Alexander Wilkinson
Encyclopedia
Colonel William Alexander Camac Wilkinson DSO
, MC
and Bar
, GM
(6 December 1892 – 19 September 1983) was a highly decorated British Army
officer and English cricket
er. Australia
n born, he served with the British Army
in both the First
and Second World Wars
. After the Second World War he spent some time in Graz
, Austria
as Senior Military Government Officer in the occupation forces
.
He also had a first-class cricket
career lasting 27 years and was regarded as one of the most consistent batsmen of his day despite playing much of his career with an injured hand after being shot during the First World War and narrowly avoiding having his hand amputated.
in 1892, the son of Middlesex
cricketer William Wilkinson, who was in practice as a doctor in the city, he was educated firstly at Eton College
before leaving to finish his schooling back in Australia. He first visited Austria in 1906, beginning a long connection with that country. He eventually attended Oxford University between 1910 and 1914, representing them at cricket and hurdling
. He died in Sussex
in 1983, aged 90.
on the unattached list of the Territorial Force
, being commissioned on 18 August 1913. Following the outbreak of the First World War, he was appointed a temporary second lieutenant in the Army Service Corps on 3 November 1914.
On 6 January 1916 he was appointed a probationary Special Reserve second lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards
. He was promoted to lieutenant
on 21 October 1915, and acting captain
on 20 July 1917. He was awarded the Military Cross
(MC) on 26 September 1917, and the citation was published on 9 January 1918, reading:
He was also awarded a bar
to the MC. After the war, he reverted to lieutenant on 4 April 1919.
From 17 December 1920 to 3 September 1923 he was assistant superintendent of the school of army physical training. He was promoted to substantive captain on 15 September 1924. On 2 January 1928 he was seconded to act as adjutant
of a Territorial Army unit, the Honourable Artillery Company
, holding the appointment until his promotion to major on 1 March 1931. He retired on 1 September 1933.
when a number of his men strayed into a minefield. Several were killed, and one injured man could be seen in the middle of the mined area, still moving. Royal Engineers
had been sent for to clear the mines, and a doctor who happened to be present gave the opinion that the wounded man was unlikely to survive. Whilst the doctor was talking to the other officer present, Wilkinson entered the minefield, and managed to bring out the wounded man single-handed. For these actions, Wilkinson was awarded the George Medal
(GM) on 8 July 1941, as was the Royal Engineer officer, Major Arthur Henry Musgrave Norris who subsequently cleared the remainder of the minefield, and Regimental Sergeant Major
Ernest Joseph Legg (West Surreys) and Lance-Sergeant Harry Fred Hardy (RE) who assisted.
Wilkinson transferred to the Royal Artillery
on 1 June 1942 and was again a temporary lieutenant-colonel, commanding 99 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, when on 13 May 1944, during the final stages of the Battle of Monte Cassino
he performed the actions that led to his appointment as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
on 21 September 1944. His regiment had been detailed to make smoke to cover the bridges over the Rapido River
, early in the day it was reported that there was no smoke covering one particular bridge (codenamed Amazon). Wilkinson took a jeep to investigate the situation for himself, approaching the bridge the trailer from another jeep was found, which contained the equipment for making smoke, which was then loaded into his own jeep. It was later determined that both officers responsible for the bridge had been injured (one killed), and the sergeant had also been killed, and initial supplies of smoke canisters had been exhausted. Wilkinson proceeded to cross the bridge on foot, under mortar
and small arms
fire, carrying replacement smoke canisters. He managed to begin the re-establishment of the smoke screen, left the one man still there tending the new smoke canisters, and gathered an additional party of men to ensure the screen was maintained.
With the end of hostilities, Wilkinson was appointed to the military government in the British Zone in Austria, based in Graz, from July 1945. He was noted for his broadcasts, in German, on the local radio service, covering the province of Styria, of which Graz is the capital. He continued in this role until his second retirement, on 5 July 1947, he was granted the honorary rank of colonel. The retirement was ostensibly because he had exceeded the age limit for service, but his obituary in The Times
states that it was due to his disagreeign with the official policy of forcible repatriation to Russia.
