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Major Cyril Spencer WILSON MC
No. 4 Workshop Company, Royal Engineers Date of birth: 12th July 1883 Date of death: 27th October 1918 Died aged 35 Buried at St Mary's Church, Charlcombe
Cyril Spencer Wilson was born at Charlcombe in Somerset on the 12th of July 1883 the younger son of John Henry Wilson, a solicitor and President of the Bath Law Society, and Edith Sophia (nee Lydiard) Wilson of Woodville, Lansdowne in Bath. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Seconds House from January 1900 to 1901. On the 10th of April 1902 he began working for the Great Western Railway at Swindon as an Engineering Pupil commencing his training on the 1st of July. He completed his training on the 14th of October 1902 and was posted to the Drawing Office two days later. Here he was engaged in locomotive design. During his training he passed through the workshops, laboratory, and drawing office before being placed on the salaried staff on the 16th of October 1905. On the 22nd of July 1907 he became an Assistant Works Manager at the Great Western Railway Carriage and Wagon Department at Swindon where he worked as a draughtsman. On the 16th of May 1908 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Works Company, Wiltshire (Fortress) Royal Engineers. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 26th of November 1911 and to Captain on the 16th of October 1912. He sailed for France with his Company on board the SS "Blackwell" landing at Le Havre on the 20th of January 1915. In April 1915 they moved to Ypres where they were engaged in building floating bridges over the local canals. In September 1915 the unit's name was changed to the 565th Wiltshire Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers. In July 1916 they were marched to the Somme where they were engaged in laying water supplies. He was awarded the Military Cross in the King's Birthday Honours List of the 4th of June 1917. He was promoted to Acting Major in August 1917 and again in September 1917 when he became Officer Commanding No. 4 Workshop Company, Royal Engineers. In February 1918 he was married to Amy Eliza (nee Pounds) at St Martin's Church in London and, while at work, Cyril rented the upper two rooms at 155 Goddard Avenue, Swindon in Wilshire, the home of a Mrs Atwood. During his service he was wounded near Amiens and was mentioned in despatches twice, once being on the 31st of December 1915. Towards the end of the war he was evacuated to England from France suffering from dysentery and brought home to London where his brother, Harry Lydiard Wilson, a doctor recently returned from service in Egypt, examined him and reported his findings in a letter dated the 13th of November 1918: - "This is to certify that Major C.S. Wilson, M.C, R.E., died on Sunday 27th of October 1918, in London of pneumonia complicating amoebic dysentery, an incident of active service in France. The facts are as follows: - I was in medical attendance on deceased from the time of his landing in England till the day of his death. In conjunction with myself were Major C.G. Low, I.M.S., of the London School of Tropical Medicine: Mr. Clifford Dobell, who, assistant to Major Balfour, acted as Protozoologist in the case, and Captain Sir Thomas Horder M.D., consulting physician. During September it was reported to me that Major Wilson was in the 27th Stat: Hosp:, France, for "dysentery slight", and had been altogether sick in France for 3 or 4 weeks with diarrhea, the passing of blood and vomiting, On discharge from hospital Major Wilson was sent home on four weeks special leave, which had been granted him prior to his illness, on account of three years and nine months continuous service in France, and apparently he was sent home on this leave as a cured man. Immediately on his arrival in London Major Wilson called on me, and I examined him, and with the aid of Major Balfour discovered at once that amoebae (E, Histolytica) and their cysts were present in his stools, and it became obvious that this serious variety of dysentery had not been cured in France! (possibly not even diagnosed). It became necessary to place him in a nursing home for correct treatment of this particular variety of dysentery, and under careful supervision of his stools, and this was done. Unhappily, owing to the weakened condition in which he had become from four weeks loss of time in France, I regret to say that Major Wilson contracted pneumonia as a complication while he was in the nursing home, and from this he was unable to rally." He died at 3 Upper Montague Street, Russell Square in London. He is commemorated on the war memorial at Swindon.

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