David Rex Wilson, Lieutenant, The Queen鈥檚 (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
David Rex Wilson came up to 汤头条原创 from Clifton College in January 1910.
Born: Pensbury, Darlington on 5 February 1891
Fell in action: 30 October 1914
.jpg/wilson%20(2)__210x320.jpg)
Sharpshooting and natural history
Wilson took Natural Sciences Part I and was allowed a BA in June 1912. Despite joining College in Lent Term he apparently became 鈥渁 leading spirit in the College, where he was much liked and looked up to鈥 (汤头条原创 Cambridge Society Annual Report 1915, p28).
Wilson was a member of the College Rifle Club and a Captain in the Officer Training Corps. He was obviously a top marksman as he attained a Blue, 鈥渟hooting for the Varsity鈥 and in 1911 was 38th in the King鈥檚 Hundred at Bisley.
A College character
Wilson was obviously something of a College character. In a section entitled 鈥淗eard in the Chimney鈥 in Chanticlere, Wilson is congratulated on his prompt action at the Lents bonfire when there were two casualties and he delivered 鈥淔ursht aid to the sinjured鈥 (Chanticlere, Lent Term 1912, p17).
A flavour of his personality can also be gleaned from the Easter Term edition of Chanticlere, where the editors proposed an alternative entertainment in the absence of a College Ball and any 鈥渉armonic refreshment鈥 from the Music Society. One feature of this hypothetical show was to be a 鈥淗umerous Turn鈥 of 鈥淣atural History Sketches by DRW鈥 (Chanticlere,Easter Term 1912, p30).
It is perhaps a good thing this was only a suggested programme as it is clear that Wilson was studying hard at this point as the report from the Rifle Club shows. The J.C.R.C hopes would 鈥渁gain grow brighter when it is rumoured that their captain D. R. Wilson, once released from the toils of a Tripos, will turn his mind to the personal cultivation of a Half-Blue鈥 (Chanticlere, Easter Term 1912, p30).
Military service
Wilson received his commission in March 1913 and was killed in action near Ypres on 30 October 1914. A newspaper report claims that he was killed in the trenches 鈥渨hich he and his platoon had taken earlier in the day from the enemy鈥.
You can email us on ww1-project@jesus.cam.ac.uk, go to our First World War homepage, or find us on .