He made many subsequent visits to the region, and in 1977 was awarded the Grand Gold Medal of Honour by the Styrian provincial government. Shortly before his death, he attended a dinner given in his honour at Goodwood House
by the then Landeshauptmann (provincial governor), Dr Joseph Krainer.
bowler, Wilkinson played twice for the Sussex
second XI in 1910, though he never played for the first team, nor did he play county cricket
at all.
He did however have a substantial first-class career spanning more than a quarter of a century, making his debut for HK Foster's XI against Oxford University
during the 1912 English cricket season
. He played for the University against Foster's team the following year and played eight first-class matches in all for the University that year, gaining his blue when he played against Cambridge University
at Lord's
in July.
He played six more first-class matches for the university team in the 1914 season
, including a match against the MCC
at Lord's, though he was eventually dropped from the team after having a poor season.
His return to first-class cricket came in June 1919 when he played for the Free Foresters
against both university teams. He also played for the MCC against Oxford University and in July played first-class cricket for the British Army cricket team
for the first time, playing against the Royal Navy
at Lord's. He followed this with non first-class matches for the Army against the RAF
and for the MCC against Buckinghamshire
.
In the 1920 season
he played for the Free Foresters against Oxford University before playing for the Army against both university sides and the Royal Navy. He also made his debut for the Combined Services cricket team
this season, playing against the Gentlemen of England at Lord's. During the season he again played a handful of non first-class matches, playing for the Old Etonians against the Old Harrovians, for the Army against a Public Schools XI, and for the MCC against a combined Minor Counties
team.
The 1921 season
saw him test himself against international opposition for the first time when he played for the Combined Services against the touring Australians. He also again played for the Free Foresters against Oxford University and for the Army against both universities and the Navy. He played the same three matches for the Army in the 1922 season
, though he didn't play for the Free Foresters, and played a first-class match for the Combined Services against Essex
as well as non first-class matches for the Household Brigade against Eton College and for I Zingari
against Winchester College.
That winter he went on a tour of Australia
and New Zealand
with the MCC. No Test matches were played on the Australian leg of the tour, though three matches were played against New Zealand on that leg. These were not Test matches though, as New Zealand had not yet gained Test status. They were however first-class matches, and Wilkinson played in all three, making a total of 11 first-class matches across the two tours.
Back in England, Wilkinson again played for the Army in first-class matches against both universities and the Royal Navy before playing in that year's Gentlemen v Players
match at the Oval
. The same matches for the Army were repeated in the season
and he also played first-class cricket for the Combined Services against South Africa.
The rest of the 1920s was filled with many matches for the Army against the same familiar opponents, though there were exceptions. He played for the Harlequins
against Oxford University in 1927, for the Army against New Zealand the same year and for the Free Foresters against Oxford University in 1929. The Army's match against the Royal Air Force was also first-class in 1928 and 1929. In 1927 he went on a tour of Egypt
with the Free Foresters, playing twice against the Egyptian national side
.
In 1930, after playing for the Army against the RAF and the MCC, he played for the MCC against Wales. The following year, he played for the Free Foresters against Oxford University, for the Army against Oxford University and the RAF, and for the Combined Services against New Zealand before playing his final first-class match for the Army against the MCC in August. He captained
the Army team for this match, which was his last first-class match for almost three years.
. He captained the team in both matches and scored a century
in the second. He resumed his first-class career in May 1934 with a match for the Free Foresters against Oxford University, and over the following five years was a regular for the Free Foresters and the MCC, usually playing first-class matches against the two university teams, though he also played for the MCC against Kent
in the 1935 season
. His last first-class match was for the MCC against Oxford University in June 1939.
As well as his first-class matches, he also played for the MCC in minor matches. He played twice against Ireland in 1935 and 1937, against a Canadian XI in 1936 and against Scotland in 1939. He continued playing club cricket after World War II
and scored a century in his final game, which he reckoned to be his hundredth in all cricket.
at an average of 31.48. He made eight centuries, his highest score of 129 coming in 1913 for Oxford University against the MCC. He made the runs inside 90 minutes. He took twelve wickets at an average
of 32.08, with his best innings bowling figures of 4/32 coming for Oxford University against HDG Leveson-Gower's XI in the 1913 English cricket season
. All his wickets came that season.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
, GM
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
(6 December 1892 – 19 September 1983) was a highly decorated British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and English cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n born, he served with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in both the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second World Wars
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the Second World War he spent some time in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
as Senior Military Government Officer in the occupation forces
Allied-administered Austria
The Allied occupation of Austria lasted from 1945 to 1955. Austria had been regarded by Nazi Germany as a constituent part of the German state, but in 1943 the Allied powers agreed in the Declaration of Moscow that it would be regarded as the first victim of Nazi aggression, and treated as a...
