British War Medal 1914-20 : Lieutenant C Wilson, 10 Field Company Engineers, AIF

Place Europe: Western Front
Accession Number REL/05030.002
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Medal
Physical description Silver
Maker Unknown
Place made United Kingdom
Date made c 1920
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Description

British War Medal 1914-20. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

History / Summary

Clifton Wilson was born on 7 April 1890. He was working as a plasterer when he enlisted into the AIF on 2 March 1916 and was assigned to the 10th Field Company Engineers (10 FCE) with the rank of sapper and service number 10990. Wilson embarked with the reinforcements for 10 FCE from Melbourne aboard HMAT Runic on 20 June 1916. In August 1916, after arrival in England, he was promoted to lance corporal.

Wilson proceeded overseas to join his unit in the field in November 1916. In January 1917 he was admitted to the 11th Australian Field Ambulance with deafness, but returned to his unit a few days later. Wilson was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field in 1917 (the citation is not available). He was promoted to temporary second corporal in July, but reverted to lance corporal before being promoted to permanent second corporal in August. In October he was promoted to temporary corporal then to full corporal in January 1918.

After officer's training in England, Wilson was commissioned second lieutenant on 17 August 1918. He was promoted to lieutenant in November. In March 1919 he was detached to 11 FCE. Wilson returned to Australian aboard HMAT Ceramic, arriving on 27 September 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on 11 November 1919. In 1920 he was appointed second lieutenant in the Reserve of Officers, but later retired. With the start of the Second World War, he was reappointed in September 1939, until he was placed on the retired list on 30 June 1942. Clifton Wilson died on 16 July 1958.