11. MLA Wilson and Son
MLA Wilson and Son
Saluting their Service - Grahame Old
Father and Son – WW1
There were a number of families from Collie and Surrounding Districts who provided more than one son to the War effort during WW1. There are also instances of Father and Sons serving from the same family. Records show the following;
There were fourteen families from Collie with three siblings who served during WW1. One family, the STUART-SINCLAIR’s, lost all three sons killed in action. There were 52 families from Collie with two siblings who served during WW1. Five families lost both sons killed in action, the brothers were; John & Robert DEVON. Osborne & Walter FISHER. Lorens & William HANSSEN. Joseph & Edwin HORROCKS. Alexander & Clarence QUARRELL.
Records also show that there were three instances of a father and two sons serving, and four of a father and one son serving from Collie during WW1. One of the fathers, James HORROCKS lost both sons killed in action at Gallipoli. One father, Frank DUDLEY, was killed in action, his two sons survived the war.
This story looks at the Father and Son war service of Arthur Alan Wilson MLA and his son.
The Son – Alan Wilson
Alan was born in August 1895 at Korrumburra in the South Gippsland coalfields of Victoria. After a dispute in the coal mining industry in 1903 the family moved to Collie. Alan was schooled at the Collie High School and later employed as a blacksmith in the mining industry. When war erupted in Europe, Alan along with a number of other ‘Collie Boys’ were quick to volunteer, eager to their bit for the Empire. They rushed to join WA’s own 11th Infantry Battalion.
Gallipoli
Alan enlisted on 28 August 1914 aged 19 years, service number 848 he was allocated to the 11th Battalion. His listed next of kin was his father, Arthur Alan Wilson, Coombe St Collie. After training at Blackboy Hill the Bn embarked Fremantle for Egypt on 2 November 1914. Part of the 3rd Infantry Brigade the Bn underwent further training in Egypt before departing Alexandria for the Gallipoli Peninsula. Private Alan Wilson went ashore with the other ‘Collie Boys’ of the 11th Infantry Battalion on the morning of the 25th of April 1915. Alan survived for three long months of heavy fighting until he was wounded in action on 28 July 1915.
Alan Wilson suffered a fractured jaw, broken nose, scalp and eye injuries when an artillery shell burst nearby causing the trench to collapse on him. He was treated at the 1st Aust Casualty Clearing station before being evacuated to the 2nd Aust General Hospital, Ghezireh, Egypt. Further eye treatment was conducted by an eye surgeon at the 1st Aust General Hospital, Heliopolis, Egypt.
The war was over for Alan Wilson, he was evacuated to Australia on 29 August 1915. Declared medically unfit he was officially discharged from service on 8 April 1916. He returned to Collie and went back to the mining industry. Alan Wilson enlisted into the Volunteer Defence Corps for WW2, service number W69953. He died on 11 March 1970 and is buried in the Collie Cemetery.
The Father – Arthur Alan Wilson MLA
Arthur Alan Wilson was born on the 3 April 1869, at Ayrshire Scotland. Parents were Joseph, a miner and mother Elizabeth Wilson. He started work in the coal mines in Scotland at age 12. Looking for a better life he later migrated to Australia and was working in the Victorian South Gippsland Coal Mines by 1885. Arthur married Mary Jane Lamb at Coalville Vic in 1892 they had three children, a son Alan and two daughters. By 1903 Arthur Wilson was secretary of the Victorian Coalminers Association, however the coal strikes of 1903-1904 saw Arthur blacklisted from Victorian coal mining. Arthur then moved the family to WA and soon found himself in Collie where he became the secretary of the Collie Miners Union, a position he held from 1904 until 1910. The family lived in Coombe St. In 1908 Arthur Alan Wilson, as the labour Party representative, contested the seat of Collie in the state elections. He was elected and held the seat for 38 continuous years from September 1908 until March 1947. He was the parliamentary whip for the Labour Party for 20 years.