.
He also had a first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
career lasting 27 years and was regarded as one of the most consistent batsmen of his day despite playing much of his career with an injured hand after being shot during the First World War and narrowly avoiding having his hand amputated.
Personal life
Born in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1892, the son of Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
cricketer William Wilkinson, who was in practice as a doctor in the city, he was educated firstly at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
before leaving to finish his schooling back in Australia. He first visited Austria in 1906, beginning a long connection with that country. He eventually attended Oxford University between 1910 and 1914, representing them at cricket and hurdling
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...
. He died in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
in 1983, aged 90.
First World War and after
Wilkinson first joined the British Army as a second lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on the unattached list of the Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
, being commissioned on 18 August 1913. Following the outbreak of the First World War, he was appointed a temporary second lieutenant in the Army Service Corps on 3 November 1914.
On 6 January 1916 he was appointed a probationary Special Reserve second lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
. He was promoted to lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 21 October 1915, and acting captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
on 20 July 1917. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(MC) on 26 September 1917, and the citation was published on 9 January 1918, reading:
He was also awarded a bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to the MC. After the war, he reverted to lieutenant on 4 April 1919.
From 17 December 1920 to 3 September 1923 he was assistant superintendent of the school of army physical training. He was promoted to substantive captain on 15 September 1924. On 2 January 1928 he was seconded to act as adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of a Territorial Army unit, the Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
, holding the appointment until his promotion to major on 1 March 1931. He retired on 1 September 1933.
Second World War
Recalled to the army with the start of World War II, Wilkinson was a temporary lieutenant-colonel commanding 14th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
The Queen's Royal Regiment was a regiment of the English and later British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence...
when a number of his men strayed into a minefield. Several were killed, and one injured man could be seen in the middle of the mined area, still moving. Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
had been sent for to clear the mines, and a doctor who happened to be present gave the opinion that the wounded man was unlikely to survive. Whilst the doctor was talking to the other officer present, Wilkinson entered the minefield, and managed to bring out the wounded man single-handed. For these actions, Wilkinson was awarded the George Medal
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
(GM) on 8 July 1941, as was the Royal Engineer officer, Major Arthur Henry Musgrave Norris who subsequently cleared the remainder of the minefield, and Regimental Sergeant Major
Regimental Sergeant Major
Regimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by warrant officers class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by chief warrant officers in the Canadian Forces...
Ernest Joseph Legg (West Surreys) and Lance-Sergeant Harry Fred Hardy (RE) who assisted.
Wilkinson transferred to the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
on 1 June 1942 and was again a temporary lieutenant-colonel, commanding 99 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, when on 13 May 1944, during the final stages of the Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
he performed the actions that led to his appointment as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
on 21 September 1944. His regiment had been detailed to make smoke to cover the bridges over the Rapido River
Rapido River
The Rapido is a short river which flows through the Ciociaria in the Italian province of Frosinone.Its source is close to border between Lazio and Molise on the slopes of the Mainarde mountains...
, early in the day it was reported that there was no smoke covering one particular bridge (codenamed Amazon). Wilkinson took a jeep to investigate the situation for himself, approaching the bridge the trailer from another jeep was found, which contained the equipment for making smoke, which was then loaded into his own jeep. It was later determined that both officers responsible for the bridge had been injured (one killed), and the sergeant had also been killed, and initial supplies of smoke canisters had been exhausted. Wilkinson proceeded to cross the bridge on foot, under mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
and small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire, carrying replacement smoke canisters. He managed to begin the re-establishment of the smoke screen, left the one man still there tending the new smoke canisters, and gathered an additional party of men to ensure the screen was maintained.
With the end of hostilities, Wilkinson was appointed to the military government in the British Zone in Austria, based in Graz, from July 1945. He was noted for his broadcasts, in German, on the local radio service, covering the province of Styria, of which Graz is the capital. He continued in this role until his second retirement, on 5 July 1947, he was granted the honorary rank of colonel. The retirement was ostensibly because he had exceeded the age limit for service, but his obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
states that it was due to his disagreeign with the official policy of forcible repatriation to Russia.
