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British Army Officers
1939-1945

 

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Wadsworth, G.M.B.
to
Williams, T.H.

Willis, J.C.T.
to
Wynn, R.

 

J.C.T. Willis  to  R. Wynn
Willis,
John Christopher Temple
J.C.T. Willis
Son of Paymaster Captain G.H.A. Willis and Adela Willis (née Frere).
Married (1927) Ursula Frances Galpin; one son, one daughter.
 14.05.1900
Weymouth district, Dorset
-
12.10.1969
2nd Lt.
 		17.07.1919 [19240]
Lt.
 		17.07.1921
Capt.
 		17.07.1930
Maj.
 		01.08.1938
local Lt.Col.
 		22.08.1939-20.11.1940
A/Lt.Col.
 		21.11.1940-20.02.1941
T/Lt.Col.
 		21.02.1941-26.04.1944
WS/Lt.Col.
 		27.04.1944
Lt.Col.
 		27.06.1945
A/Col.
 		27.10.1943-26.04.1944
T/Col.
 		27.04.1944-31.03.1947
Col.
 		01.04.1947 (supernumerary 01.04.1953)
T/Brig.
 		01.06.1949-04.04.1952
Brig.
 		05.04.1952
T/Maj.Gen.
 		24.07.1953-20.08.1953
Maj.Gen.
 		21.08.1953 (retd 29.06.1957)
Companion of the Order of the Bath CB
 1956
 ?
Companion of the Order of the British Empire CBE
 1953
 ?


Education: Uppingham; Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
17.07.1919

commissioned, Corps of Royal Engineers
1923
 -
 		1926
 		Malayan Survey Section, RE
21.01.1927
 -
 		20.01.1931
 		General Staff Officer, 3rd grade (GSO3), War Office
21.01.1931
 -
 		04.02.1935
 		Ordnance Survey (employed under Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries [Adjutant 06.09.1931])
05.02.1935
 -
 		24.10.1937
 		Assistant Instructor in Survey (Class DD), School of Military Engineering, Chatham
1937
 -
 		1939
 		Jamaican Survey Section, RE
14.02.1939
 -
 		21.08.1939
 		General Staff Officer, 2nd grade (GSO2), ...
22.08.1939
 -
 		20.11.1940
 		specially employed as Assistant Director of Intelligence (Maps), Air Ministry
21.11.1940
 -
 		26.10.1943
 		General Staff Officer 1st grade (GSO1), Directorate of Military Operations and Plans, Department of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, The War Office
27.10.1943
 -
 		14.10.1945
 		Deputy Director of Military Survey, Department of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, The War Office
15.10.1945
 -
 		19.03.1948
 		Director of Survey, South East Asia Command
13.07.1948
 -
 		31.05.1949
 		Deputy Director of Ordnance Survey, War Office
01.06.1949
 -
 		22.05.1953
 		Director of Military Survey, War Office
24.07.1953
 -
 		1957
 		Director-General of Ordnance Survey, War Office
Justice of the Peace (JP), 1957. RI, RSMA.
Willis Fleming,
Richard Hugh
P.W. Jeffries
Son of ... Fleming, and ... Charrington.
Married Sonia (née ...); two step-daughters.
 		20.01.1921
Isle of Wight
-
28.12.2006
[Gillingham, Dorset ?]
Cadet
 		?
2nd Lt.
 		31.12.1939 [112860]
Lt.
 		01.07.1941
A/Capt.
 		12.08.1942-11.11.1942
T/Capt.
 		12.11.1942-(04.1946)
WS/Capt.
 		?
Capt.
 		01.07.1946 (reld 13.05.1948)
A/Maj.
 		23.12.1944-(01.1946)
T/Maj.
 		?
Hon. Maj.
 		?



served in the ranks for 120 days



Officer Cadet Training Unit, Sandhurst
31.12.1939

commissioned, The King's Royal Rifle Corps
Willmott,
Leonard Richard Douglas
"Len"
L.R.D. Willmott L.R.D. Willmott
Son of Arthur, former Sgt.Maj. RASC and Georgette Willmott.
Married (22.04.1944) Connie Crossland.
From Chipping Sodbury, Hertfordshire.

