James Wilson (British Army officer)

Sir James Wilson
Born	(1921-04-13)13 April 1921
Died	17 December 2004(2004-12-17) (aged 83)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1941–1977
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Service number	180730
Commands held	1st Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers 147th Infantry Brigade North West District South East District
Battles/wars	World War II Mau Mau Uprising
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross

Lieutenant-General Sir Alexander James Wilson KBE MC (13 April 1921 – 17 December 2004) was a British Army officer who commanded South East District.

Military career

Born the son of Major-General Bevil Wilson and educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, Wilson originally enlisted with the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and was then commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in December 1940.^[1][2] He served in World War II in North Africa and in Italy earning the MC for taking the village of Lusia.^[2][3]

After the war he served as private secretary to the Commander-in-Chief of the newly independent Pakistan Army.^[2] He served in Kenya during the Mau Mau Uprising in 1954 and became Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1962.^[4] 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.^[4] 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.^[4]

In retirement he was given the colonelcy of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers from 1977 to 1982. He was also chairman and then chief executive of the Tobacco Advisory Council^[2] and a Football Correspondent for The Sunday Times.^[2]

Family

In 1958 he married the Hon. Jean Margaret Rankeillour, daughter of Arthur Hope, 2nd Baron Rankeillour; they had two sons, one step-son and two step-daughters.^[4]

Works

• 'Unusual Undertakings: A Military Memoir' by James Wilson

References

1. "No. 35052". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 January 1941. p. 470.
2. "Lt-Gen Sir James Wilson". The Daily Telegraph. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
3. "No. 37235". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 August 1945. p. 4268.
4. Debrett's People of Today, 1994

Military offices
Preceded by Charles Dunbar	GOC North West District 1970−1972	Succeeded by Corran Purdon
Preceded by Sir Terence McMeekin	GOC South East District 1974–1977	Succeeded by Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley
Honorary titles
Preceded by George Harris Lea	Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 1977–1982	Succeeded by David Milner Woodford