18th June 1915

[michaeldr]

“The enemy had celebrated the centenary of the Battle of Waterloo by driving the Hundred and Twenty-fifth Brigade out of the salient they had captured on the Fourth of June. The brigade was unable to recover it; but the Fifth Royal Scots with one company of the Fourth Worcesters had come to its help led by Lt.-Colonel J. T. R. Wilson, who was reputed to be in real life a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh. The battalion of Edinburgh territorials he commanded had been brigaded with the Fourth Worcesters, the Second Hampshires, and the First Essex to take the place of a missing battalion and complete the Eighty-eighth Brigade of the immortal Twenty-ninth Division. The Royal Scots had already proved their metal on several occasions, and now General Hunter-Weston was bubbling over to get back to Helles and find out the details of this latest gallant action of theirs, which had happened while he was celebrating the centenary of Waterloo with Sir Ian Hamilton over a dish of crayfish. He was bubbling with so much energy and enthusiasm that I expected him every minute to bubble right overboard from the destroyer and aerate the whole Aegean.”

Chapter X, ‘Army Corps Headquarters,’ page 149 of ‘Gallipoli Memories’ by Compton Mackenzie

[Guest]

Interesting read.  Lt. Col Wilson was my great grandfather.

[michaeldr]

Good to hear from you Bowmaj.

 

Wilson had quite a time at Gallipoli: his first few days after landing are covered on this page from Westlake's 'British Regiments at Gallipoli.'

 

 

Westlake goes on to mention the June attack covered in the first post above, and says that Wilson got the DSO for this action.

He is further mentioned in the first week of July – 'None of the original officers except Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson remained'

And again on 12^th August when Wilson left the 1/5^th Battalion, The Royal Scots (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) to command 32^nd Brigade (11^th Division).

He arrived at his new command on the morning of 14^th August when he took over from Col J O'B Minogue.

The War Diary of the 32^nd Brigade informs that he was in command until 23^rd September when Brig-Gen A G Dallas CB took over.

[Guest]

Hi Michaeldr

 

Yes he certainly did and indeed he was awarded the DSO, very proud of him.