Arnold Wilson
Encyclopedia
Sir Arnold Talbot Wilson KCIE
CSI
CMG
DSO
(18 July 1884 – 31 May 1940) was the British
civil commissioner in Baghdad
in 1918-1920. Wilson became publicly known for his role as the colonial administrator of Mesopotamia
(Iraq
) during and after the First World War
. His high-handedness arguably led to an Iraqi revolt
in 1920. He was replaced by Sir Percy Cox. Wilson was the third Member of Parliament (MP) to be killed in World War II
when serving as aircrew at the advanced age of 55.
, where his father James Maurice Wilson
was a headmaster. His younger brother was the tenor Sir Steuart Wilson
. He began his military career as an army officer in 1903, having been awarded the King's Medal and sword of honour at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. He then served as an officer of the British army in India
. In 1904, he went to Iran
as a Lieutenant to lead a group of Bengal Lancers to guard the British consulate in Ahwaz and to protect the work of the D’Arcy Oil Company, which had obtained a sixty-year oil concession in Iran and was pursuing oil exploration in partnership with the Burma Oil Company. Wilson was an officer in the 32nd Sikh Pioneers
, a regiment of the Indian Army
and reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
.
In 1907, Wilson was transferred to the Indian Political Department
and sent to the Persian Gulf
, where he served as a political officer
, soldier and senior administrator. In 1920, he joined the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
as resident director in the Persian Gulf
. He worked for the company until 1932. Wilson oversaw the discovery of the first oil site in the Middle East
, Masjid-i-Suleiman in 1908.
During his tenure in Mesopotamia, Wilson worked to improve the country's administration according to the principles he learned in India. In Wilson’s views, the priority was to reconstruct and stabilize the country, by establishing an efficient government and administration as well as a fair treatment and political representation of the various ethnic and religious communities (i.e., in the case of Iraq: Arabs, Kurds, Persians
, of religions such as Islam Shiite and Sunni, Christianity
and Judaism
). In doing so, he was nicknamed "The Despot of Mess-Pot". However, after the end of World War I, he found himself progressively opposed to other British officials, who believed that Arab countries should be granted independence under British supervision.
In 1919, during the Paris Peace Conference
, which followed World War I, he was among the few who successfully recommended adopting the Arab name Iraq, as it had been known for more than 1400 years by the whole Muslim and Arab world ever since the Arabs went to it, instead of the Greek name Mesopotamia which was only still being used by Westerners. This name change was intended to cover the planned northern expansion of the newly created country under British Mandate to include the oil rich Mosul
region of Kurdistan, in addition to the Mesopotamian provinces of Baghdad and Basra.
In April 1920, at the Conference of Sanremo, the League of Nations
agreed to the British mandate over Iraq. In the spring and summer of 1920, various riots erupted across central and southern Iraq. These riots were often violently repressed by Wilson's administration. The total number of Iraqi casualties of these riots was estimated at 10,000 people.
In the summer of 1920, Wilson proposed a compromise, suggesting that Faysal
, the former King of Syria
, be offered the Iraqi throne. This proposal was intended to obtain support from the Iraqi population as well as by the British officials who favored a controlled Arab independence. It was eventually accepted by the British Government and by Faysal, but Wilson would not be there to participate in its implementation. The British government decided not to follow Wilson's views, and instead grant independence to Iraq. The British government removed Wilson from his position in Iraq, and knighted him. Deeply disappointed by the turn of events, he left the public service and joined APOC
as manager of their Middle Eastern operations.
. Before World War II
, his outspoken views evoked a lot of criticism. The New Statesman
described him as "an admirer of Hitler
and an unscrupulous propagandist for Mussolini
and Hitler".
However, in October 1939 after the outbreak of the war, he joined the Royal Air Force
Volunteer Reserve, serving as a pilot officer (air gunner) in 37 Squadron
of RAF Bomber Command
. He stated that "I have no desire to shelter myself and live in safety behind the ramparts of the bodies of millions of our young men." Still an MP, he was killed in action in northern France
, around Dunkirk, on 31 May 1940 when his Vickers Wellington
bomber crash landed. He is buried at Eringhem
churchyard, half-way between Dunkirk and Saint-Omer
.
His book, S.W. Persia: Letters and Diary of a Young Political Officer 1907-1914 (1941) was published posthumously.
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
CSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
DSO
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...
(18 July 1884 – 31 May 1940) was the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civil commissioner in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in 1918-1920. Wilson became publicly known for his role as the colonial administrator of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
(Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
) during and after the First World War
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...