He made many subsequent visits to the region, and in 1977 was awarded the Grand Gold Medal of Honour by the Styrian provincial government. Shortly before his death, he attended a dinner given in his honour at Goodwood House
Goodwood House
Goodwood House is a country house in West Sussex in southern England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Richmond. Several architects have contributed to the design of the house, including James Wyatt. It was the intention to build the house to a unique octagonal layout, but only three of the eight...
by the then Landeshauptmann (provincial governor), Dr Joseph Krainer.
Early career
A right-handed batsman and right-arm slowFast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
bowler, Wilkinson played twice for the Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
second XI in 1910, though he never played for the first team, nor did he play county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
at all.
He did however have a substantial first-class career spanning more than a quarter of a century, making his debut for HK Foster's XI against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
during the 1912 English cricket season
1912 English cricket season
The 1912 English cricket season saw the much-criticised Triangular Tournament of Test Matches between England, Australia and South Africa. The contest was effectively ruined by one of the wettest summers on record and was never repeated.-Honours:...
. He played for the University against Foster's team the following year and played eight first-class matches in all for the University that year, gaining his blue when he played against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
in July.
He played six more first-class matches for the university team in the 1914 season
1914 English cricket season
The 1914 English cricket season was called off at the end of August because of the outbreak of the First World War. The last four matches to be played all finished on 2 September and the remaining five scheduled fixtures were cancelled....
, including a match against the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at Lord's, though he was eventually dropped from the team after having a poor season.
Post-war
Wilkinson was shot in the right hand during the first world war, and almost had to have it amputated. This left him with little strength in the hand, though he could hold a bat with it. He was also left unable to do much fielding on his right side. Despite these handicaps, he continued to play cricket, playing 74 more first-class matches, and he was never considered a liability in the field.His return to first-class cricket came in June 1919 when he played for the Free Foresters
Free Foresters Cricket Club
Free Foresters Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club, established in 1856 for players from the Midland counties of England. It is a 'wandering' club, having no home ground....
against both university teams. He also played for the MCC against Oxford University and in July played first-class cricket for the British Army cricket team
British Army cricket team
The Army cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Army. The team played a number of first-class matches between 1912 and 1939, although a combined "Army and Navy" side had played two games against a combined Oxford and Cambridge team in 1910 and 1911...
for the first time, playing against the Royal Navy
Royal Navy Cricket Club
The Royal Navy Cricket Club is a cricket team representing the British Royal Navy and based at the United Services Recreation Ground, Portsmouth, Hampshire...
at Lord's. He followed this with non first-class matches for the Army against the RAF
Royal Air Force cricket team
The Royal Air Force cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Royal Air Force. The team played 11 first-class matches: nine between 1922 and 1932, mostly against other branches of the Services, and another two in 1945 and 1946. Their home ground is the Royal Air Force Sports Ground,...
and for the MCC against Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Buckinghamshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play...
.
In the 1920 season
1920 English cricket season
The 1920 English cricket season had no Test cricket as the post-war recovery continued. Middlesex rose from 13th in 1919 to take the first of two back-to-back titles...
he played for the Free Foresters against Oxford University before playing for the Army against both university sides and the Royal Navy. He also made his debut for the Combined Services cricket team
Combined Services cricket team
The Combined Services cricket team represents the British armed forces. The team played at first-class level in England for more than forty years in the mid-twentieth century. Their first first-class match was against Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1920, while their last was against Oxford...
this season, playing against the Gentlemen of England at Lord's. During the season he again played a handful of non first-class matches, playing for the Old Etonians against the Old Harrovians, for the Army against a Public Schools XI, and for the MCC against a combined Minor Counties
Minor counties of English cricket
The Minor Counties are the cricketing counties of England and Wales that are not afforded first-class status. The game is administered by the Minor Counties Cricket Association which comes under the England and Wales Cricket Board...
team.