War Service
The age limits for men wishing to enlist into the AIF in 1914 were 19 to 38 years Arthur Alan Wilson failed to meet the requirement. In 1915 the age requirement was revised to 18 to 45 years and later the upper age limit for men to enlist into special units such as the Railway and mining Corps, was increased to 50 years. Arthur now met the age requirements and sought special permission from Parliament to enlist into the AIF. Special leave was granted and Arthur Wilson enlisted on 2 March 1917, age 48 years. His listed next of kin was his wife, Mary Jane Wilson. 7724 Sapper Arthur Wilson was allocated to the Mining Corps re-enforcements.
After training at Puckapunyal VIC, Arthur embarked for overseas service on 8 August 1917. In October Arthur found himself in England training before moving to the Western Front, France in November. His leadership qualities were noted early and he was promoted to acting Corporal and joined the 3rd Tunnelling Company. In September 1918 he was promoted to Extra Regimental Sergeant and transferred to the 11th Field Company Engineers in the field France. Arthur Wilson sought out and met with many ‘Collie Boys’ during his time in France, his great love of Collie can be seen in the following letter;
Letter from Arthur Allan Wilson, 1918 (from Collie Mail)
Today I received my first letters and Collie Mail newspapers after I sailed from Australia in August 1917. Needless to say I was pleased to receive them — pleased to hear from The Folks at Home. Your papers gave me news, both pleasurable and regrettable. In them I read of the nomination for the Collie electorate and my unopposed return as Collie’s member. If it is not too late in the day I desire to sincerely thank the electors for their continued confidence in me. I can only say in passing that I shall always do my best for Collie in whatever position I am placed.
Your paper records to me the deaths of soldiers Devon, Gane and Quarrell on the battlefields of France doing their duty for home and empire. My sympathy goes out to their bereaved ones. I have met a good many of Collie’s soldier boys since I came here and all were pleased to get the latest news from Collie. I had a long talk with Martin O'Meara, V.C. What a fine chap he is, and so unassuming in spite of his high distinction. He has been through many of the bitter stunts here and has been wounded three times. He won his Victoria Cross in August, 1916, and it was presented to him at Buckingham Palace in July 1917. He desired to be returned to Collie’s good people and said "I am longing for the day when I shall be able to return to Collie and again sit in the shade of a big jarrah tree."
I met Lt. Roy Howie in France and he was looking fairly well considering the nature of his wounds. We had a long talk about Collie. I also had a visit from young Straw, Blakemore and Hughes in France, and they all looked splendid. I also met Syd Fraser here. Also had a chat with Robinson Barnes and Arthur Clark before they left for Australia.
The Australian soldier is looked upon here as being one of the best, and I agree with the verdict. He is a good fellow under all circumstances, and his humour and sayings can always be relied upon as motivation to get over the top to have a fly at the enemy. Some of the lads have four gold bars on their arms - which means they have been wounded four times. Many of them left with the first transports which sailed on October 14th, 1914 - men of the 11th Battalion. Occasionally the food is rough and scarce and the clothing somewhat scanty but taken all round it could be worse. The above are my impressions only and are the outcome of a few weeks here.
I see by your paper that the output of coal for the week ending September 1st, 1917, was 5,760 tons and is claimed as a record. May such a record soon be broken and a higher one takes its place. I hope the mines are working well and that the miners and mine-owners alike are pleased and satisfied with the trend of the trade. In conclusion may I hope that the best of all good things will be bestowed on Collie and that her welfare may never suffer for lack of good guidance.
The war ended in November 1918 and in January 1919 Arthur found himself back in England before embarking for Australia in April. E R Sgt Arthur Alan Wilson was discharged from service on 31 May 1919. During his service he sought no special privilege for his position as an MLA. His service records show no reference to his position in the WA Parliament rather he stated his profession as ‘Miner’. After discharge he returned to his parliamentary duties representing the fine people of Collie for another 18 years, retiring in April 1947. For his service to the WA Parliament, he was awarded the OBE in 1948.
Arthur Alan Wilson died on 19 August 1948, he is buried in Karrakatta cemetery.
Father and Son Remembered forever at the Collie Cardiff RSL Sub Branch
‘Lest we Forget’