23.06.1921
Battersea, Greater London
-
24.05.1993
Signalman
 		01.07.1936 [2325304]
L/Cpl.
 		?
Sgt.
 		?
2nd Lt.
 		11.08.1944 [328521]
WS/Lt.
1945?
Lt.
 		07.09.1946, seniority 23.12.1943
A/Capt.
 		21.05.1946-20.08.1946
T/Capt.
 		21.08.1946-22.06.1948
Capt.
 		23.06.1948 (retd 16.01.1962)
T/Maj.
 		06.04.1954-22.09.1954,
14.10.1954-(02.1957)
Hon. Maj.
 		16.01.1962
Military Medal MM
 03.02.1944
 Middle East (Special Operations)
British Empire Medal BEM
 14.10.1943
 		Middle East (Special Operations)
Croix de Guerre (with gold star) (France) CdeG
 1945?
 ?
Bronzen Leeuw (Bronze Lion) (The Netherlands) BL
 23.05.1947
05.09.1946
 Arnhem 09.44 [second date of Royal Dutch Decree]
Verzetsherdenkingskruis (Resistance Commemorative Cross) (The Netherlands) VHK
 31.10.1986
 -
01.07.1936

entered the Army as a boy signaller (Royal Corps of Signals) [served in the ranks for 8 years, 41 days]



seconded to Special Operations Executive & Special Air Service Regiment:
1939

served in Poland
1941?

served in Greece
11.08.1944

commissioned, General List [immediate emergency commission to 06.09.1946]
1944

parachuted into Britanny (France) as wireless operator for the French resistance (Croix de Guerre)
17.09.1944

wireless operator on a Jedburgh Team at Hellendoorn, Overijssel, The Netherlands (codename "Edward")
18.12.1945

transferred, Royal Corps of Signals
1945

liberation of Belsen concentration camp



brought refugees out of East Germany
07.09.1946

permanent commission



involved in Greek Civil War
1951

served Malaysia ("Malayan Emergency")
Literature: John Simpson & Mark Adkin, The quiet operator : Special Forces signaller extraordinary : the story of Major L.R.D. Willmott (1993)
Willmott,
Miss Mary
M. Willmott (Photo courtesy of Mr Charles Hawkshaw-Burn)
?
-
2/Sub.
 		12.02.1943 [263920]
WS/Sub.
 		12.08.1943
T/Jun.Comd.
01.05.1945-(04.1946)
Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE
 ?
 ?
12.02.1943

commissioned, Auxiliary Territorial Service 
19.11.1943
 -
 		(04.1946)
 		Assistant to Chief Principal Matron, Directorate of Medical Services, Adjuntant-General's Branch, HQ India
(1947)
  
 		 
 		HQ Southern Command, India
Willson,
Trevor Grover
T.G. Willson, 1946 (Photo courtesy of Mr Guy Willson) T.G. Willson, 2006 (Photo courtesy of Mr Guy Willson)
Married (09.1946) Machteld Heleen Joan Fromberg (a member of the Dutch underground from Arnhem*); three sons.

* She was captured by the Gestapo and sentenced
to death by firing squad at Lunteren (de Wormshof) but was liberated by the advancing Canadians. She was then part of the provisional Dutch governing authority but resigned, for reasons of her own.
 		24.10.1921
Wallington, nr Croydon, Surrey
-
2nd Lt.
 		28.06.1941 [193767]
WS/Lt.
01.10.1942 (reld > 04.1946)
A/Capt.
 		1944
28.06.1941     commissioned, The Border Regiment [emergency commission]
28.06.1941
 -
 		1942
 		9th Battalion The Border Regiment
1942
 -
 		1943?
 		seconded to 7th/11th Sikh Regiment (Razmak, India [NW Frontier, later Quetta])
1943?
 -
 		1945
 		seconded to the Indian Army Ordnance Corps (Cheokka, near Allahabad)
1945
 -
 		1946
 		returned to the UK and posted to a Royal Army Ordnance Corps vehicle unit (Deelen, near Arnhem, The Netherlands)
09.01.1946

transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Took a position in the Guildhall, City of London Corporation and remained there until his retirement as the assistant Town Clerk.
Wilmot,
Reginald Thomas Dorrien
"Tom"
R.T.D. Wilmot
Son of ... Wilmot, Army doctor, and ... Dorrien.
Married; two (?) sons.

11.03.1915
Elham district, Kent
 -
15.02.2007
London
2nd Lt.
 		22.10.1939 [105357]
WS/Lt.
 		22.04.1941
T/Capt.
23.08.1941-(04.1946)
Hon. Capt.
 		?
1939-19145 Star 39|45 St
 -
 -
Africa Star Afr St
 -
 & 8th Army Clasp
Italy Star It St
 -
 -
Defence Medal DefM
 -
 -
British War Medal 1939-1945 BWM 39|45
 -
 -
Education: Tonbridge (1928-1933)
1936

Inns of Court Regiment (3rd Cavalry Officer Cadet Training Wing) [personal number 55284?]
22.10.1939

commissioned, Leicestershire Yeomanry [emergency commission]
15.02.1940

transferred, Royal Regiment of Artillery



spent most of the war in North Africa, including Alamein, the Middle East and Italy; in 1944 he volunteered to act as liaison with the partisans and during street fighting in Florence was wounded when the partisan leader he was assigned to was killed; he ended the war in Germany, back with the Leicester Yeomanry as part of the Guards Armoured Division
Chief executive of the British Insurance Association [later: Association of British Insurers] (from 1946 to 1971) who set up the World Fire Statistics Centre.
Wilson,
 [Sir] Gordon
G. Wilson 		01.02.1887
Edmonton district, Essex / Hertfordshire / Middlesex
-
17.07.1971
London
Lt.
27.01.1911
...
 		...
Col.
 		01.05.1938, seniority 01.07.1936
A/Brig.
 		17.07.1940-16.01.1941
T/Brig.
 		17.01.1941-28.10.1941
A/Maj.Gen.
 		13.10.1941-28.10.1941
Maj.Gen.
 		29.10.1941 (retd 20.06.1946)
local Lt.Gen.
 		01.06.1943-(01.1946)
Hon. Lt.Gen.
 		20.06.1946
Knight Commander of the Star of India KCSI
 13.06.1946
 HM's birthfay 46
Companion of the Order of the Bath CB
 08.06.1944
 HM's birthday 44
Companion of the Order of the British Empire CBE
 11.07.1940
 British Expeditionary Force
Officer of the Order of the British Empire OBE
 04.06.1928
 HM's birthday 28
Military Cross MC
 WW I
 ?
Mention in Despatches MID
 26.07.1940
 ?
Education: MB, ChB, DPH
27.01.1911     commissioned, Royal Army Medical Corps
1939
 -
 		1940
 		Commandant Dieppe Sub-Area (BEF)
17.07.1940
 -
 		22.09.1941
 		Deputy Director of Medical Services, X Corps
1941
 -
 		1943
 		Deputy Director of Medical Services, Southern Army, India
1943
 -
 		1946
 		Director of Medical Services, India
13.10.1941
 -
 		1946
 		also: Honorary Surgeon to the King (KHS)
Wilson,
George
G. Wilson 		17.06.1895
-
...
 		...
Lt.Col.
 		01.09.1939
      commissioned, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Wilson,
George
G. Wilson 		19.03.1894
-
Lt.
01.04.1936
Capt.
 		28.02.1940
T/Maj.
 		01.02.1944-(01.1946)
01.04.1936     commissioned, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Wilson,
Geoffrey
G. Wilson 		?
-
Lt.
 		01.08.1940 [141796]
WS/Capt.
 		01.08.1941 (reld < 04.1946)
Hon. Capt.
 		< 04.1946
01.08.1940     commissioned, The Army Dental Corps [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
Lt.
 		10.10.1940
WS/Capt.
 		10.10.1941
10.10.1940     commissioned, The Army Dental Corps [emergency commission]
Wilson,
Gordon
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		21.12.1940 [162481]
WS/Lt.
 		21.06.1942
T/Capt.
 		31.03.1942-(04.1944)
WS/Capt.
 		02.12.1944
A/Maj.
 		(09.1944)
21.12.1940     commissioned, The East Lancashire Regiment [emergency commission]
15.07.1944
 -
 		25.09.1944
 		Second-in-Command, British Liaison Group to 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade (Arnhem)
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		31.05.1941
WS/Lt.
 		01.10.1942
Military Cross MC
 ?
 ?
31.05.1941     commissioned, Corps of Royal Engineers [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		24.06.1940
WS/Lt.
 		24.12.1941 (reld < 04.1946)
Hon. Lt.
 		< 04.1946
24.06.1940     commissioned, Corps of Royal Engineers [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		08.07.1939
WS/Capt.
 		14.12.1942 (reld < 04.1946)
T/Maj.
 		?
Hon. Maj.
 		< 04.1946
08.07.1939     commissioned, Royal Regiment of Artillery - Territorial Army
24.08.1939

