Eric Charles Twelves Wilson

Infobox Military Person
name = Eric Charles Twelves Wilson
lived = born 2 October 1912


caption = Victoria Cross
nickname =
placeofbirth =
placeofdeath =
allegiance = United Kingdom
branch = British Army
serviceyears =
rank = Lieutenant-Colonel
unit = The East Surrey Regiment, Long Range Desert Group
commands =
battles =
awards = Victoria Cross
relations =
laterwork =

Eric Charles Twelves Wilson, VC (born 2 October 1912) is an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. At the time of the award he was an acting Captain. He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Wilson was born at Sandown, Isle of Wight, and was educated at Marlborough and Sandhurst. He was commissioned into The East Surrey Regiment on 2nd February 1933, seconded to The King's African Rifles in 1937 and The Somaliland Camel Corps in 1939.

He served in the Western Desert with the Long Range Desert Group and in Burma, between 1941 and 1944 with 11th (Kenya) Bn The Kings African Rifles. He was seconded to The Northern Rhodesian Regiment in 1946. He retired from the Army in 1949.

Victoria Cross details

Eric Wilson was 27 years old, and an Acting Captain in the The East Surrey Regiment, British Army, attached to Somaliland Camel Corps during the Second World War when the following action took place for which he was awarded the VC.

From 11 August 1940 to 15 August 1940 at Observation Hill in British Somaliland (now Somalia), Captain Wilson kept a machine-gun post in action in spite of being wounded and suffering from malaria. Some of his guns were blown to pieces by the enemy's field artillery fire, and he himself was taken prisoner, but was freed later when Eritrea was conquered.

He has the rare distinction of being personally awarded with his "posthumous" VC. At the time the award was made he was thought to be dead, but was in fact a POW in Ethiopia. After his return he went on to serve with the Long Range Desert Group.

From 1962 to 1977 he served as Warden of London House, a residence at Goodenough Square in the Bloomsbury district of London. This residence is for Commonwealth university graduates pursuing graduate studies in the United Kingdom. During his tenure the patron of the residence was HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Retirement

As of 2 September 2008, he is one of only ten Victoria Cross recipients alive today. Of these, he is the earliest, and oldest, recipient. He is currently living in Meanwood, Leeds, where he still has possession of the medal.

References

*British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997)
*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

ee also

* East African Campaign (World War II)

External links

* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/valgal/valour/INF3_0415.htm Captain E.C. Wilson] in "The Art of War" exhibition at the UK National Archives