WILSON Walter Gordon T/Major

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Surname: WILSON;

Forename(s): Walter Gordon;

Initials: WG;

Rank: T/Major;

Resided in: Winchester;

MGC Branch: Heavy Branch (Tanks);

MGC Unit: Unknown;

Awarded: CMG, MID;

Other Data: Who's Who 1943: CMG 1918, BA, M Inst CE, Hon M Inst AE, Hon MJ Inst E; Major, late Tank Corps; late Chief of Design Mechanical Warfare Dept; b.21/4/1874 son of George Orr Wilson, Dunardagh, Blackrock, Dublin. m. Ethel Crommelin d. of S O Gray, Swaines, Rudgwick, Sussex. 3 sons, Educ: HMS Britannia, Kings, Cambr. Address: Lower Chilland House, Martyr Worthy, Winchester, Hants.
Died 30/6/1957.
Order StM & St G + BWM (Maj WG Wilson), with copy of "The Tank in action (DG Browne) offered for auction at Lawrence's, Crewkerne, May '21:
TWO MEDALS PROBABLY THE HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT MEDALS OF WALTER WILSON INVENTOR, ENGINEER AND CO-CREATOR OF THE BATTLE TANK. Comprising British War Medal (1914-20) named to Major W.G. Wilson and Companion of the Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) neck badge on ribbon. With an annotated copy of D.G. Browne 'The Tank in Action' 1920. Records suggest six Major W.G.Wilsons, the accompanying volume and the associated history suggest the probable attribution here. Walter Gordon Wilson (1874-1957) needs little introduction as, with William Tritton, he is generally accepted as being the inventor of the tank. He was also a pioneer of modern motoring and but for a gliding accident he might well have beaten the Wright brothers to the invention of powered flight. Born in County Dublin in 1874 he studied at the Britannia Naval college from 1887 to 1892, which was followed by a first class degree from King's College Cambridge in mechanical sciences. His prewar career saw the establishment of the Wilson Pilcher company in 1899, Wilson had designed an innovative flat six engine to fit his friend Percy Pilcher's aircraft design. Tragically Pilcher died in a gliding accident in 1899 which put an end to their dream of powered flight. Wilson was so upset by the death of his friend that he turned away from flight and towards motorcars. His endeavours resulted in 25 Patents and his innovative flair saw the creation of the Wilson Pilcher car a genuinely important step along the path to the modern motorcar. Lack of the necessary capital saw that the business was sold to Armstrong-Siddeley in 1903. The last remaining Wilson Pilcher car was sold by auction in London in 2012 for over £200,000. A spell working with Hall Commercial Vehicles in Kent designing the Hallford Lorry followed and after the outbreak of the war he rejoined the Royal Navy. He joined up on the 21st of December 1914 as a temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve working with the ministry of Munitions. His expertise soon saw him working with the Armoured Car Division. His Naval Commission was terminated at the beginning of March 1916 at the request of the War Office when he was drafted into the Army to join the Motor Machine Gun section. The invention and development of the military tank has a fascinating history with many false starts from H.G.Wells onwards through 'Big Wheels', Tricycles, Pedrails, modified tractors and other more or less unlikely attempts to bring motorised artillery to the front line of the battlefields. The history of the Landship Committee established by Winston Churchill whilst First Lord at the Admiralty in 1915 has been covered by many historians and the part played by Major Wilson in this process in developing the Mark1 tank is beyond doubt. From the development of the No.1 Lincoln Machine by Tritton and Wilson using unsuitable imported American tracks in September 1915 Wilson developed his 'big idea' of running the tracks around the body of the tank. With Tritton's design for more suitable tracks being finalised by the 22nd of September and proved on 'Little Willie', Wilson had a track that could make his design work successfully. 'Big Willie' or 'Mother' as this vehicle was known despite its official name of 'His Majesty's Landship Centipede' was the prototype demonstrated in December 1915 which began official trials in 1916 and became the basis for the Mark 1 Tank. Field Marshall Kitchener might have been unimpressed describing it as 'a pretty mechanical toy' but 'Mother' had demonstrated an ability to crush barbed wire, cross uneven ground and trenches. The army placed and order for 100 tanks. The Mark I first saw action at the Somme in 1916 taking part in the battle of Flers-Courcelette, 32 of the intended 49 tanks played their part in this conflict which took place between the 15th and 22nd of September, part of the Allied Offensive which had begun so famously on the 1st of July. This short action has been described as only a 'limited success', however the tank had played an important part and Sir Douglas Haig, the British Commander in Chief in France was sufficiently impressed to order 1000 more tanks. The rest, as they say, is history. Wilson was awarded his C.M.G. in His Majesty's Birthday Honours in 1917 for services in connection with the War, Gazette Supplement 4th June 1917 p5460. In 1919 the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors which had been established to consider inventions used during the Great War awarded Tritton and Wilson £15,000 for their work on the tank. This Commission was established to protect the Government from claims from others who felt they had created inventions for which they were due some reward. Whilst recognising the driving force of Winston Churchill behind the development of the project and the enthusiasm, support and ideas of Colonel Swinton. It was to Tritton and Wilson that the award was made, one of the largest the Commission made and an award which confirms Tritton and Wilson as inventors of the military tank. Following the war Wilson established Improved Gears Ltd, later Self-Chaning Gears Ltd to develop and market what many consider his finest engineering achievement the pre-selector epicyclic self-changing gearbox, a gearbox that could be found in all top-end motorcars by manufacturers such as AC, Alvis, Lagonda, Talbot and many others for years to come. The volume that accompanies these medals is 'The Tank in Action' by D.G. Browne published in 1920 which is annotated "G" Battalion to the title page. As a winner of the MC with the 7th Bn Tank Co Browne was well placed to provide a fascinating first hand account of Tanks during the Great War. Believed to have belonged to Wilson this volume is annotated in pencil throughout. Given that we know Wilson visited France whilst working on the development of tanks it is highly unusual to have the award of a War Medal without Victory Medal. This can be explained by the fact that Wilson was not on the established strength of a unit in France and therefore not entitled to the Victory Medal. That he was entitled to this unusual combination of medals is confirmed by his Medal Index Card, a copy of which is included.;

Other Notes: Order of St Michael & St George (3rd Class): LG 4/6/1917 For valuable services in connection with the war.
MID LG: 25/1/1917;

END OF RECORD.

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