Arnold Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arnold Wilson
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Sir Arnold Wilson
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| Born | 18 July 1884 |
| Died | 31 May 1940 (aged 55) Near Eringhem, France |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army British Indian Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1903–1921 (Army) 1939–1940 (Air Force) |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel (Army) Pilot officer (Air Force) |
| Unit | 32nd Sikh Pioneers No. 37 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | First World War
Iraqi revolt of 1920
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| Awards | DSO |
Sir Arnold Talbot Wilson (1884–1940) was a British soldier, government official, and politician. He worked in Mesopotamia (which is now Iraq) during and after the First World War. He also helped deal with an uprising in 1920. Sir Arnold Wilson was the first Member of Parliament to die in action during the Second World War. He was 55 years old when he was killed while serving in the air force.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Sir Arnold Wilson was born in 1884. He went to Clifton College in England, where his father was a headmaster. His older half-sister, Mona Wilson, became a leading civil servant. His younger brother was the famous singer, Sir Steuart Wilson.
Arnold Wilson was a tall and strong person. He started his military career in the army on August 19, 1903. He had won the King's Medal and a sword of honour at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He then joined the British Indian Army. After a year in India, he was assigned to the Bengal Lancers and later to the 32nd Sikh Pioneers in December 1904.
A famous story about Wilson is how he saved money on leave. He worked as a stoker on a ship to Marseilles and then cycled the rest of the way to Britain.
In 1904, he went to Iran as a lieutenant. His job was to protect the British consulate in Ahvaz. He also guarded the D'Arcy Oil Company, which was looking for oil in Iran.
In 1907, Wilson moved to the Indian Political Department. He was sent to the Persian Gulf as a political officer. In 1908, he oversaw the discovery of the first oil site in the Middle East, called Masjid-i-Suleiman. He was a senior administrator and consul-general in Muhammarah from 1909 to 1911. During this time, he led the Turko-Persian Frontier Commission. People described him as a very hard worker, always busy with paperwork.
Role in the First World War
In January 1915, British troops from India moved into Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). Wilson became an assistant to Sir Percy Cox, the British political officer for the region. He later became the acting civil commissioner for Mesopotamia, based in Baghdad.
During his time in Mesopotamia, Wilson worked to improve the country's government. He wanted to make it more efficient and fair for all people. This included different groups like Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen. He also wanted fair treatment for people of different religions, such as Shiite and Sunni Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Because of his strong leadership, some nicknamed him "The Despot of Mess-Pot."
After the First World War, Wilson disagreed with other British officials. They believed that Arab countries should become independent, but still be guided by Britain. Some British leaders, like T. E. Lawrence, supported Arab national ideas. They wanted the Hashemite family to lead these new countries. Wilson, however, thought that Britain should rule directly. He believed this was better for British interests. In the end, the British government decided to support Arab nationalism. This meant Wilson's ideas were not followed.
After World War One
In 1918, Wilson became the acting civil commissioner for the area that would become Iraq. In 1919, at the Paris Peace Conference, he suggested using the Arabic name Iraq for the new country. This name had been used for over 1400 years by people in the Muslim and Arab world. He preferred it over the Greek name Mesopotamia, which was mostly used by Westerners. This new country would include the oil-rich Mosul region in northern Iraq, along with the areas of Baghdad and Basra.
In April 1920, the League of Nations agreed that Britain would govern Iraq. This was called the British mandate over Iraq. In the spring and summer of 1920, an uprising against British rule broke out. Wilson, as part of the British administration, helped put down this revolt.
He left the Indian Army in August 1921, having reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
In 1920, Wilson suggested a compromise. He proposed that Feisal, who had been king of Syria, should be offered the throne of Iraq. This idea aimed to get support from both Iraqis and British officials. The British government eventually accepted this plan. However, Wilson was removed from his position in Iraq and given a knighthood. He was very disappointed by this decision. He then left public service and joined the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. He worked there as a manager for their Middle Eastern operations until 1932.
Between the World Wars
During the 1930s, Sir Arnold Wilson was involved in many activities. He was chairman of the Parliamentary Scientific Committee. He also played an active role in the British Science Guild and the British Eugenics Society.
In 1931, Wilson was in charge of a large exhibition of Persian art. It was held at Burlington House in London.
Wilson wrote several books about his travels and political ideas. These included Thoughts and Talks and Walks and Talks Abroad. He also worked as an editor for a magazine called The Nineteenth Century and After from 1934 to 1938.
Political Career
In 1933, Wilson was elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Hitchin. He described himself as a "left-wing radical Tory".
Like his half-sister Mona Wilson, he wrote a lot about social issues. These included topics like payments for injured workers, funeral costs, and old age pensions. His research may have influenced later government policies.
Before the Second World War, his strong opinions on foreign policy caused some disagreement. In 1938, Wilson supported the Spanish Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. He said he hoped their leader, Franco, would win. After the war began, he suggested that Britain should try to negotiate a peace deal with Nazi Germany. Some people, like writer George Orwell, disagreed with his views, though they also respected his bravery.
Second World War and Death
In October 1939, after the war started, Sir Arnold Wilson joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He served as an air gunner in 37 Squadron of RAF Bomber Command. He held the rank of Pilot Officer. He explained his decision by saying, "I have no desire to shelter myself and live in safety behind the ramparts of the bodies of millions of our young men."
He was still an MP when he was killed in northern France on May 31, 1940. His bomber, a Wellington L7791, crashed near Eringhem, close to Dunkirk. He died instantly. The pilot, William Gray, was also fatally wounded. Sir Arnold Wilson is buried in the Eringhem churchyard.
Legacy
Sir Arnold Wilson was remembered in the 1942 movie One of Our Aircraft is Missing. In the film, a character named Sir George Corbett was based on him.
His book The Persian Gulf was published in 1928. Another book, S.W. Persia: Letters and Diary of a Young Political Officer 1907–1914, was published after his death in 1941.
Two types of reptiles are named after Arnold Wilson: Panaspis wilsoni and Xerotyphlops wilsoni.
Sir Arnold's personal papers are kept at the London Library in London, UK.
See also