mobilized TA
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		25.03.1944
WS/Lt.
 		25.09.1944
25.03.1944     commissioned, The King's Own Scottish Borderers [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		17.06.1943
WS/Lt.
 		17.02.1944
T/Capt.
 		24.07.1944-(04.1946)
17.06.1943     commissioned, The South Lancashire Regiment [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
Lt. QM
17.11.1945
17.06.1943     commissioned, The South Lancashire Regiment [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		15.07.1939
WS/Capt.
 		15.02.1944 (reld < 04.1946)
T/Maj.
 		?
Hon. Maj.
 		< 04.1946
15.07.1939     commissioned, Royal Corps of Signals - Supplementary Reserve (Category B)
24.08.1939

mobilized
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		25.09.1926
25.09.1926     commissioned, General List - Territorial Army Reserve of Officers
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		02.03.1940
WS/Lt.
 		02.09.1941
T/Capt.
 		15.12.1943-(04.1946)
02.03.1940     commissioned, Royal Army Ordnance Corps - Administrative Branch [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
Lt.
 		22.01.1940
WS/Capt.
 		21.12.1942
T/Maj.
 		21.12.1942-(04.1946)
22.01.1940     commissioned, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		26.04.1941
WS/Capt.
 		28.03.1943
T/Maj.
 		17.11.1945-(04.1946)
26.04.1941     commissioned, Royal Corps of Signals [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
Lt.
 		14.11.1939
WS/Capt.
 		14.11.1940 (reld < 04.1946)
Hon. Capt.
 		< 04.1946
14.11.1939     commissioned, Royal Army Medical Corps [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		01.08.1942
WS/Lt.
 		01.02.1943 (reld < 04.1946)
01.08.1942     commissioned, Intelligence Corps [emergency commission]
Wilson,
G
G. Wilson 		?
-
2nd Lt.
 		17.06.1944
WS/ Lt.
 		17.12.1944
17.06.1944     commissioned, The Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps [emergency commission]
Wilson,
 Sir Henry Maitland
"Jumbo";
1st Baron (cr. 1946) of Libya and Stowlangtoft
H.M. Wilson H.M. Wilson
H.M. Wilson H.M. Wilson
H.M. Wilson H.M. Wilson
H.M. Wilson H.M. Wilson
H.M. Wilson
Son of late Arthur Maitland Wilson, OBE, Stowlangtoft Hall, Suffolk.
Married (1914) Hester Mary,
daughter of Philip James Digby Wykeham, Tythrop House, Oxon; one son, one daughter.

