Chief of Staff for the United Nations
force in Cyprus
in 1964, Commander of 147th Infantry Brigade
in 1966 and Director of Army Recruiting at the Ministry of Defence
in 1967. He went on to be General Officer Commanding
North West District in 1970, Vice Adjutant-General in 1972 and General Officer Commanding South East District
in 1974 before retiring in 1977.
In retirement he was Chairman and then Chief Executive of the Tobacco Advisory Council. He was also a Football Correspondent for The Sunday Times
.
; they had two sons, one step-son and two step-daughters.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(13 April 1921 - 17 December 2004) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who commanded South East District
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
.
Military career
Educated at Winchester CollegeWinchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Wilson originally enlisted with the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and was then commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1941. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
earning the MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for taking the village of Lusia
Lusia
Lusia is a comune in the Province of Rovigo in the Italian region Veneto, located about 60 km southwest of Venice and about 10 km northwest of Rovigo...
. After the War he served as private secretary to the Commander-in-Chief of the newly independent Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
. He served in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
during the Mau Mau Uprising
Mau Mau Uprising
The Mau Mau Uprising was a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960...
in 1954 and became Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
in 1962. He was appointed Chief of Staff for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
force in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in 1964, Commander of 147th Infantry Brigade
147th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
- History Second World War :During the Second World War, the Brigade part of the 49th Infantry Division, was stationed in Iceland, and adopted as its insignia the polar bear on an ice floe. In 1942 it was transferred back to the United Kingdom until June 1944, when it moved to Normandy...
in 1966 and Director of Army Recruiting at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1967. He went on to be General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
North West District in 1970, Vice Adjutant-General in 1972 and General Officer Commanding South East District
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
in 1974 before retiring in 1977.
In retirement he was Chairman and then Chief Executive of the Tobacco Advisory Council. He was also a Football Correspondent for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
.
Family
In 1958 he married the Hon. Jean Margaret Rankeillour, daughter of Arthur Hope, 2nd Baron RankeillourArthur Hope, 2nd Baron Rankeillour
Arthur Oswald James Hope, 2nd Baron Rankeillour GCIE MC was a British politician, soldier and administrator. He was a Conservative and served as Member of Parliament for Nuneaton from 1924 to 1929 and for Birmingham Aston from 1931 to 1939, after which he was Governor of the Madras Presidency of...
; they had two sons, one step-son and two step-daughters.