Frederick Herbert Willasey Wilsey

Colonel Frederick Herbert Willasey Wilsey MC (25 June 1898–1 January 1971) was a Senior Officer in the 8th Gurkha Rifles, Commandant of the Infantry Training Centre and Senior Liaison Officer to the Afghan delegation during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.[1][2][3][4][5]

Frederick Herbert Willasey Wilsey
Nickname(s)Freddie
Born(1898-06-25)25 June 1898
Simla, India
Died1 January 1971(1971-01-01) (aged 72)
Henley-on-Thames, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
 British India
RankColonel
Commands heldCommandant of the Infantry Training Centre
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsMilitary Cross
RelationsMajor-General Anthony Patrick Willasey Wilsey CB MBE MC (son)

Willasey Wilsey developed a good understanding of Afghanistan politics and Pashtun culture, and was a proficient speaker of Urdu and Hindi with an additional working knowledge of Dari and Pashto.[3] Together with Thomas Coke, 5th Earl of Leicester, Willasey Wilsey accompanied Field Marshall Sardar Shah Wali Khan and Mohammed Daoud Khan, the 5th Prime Minister of Afghanistan, during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.[3]

In 1945 he published a history of the 8th Gurkha Rifles.[6][7]

Life

Frederick Herbert Willasey-Wilsey was born in Simla, India, on 25 June 1898.[8] He was the son of Herbert George Grausmore Willasey Wilsey and Ellen Margaret Willasey Wilsey.[8] He was educated in England at Bedford Modern School and later graduated from Sandhurst.[4]

During World War I, he served in Mesopotamia and Palestine.[3] In 1916 he was on the unattached list to the British Indian Army as a Second Lieutenant.[9][10][11] He was attached to the 9th Gurkha Rifles in 1917.[12] The citation for his award of a Military Cross in 1918 read:[13]

Lt. Frederick Herbert Willasey Wilsey, l/9th (attd. l/8th) Gurkha Rif., I.A. (EGYPT) For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. 'When out on a reconnaissance patrol with eighteen men he came upon an enemy picquet on a knoll about 200 yards from our line. Three of the patrol were bombed, but he charged the post, capturing one man and driving the others away. On withdrawing he found two of his men missing, so he again charged the knoll and recovered them, bringing the whole patrol back intact. He gained valuable information, and showed both courage, and resource.

After World War I he was made Major in 1934,[14] Lieutenant Colonel in 1942,[15] and Colonel in 1947.[16] He was made Commandant of the Infantry Training Centre in 1940.[5]

Willasey Wilsey was Senior Liaison Officer to the Afghan delegation during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.[1][2][3] He had developed a good understanding of Afghanistan politics and Pashtun culture, and was a proficient speaker of Urdu and Hindi with an additional working knowledge of Dari and Pashto.[3] Together with Thomas Coke, 5th Earl of Leicester, Willasey Wilsey accompanied Field Marshall Sardar Shah Wali Khan and Mohammed Daoud Khan, the 5th President of Afghanistan, during the coronation.[3]

Willasey Wilsey married Eleanor Margerison.[17] He died suddenly at his home in Henley-on-Thames on New Year’s Day, 1971, and was survived by his wife and two sons.[18] His son, Major-General Patrick Willasey Wilsey CB MBE MC,[19][20] distinguished himself in the Royal Marines, and Major Michael Willasey Wilsey was in the Coldstream Guards.[21][22] His grandson is Tim Willasey-Wilsey, a Visiting Professor at King’s College, London.[3][22]

Publication

A Brief Outline Of The 8th Gurkha Rifles, by F. H. W. Wilsey. Published by The Civil And Military Gazette, Quetta, 1945[23]

References
  1. "Life story: Frederick Herbert Willasey Wilsey | Lives of the First World War". livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk.
  2. https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1068105/document/5490913.PDF
  3. "Thomas William Edward Coke, 5th Earl of Leicester of Holkham; Sardar Shah Wali Khan; Mohammad Daud Khan; Frederick Herbert Willasey-Wilsey - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk.
  4. The Eagle, The Magazine of Bedford Modern School, Vol. XXVII, No.2, Easter 1949, p.155
  5. Huxford, Harold James (19 July 1952). "History of the 8th Gurkha Rifles, 1824-1949". Gale and Polden – via Google Books.
  6. Gilmore, Scott; Davis, Patrick D. (19 July 1995). A Connecticut Yankee in the 8th Gurkha Rifles: A Burma Memoir. Brassey's. ISBN 9780028811062 – via Google Books.
  7. "A brief outline history of the 8th Gurkha Rifles". Imperial War Museums.
  8. India Baptisms, 1898. Frederick Herbert Willasey Wilsey was baptised on 30 July 1898
  9. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29671/page/7104/data.pdf
  10. Defence, Great Britain Ministry of (19 July 1936). "The Army List". H.M. Stationery Office – via Google Books.
  11. "Page 3511 | Issue 30017, 13 April 1917 | London Gazette | The Gazette".
  12. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30453/page/149/data.pdf
  13. "Page 4443 | Issue 13362, 4 December 1918 | Edinburgh Gazette | The Gazette".
  14. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34081/page/5401/data.pdf
  15. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35785/page/4946/data.pdf
  16. "Page 3109 | Supplement 38008, 4 July 1947 | London Gazette | The Gazette".
  17. "The Tatler". Tatler Publishing Company. 19 July 1919 – via Google Books.
  18. The Times, January 4, 1971, p.22
  19. Who’s Who 1980, Published by A&C Black Limited, 1980 ISBN 0713620307
  20. "Anthony Patrick Willasey-Wilsey (1920-1985) -..." www.findagrave.com.
  21. "The Guards Magazine". guardsmagazine.com.
  22. "Willasey-Wilsey, Timothy Andrew". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U42203.
  23. Willasey-Wilsey, F. H. (19 July 1945). "A Brief Outline History of the 8th Gurkha Rifles". The Civil and Military Gazette – via Google Books.
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