Lieutenant John Hardstaff WILSON (99116) TEM
D Squadron, Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons, Royal Armoured Corps

Date of birth: 27th April 1913
Date of death: 25th October 1942

Killed in action aged 29
Commemorated on the Alamein Memorial Column 29
He was born at Penhow in Monmouthshire on the 27th of April 1913 the son of Ralph Goodbarne Wilson, farmer, and Frances Amy (nee Rennie) of Chapel Farm, Penhow.

He was educated at the Manor House School, Brackley and at the King's School Canterbury from September 1927 to March 1929.

On the outbreak of war he joined the army and underwent officer training with the Inns of Court Officer Cadet Training Wing, 3rd (Horsed) Cavalry Training Regiment rising to the rank of Troop Sergeant. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons on the 14th of October 1939 and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 14th of April 1941. 4 The regiment formed part of the 2nd Armoured Division which saw action in North Africa and in October 1942 they were part of Montgomery's attack at El Alamein. They were equipped with Bren Gun carriers, mortars and 6 pounder anti-tank guns.

At 9pm on the evening of the 23rd of October 1942 the regiment moved to the "Alamein Line" in preparation for the attack. They did not become engaged in the fighting until the 25th of October when they spent the morning with the self propelled guns before moving forward in the afternoon into positions recently vacated by the Queen's Bays. Shortly afterwards they became engaged with enemy tanks which were probing forward to counterattack.

During the exchange of fire a truck belonging to D Squadron was hit by a shell trapping John Wilson's driver in the vehicle. Wilson ran to the truck to rescue the man but was himself killed when another shell fell in the same spot.

He was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal which was announced in the London Gazette of the 18th of March 1947.
Langley House

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