art
05.09.1881
London
-
31.12.1964
Chilton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
2nd Lt.
 		10.03.1900
...
 		...
Lt.Gen.
 		15.06.1939, seniority 26.06.1938
Gen.
 		31.05.1941, seniority 06.05.1941 (supernumerary 05.09.1941)
Field Marshal
 		29.12.1944
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath GCB
 1944
 ?
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) GBE
 04.03.1941
 ?
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath KCB
 1940
 ?
Companion of the Order of the Bath CB
 1937
 ?
Distinguished Service Order DSO
 1917
 ?
Mention in Despatches MID
 01.04.1941
 ?
Mention in Despatches MID
 24.06.1943
 ?
Commander, Legion of Merit (US) LM
 04.04.1946
 ?

Greek Military Cross 1st class 10.04.1942
Polish Order of Vituti Militari V Class 07.12.1944
WWI medals

10.03.1900     commissioned, The Rifle Brigade
...
 -
 		...
 		....
15.06.1939
 -
 		04.02.1941
 		General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, British Troops in Egypt
05.02.1941
 -
 		27.02.1941
 		Military Governor and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Cyrenaica
28.02.1941
 -
 		05.05.1941
 		General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, British Forces in Greece
06.05.1941
 -
 		19.10.1941
 		General Officer Commanding, Palestine and Trans-Jordan
20.10.1941
 -
 		14.09.1942
 		Commander, 9th Army
24.11.1941

also: ADC General to the King
15.09.1942
 -
 		18.02.1943
 		Commander-in-Chief, Persia-Iraq Command
19.02.1943
 -
 		07.01.1944
 		Commander-in-Chief, Middle East
08.01.1944
 -
 		11.12.1944
 		Supreme Allied commander, Mediterranean Theatre
13.01.1945
 -
 		1947
 		Head of British Delegation Joint Staff Mission, Washington
 
Wilson,
 [Sir] Thomas Douglas;
 4th Baronet (cr. 1906)
T.D. Wilson
 Son of Thomas Douglas Wilson (son of 1st Bt), 2nd Lt. 7th Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (born 1890, killed in action, 1917), and Kathleen Elise, daughter of Henry Edward Gray.
Succeeded uncle, 22.10.1968.
Married (1947) Pamela Aileen, 2nd daughter of Sir Edward Hanmer, 7th Bt, and late Aileen Mary, elder daughter of Captain J.E.
Rogerson; one son, three daughters.
 		10.06.1917
-
12.11.1984
North Buckinghamshire
2nd Lt.
 		28.01.1937 [71087]
Lt.
 		28.01.1940
A/Capt.
 		01.12.1940-28.02.1941
T/Capt.
 		01.03.1941-03.02.1942,
15.05.1942-21.08.1942,
28.12.1942-06.09.1944
WS/Capt.
 		07.09.1944
Capt.
 		28.01.1945 (half-pay list 11.09.1947; disability) (retd 01.04.1948; disability)
A/Maj.
 		07.06.1944-06.09.1944
T/Maj.
 		07.09.1944-(04.1946)
Hon. Maj.
 		01.04.1948
Military Cross MC
 18.10.1940
 for gallant and distinguished services in the field (France) *
1939-19145 Star 39|45 St
 -
 -
France & Germany Star Fr&G St
 -
 -
Defence Medal Def M
 -
 -
Education: Marlborough; Royal Military College, Sandhurst
28.01.1937     commissioned, Royal Armoured Corps
28.01.1937
 -
 		1948?
 		15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
1939
 -
 		1945
 		served UK, France 1939/40, Western Desert 1942/43:
(1939?)
 -
 		(1940)
 		seconded as Signal Officer, HQ 2nd Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade, as part of Adamforce (France)
12.1940
 -
 		12.1940
 		seconded as Signal Officer, 23rd Hussars (for two weeks)
12.1940
 -
 		?
 		seconded as Second-in-Command, C Squadron, 23rd Hussars