Wilkinson, William Alexander Camac

Date of birth:: December 8th, 1892 (Sydney, Australia)
Date of death:: December 19th, 1983 (Sussex, Great Britain)
Service number:: 8856
Nationality:: Australian

Biography

William Wilkinson was educated at Eton College in England, SCEGS in Sydney, Australia and then he attended Oxford University from 1910-1914. He was outstanding at school and university sporting competitions, especially in cricket and golf. He was commissioned in the British Army. He was recalled for WWII and was awarded a DSO for the Battle of Monte Cassino and also a George Medal after several of his men had been killed or wounded after straying into a minefield and he single-handedly retrieved a soldier from deep within the minefield.

From July 1945 he was appointed as Senior Military Government Officer in the occupation forces in the British Zone in Austria, based in Graz, where he was noted for his regular local radio broadcasts in German. Colonel Wilkinson died on 19 September 1983 in Sussex, England.

Bevorderingen:
18 August, 1913: Second Lieutenant Territorial Force
3 November, 1914: Temporary Second Lieutenant
21 October, 1915: Lieutenant
20 July, 1917: acting Captain
1 March, 1931: Major
1 September, 1933: retirement
1 June, 1942: Majoor
? Lieutenant-Colonel (war sub)
5 July, 1947: retirement, ceases tot belong to the reserve of officers, honorary rank of COlonel

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Military Cross (MC)

Period:: First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:: Lieutenant
Unit:: Coldstream Guards
Awarded on:: September 26th, 1917

Citation:
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in commanding his company with the utmost fearlessness and ability after his company commander had become a casualty. Having led them in the attack, he walked up and down during consolidation, regardless of the fact that enemy snipers were firing at very close range, urging his men to greater efforts so that they should get quickly under cover. Later in the evening, he made a personal reconnaissance of a strong point, made his dispositions before dark, and subsequently led his company forward and captured it with the greatest dash and gallantry."

Military Cross (MC)

Period:: First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:: Lieutenant

Bar

George Medal

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Major
Unit:: 14th Battalion Queen's Royal Regiment, 201st Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), Yorkshire County Division, British Army
Awarded on:: July 8th, 1941

Wilkinson was a temporary lieutenant-colonel commanding 14th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) when a number of his men strayed into a minefield. Several were killed, and one injured man could be seen in the middle of the mined area, still moving. Royal Engineers had been sent for to clear the mines, and a doctor who happened to be present gave the opinion that the wounded man was unlikely to survive. Whilst the doctor was talking to the other officer present, Wilkinson entered the minefield, and managed to bring out the wounded man single-handedly.

WO 373/66/1144