General News
18 June, 2023
Hector Allan Wilson
Hector Allan Wilson was born at Noradjuha on August 14 1889. He enlisted on March 31 1916 in North Fitzroy, with the number 995. Hector’s next of kin was John Wilson of Coburg. He was in 71 Squadron Australian Flying Squadron and joined 4 Squadron...
Hector Allan Wilson was born at Noradjuha on August 14 1889.
He enlisted on March 31 1916 in North Fitzroy, with the number 995.
Hector’s next of kin was John Wilson of Coburg.
He was in 71 Squadron Australian Flying Squadron and joined 4 Squadron Australian Flying Corps (AFC) on November 22 1916 as a sergeant mechanic.
As part of the Armoured Defence Department, he departed Australia on November 28.
On March 27 1917, as a temporary corporal, Hector was marched in to Perham Downs in the United Kingdom.
On 8 April he was transferred from depot AFC London to 74 Squadron AFC, Castle Bromwick, Birmingham.
On March 2 Hector was admitted to hospital.
On April 14, from the 71 Squadron AFC Castle Bromwick, he was on command at auxiliary school.
He then served at Aerial Gunnery, Turnberry, again as a temporary corporal.
On July 1 Hector was promoted from temporary corporal to corporal.
On August 18 Hector was on command at AFC School of Armament, having been posted from 71 Squadron AFC at Perivale.
Hector proceeded overseas from the 71 Squadron Castle Bromwick on December 15 and disembarked in France the following day.
His rank at this point was sergeant.
Hector was designated 4th Squadron AFC.
On May 17 1918 Commanding Officer Sergeant Hector Wilson was remustered to 4 Squadron as a sergeant mechanic under AFC orders.
On December 1 he was instructed to prepare to be posted to the UK.
Hector took leave from December 1 to 15 in Calford, Aldenshire, Scotland.
He rejoined his unit in France on December 22.
His next disembarkment was at Southhampton on March 12 1919.
Hector was transferred to hospital on March 16 and admitted with appendicitis.
On April 24 he was marched in to No 4 Squadron AFC Group, Hurcott, from hospital.
Hector sailed from England for Australia aboard RMS Kaiser-i-Hind on 6 May.
He disembarked on June 16 at 3 Military District and was discharged on July 2.
Hector received the 1914–1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
4 Squadron was the last AFC squadron formed during World War I, established at Point Cook near Werribee in October 1916.
Fully mobilised by January 10 1917, the unit embarked for England on January 17, arriving at Plymouth on March 27, and was sent for training to Castle Bromwich, near Birmingham.
After completing familiarisation with a variety of aircraft, the squadron was equipped with Sopwith Camel fighters.
In the UK the squadron was designated 71 (Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (RFC).
It retained this designation until reverting to its original title on January 19 1918.
The squadron arrived in France on December 18 1917 and established itself at Bruay.
It was assigned to the 10th Wing of the RFC and operated in support of the British 1st Army, undertaking offensive patrols and escorting reconnaissance machines.
The unit’s first patrol over German lines took place on January 9 1918 and its first air combat action occurred on January 13.
Towards the end of February 1918 the squadron was increased from 18 to 24 machines, considerably enhancing its capacity for offensive operations.
March 1918 saw an increase in the squadron’s ground attacks and offensive patrols, including a notable engagement with elements of Manfred von Richthofen’s “Flying Circus” during which five enemy machines were downed in an attack led by Captain Arthur Henry Cobby.
During the German spring offensive, the squadron was heavily involved in strafing and bombing operations in support of the retreating Allied ground forces.
Threatened by the German advance, the squadron moved from Bruay to Clairmarais North on April 28 and joined 11th Wing (part of the British 2nd Army).
Due to repeated enemy bombing attacks on the Clairmarais North airfield, the squadron moved on June 30 to Reclinqhem, where it shared the aerodrome with 2 Squadron AFC.
In July the squadron was heavily involved in offensive patrols and provided escorts for bombing and reconnaissance missions.
4 Squadron maintained a high operational tempo throughout the great Allied offensive that was launched in early August 1918.
At the end September 4 Squadron moved to Serny and in early October it was re-equipped with Sopwich Snipe fighters – only the second unit in France to have these advanced machines.
In the last weeks of the war the squadron was engaged in some fierce aerial battles.
On October 29, its Sopwith Snipes participated in one of the greatest air battles of World War I.
After the armistice 4 Squadron became the only Australian unit of the British Army of Occupation, entering Germany on December 7 1918.
During the war 460 officers and 2234 men served in the AFC, of whom 178 were killed.
By World War I standards, these casualties were light.
The AFC was a pioneering corps that helped to lay the groundwork for the Royal Australian Air Force.