Private Alexander O Wilson

Alexander Outridge Wilson, son of Mrs M Wilson of Exmouth, in Devon, worked as an Insurance Clerk before he joined the Army. He married Agnes MacInerney in Devon on 12 January 1941, but was widowed during the war when she died in early 1942.

He joined the Wiltshire Regiment following his enlistment on 18 April 1940. Shortly after the evacuation from Dunkirk in June 1940, Pte Wilson had been posted to the Royal Sussex Regiment and began several years service with the 2nd Battalion, with whom he served as a clerk. He was still serving in this capacity when the 2nd Battalion deployment to the Middle East in late-May 1942, and he was awarded the Africa Star.

Alexander Wilson began his Airborne career in 1943. 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment had been renumbered as the new 10th Parachute Battalion in early 1943. Pte Wilson was posted to the new Battalion in May 1943, serving in Italy in September 1943, and formally transferred to the Army Air Corps at the beginning of October 1943.

Following the return of 1st Airborne Division to the UK, he took part in various training exercises and finally passed his parachute training on Parachute Course 119 in mid-June 1944. The course instructors notes record that Pte Wilson was "average, quiet, keen. Abnormally nervous but will improve."

Pte Wilson jumped into action as part of the Second Lift to Arnhem, on 18 September 1944. During the ensuing battle, as the 10th Battalion played their part in the 1st Airborne actions in Oosterbeek, he was taken prisoner and reported missing on 25 September.

He was confirmed as a Prisoner of War at Stalag 12A, at Limburg in Germany on 27 September 1944. On 25 October 1944 he was transferred to Stalag 4B, in the Mulhberg area of Germany, a huge camp of some 16,000 men, where he would remain for the rest of the war. After many months, he was finally released and repatriated in late-May 1945.

On his return, he remained in the Army, but was unable to return to 10th Parachute Battalion. In common with many other servicemen, following his time as a POW, it was deemed necessary to withold him from further deployments in the short term.

As a result, he was transferred in several short postings to various Depots and Holding Battalions in the UK, finishing up with 2nd (Independent) Parachute Brigade Group Depot at Newbury, in Berkshire. He was formally released to the Territorial reserve in early April 1946.

Record under construction