The 1921 season
1921 English cricket season
In the 1921 English cricket season, Australia emphasised a post-war superiority that it owed in particular to the pace duo of Gregory and McDonald...
saw him test himself against international opposition for the first time when he played for the Combined Services against the touring Australians. He also again played for the Free Foresters against Oxford University and for the Army against both universities and the Navy. He played the same three matches for the Army in the 1922 season
1922 English cricket season
The 1922 English cricket season saw Yorkshire recover the County Championship and begin a run of four successive titles.- Honours :*County Championship - Yorkshire*Minor Counties Championship - Buckinghamshire...
, though he didn't play for the Free Foresters, and played a first-class match for the Combined Services against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
as well as non first-class matches for the Household Brigade against Eton College and for I Zingari
I Zingari
I Zingari are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs.-History:...
against Winchester College.
That winter he went on a tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with the MCC. No Test matches were played on the Australian leg of the tour, though three matches were played against New Zealand on that leg. These were not Test matches though, as New Zealand had not yet gained Test status. They were however first-class matches, and Wilkinson played in all three, making a total of 11 first-class matches across the two tours.
Back in England, Wilkinson again played for the Army in first-class matches against both universities and the Royal Navy before playing in that year's Gentlemen v Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
match at the Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. The same matches for the Army were repeated in the season
1924 English cricket season
Yorkshire secured a hat-trick of titles in the 1924 English cricket season, while England, in its first home series since 1921, proved too strong for South Africa.-Honours:*County Championship - Yorkshire*Minor Counties Championship - Berkshire...
and he also played first-class cricket for the Combined Services against South Africa.
The rest of the 1920s was filled with many matches for the Army against the same familiar opponents, though there were exceptions. He played for the Harlequins
Harlequins cricket team
The Harlequins Cricket Club is a wandering cricket club formed in 1852 by fellows of Merton College, Oxford. The club is made up exclusively of current and former Oxford University first-class cricketers and according to the rules of the club only a maximum of twenty members can be resident at the...
against Oxford University in 1927, for the Army against New Zealand the same year and for the Free Foresters against Oxford University in 1929. The Army's match against the Royal Air Force was also first-class in 1928 and 1929. In 1927 he went on a tour of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
with the Free Foresters, playing twice against the Egyptian national side
Egypt national cricket team
The Egypt national cricket team was the team that represented the country of Egypt in international cricket matches. They were active from 1909 until World War II.-Early years:...
.
In 1930, after playing for the Army against the RAF and the MCC, he played for the MCC against Wales. The following year, he played for the Free Foresters against Oxford University, for the Army against Oxford University and the RAF, and for the Combined Services against New Zealand before playing his final first-class match for the Army against the MCC in August. He captained
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
the Army team for this match, which was his last first-class match for almost three years.
Later career
In April 1933 Wilkinson played twice for Egypt against HM Martineau's XIHubert Martineau
Hubert Melville Martineau was an English patron of cricket and organiser of his own team. He also played three first-class matches between 1931 and 1932...
. He captained the team in both matches and scored a century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
in the second. He resumed his first-class career in May 1934 with a match for the Free Foresters against Oxford University, and over the following five years was a regular for the Free Foresters and the MCC, usually playing first-class matches against the two university teams, though he also played for the MCC against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
in the 1935 season
1935 English cricket season
The 1935 English cricket season saw England beaten by South Africa who won the Test series 1-0 with four matches drawn.-Honours:*County Championship - Yorkshire*Minor Counties Championship - Middlesex II...
. His last first-class match was for the MCC against Oxford University in June 1939.
As well as his first-class matches, he also played for the MCC in minor matches. He played twice against Ireland in 1935 and 1937, against a Canadian XI in 1936 and against Scotland in 1939. He continued playing club cricket after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and scored a century in his final game, which he reckoned to be his hundredth in all cricket.
Statistics
In his 89 first-class matches, Wilkinson scored 4785 runsRun (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
at an average of 31.48. He made eight centuries, his highest score of 129 coming in 1913 for Oxford University against the MCC. He made the runs inside 90 minutes. He took twelve wickets at an average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 32.08, with his best innings bowling figures of 4/32 coming for Oxford University against HDG Leveson-Gower's XI in the 1913 English cricket season
1913 English cricket season
The 1913 English cricket season saw Kent take the title for the fourth time in eight seasons.-Honours:*County Championship - Kent*Minor Counties Championship - Norfolk...
. All his wickets came that season.