. His high-handedness arguably led to an Iraqi revolt
Iraqi revolt against the British
The Iraqi Revolt against the British , or the Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920, started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shia, including protests by embittered officers from the old Ottoman army, against the policies of British Acting Civil Commissioner Sir...
in 1920. He was replaced by Sir Percy Cox. Wilson was the third Member of Parliament (MP) to be killed in 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...
when serving as aircrew at the advanced age of 55.
Early life and career
Wilson was born in 1884 and educated in England at Clifton CollegeClifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
, where his father James Maurice Wilson
James Maurice Wilson
Rev. James Maurice Wilson was a British theologian, maths and science teacher, and astronomer.-Early life:...
was a headmaster. His younger brother was the tenor Sir Steuart Wilson
Steuart Wilson
Sir James Steuart Wilson was an English singer, known for tenor roles in oratorios and concerts in the first half of the 20th century....
. He began his military career as an army officer in 1903, having been awarded the King's Medal and sword of honour at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. He then served as an officer of the British army in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In 1904, he went to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
as a Lieutenant to lead a group of Bengal Lancers to guard the British consulate in Ahwaz and to protect the work of the D’Arcy Oil Company, which had obtained a sixty-year oil concession in Iran and was pursuing oil exploration in partnership with the Burma Oil Company. Wilson was an officer in the 32nd Sikh Pioneers
32nd Sikh Pioneers
The 32nd Sikh Pioneers were a regiment of the Indian Army during British rule. The regiment was founded in 1857 as the Punjab Sappers ....
, a regiment of the Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
and reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
In 1907, Wilson was transferred to the Indian Political Department
Indian Political Department
The Indian Political Department originated in a resolution passedon September 13, 1783 by the Board of Directors of the East India Company; this decreedthe creation of a department which could help “relieve the pressure” on theadministration of...
and sent to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, where he served as a political officer
Political officer (British Empire)
In the British Empire, a Political officer or Political Agent was an officer of the imperial Civil Administration , as opposed to the Military administration , usually operating outside imperial territory from a base outside or inside imperial territory...
, soldier and senior administrator. In 1920, he joined the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
Anglo-Persian Oil Company
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company was founded in 1908 following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjed Soleiman, Iran. It was the first company to extract petroleum from the Middle East...
as resident director in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. He worked for the company until 1932. Wilson oversaw the discovery of the first oil site in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Masjid-i-Suleiman in 1908.
World War I and afterwards
In 1915, as the British were moving troops from India into Mesopotamia through the Persian Gulf and Basra, Wilson was designated as the assistant, and then deputy, to Sir Percy Cox, the British Political Officer for the region. Based in Baghdad, he then became the acting Civil Commissioner for Mesopotamia.During his tenure in Mesopotamia, Wilson worked to improve the country's administration according to the principles he learned in India. In Wilson’s views, the priority was to reconstruct and stabilize the country, by establishing an efficient government and administration as well as a fair treatment and political representation of the various ethnic and religious communities (i.e., in the case of Iraq: Arabs, Kurds, Persians
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
, of religions such as Islam Shiite and Sunni, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
). In doing so, he was nicknamed "The Despot of Mess-Pot". However, after the end of World War I, he found himself progressively opposed to other British officials, who believed that Arab countries should be granted independence under British supervision.
In 1919, during the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
, which followed World War I, he was among the few who successfully recommended adopting the Arab name Iraq, as it had been known for more than 1400 years by the whole Muslim and Arab world ever since the Arabs went to it, instead of the Greek name Mesopotamia which was only still being used by Westerners. This name change was intended to cover the planned northern expansion of the newly created country under British Mandate to include the oil rich Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
region of Kurdistan, in addition to the Mesopotamian provinces of Baghdad and Basra.
In April 1920, at the Conference of Sanremo, the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
agreed to the British mandate over Iraq. In the spring and summer of 1920, various riots erupted across central and southern Iraq. These riots were often violently repressed by Wilson's administration. The total number of Iraqi casualties of these riots was estimated at 10,000 people.
In the summer of 1920, Wilson proposed a compromise, suggesting that Faysal
Faisal I of Iraq
Faisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi, was for a short time King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria or Greater Syria in 1920, and was King of the Kingdom of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 1933...
, the former King of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, be offered the Iraqi throne. This proposal was intended to obtain support from the Iraqi population as well as by the British officials who favored a controlled Arab independence. It was eventually accepted by the British Government and by Faysal, but Wilson would not be there to participate in its implementation. The British government decided not to follow Wilson's views, and instead grant independence to Iraq. The British government removed Wilson from his position in Iraq, and knighted him. Deeply disappointed by the turn of events, he left the public service and joined APOC
Anglo-Persian Oil Company
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company was founded in 1908 following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjed Soleiman, Iran. It was the first company to extract petroleum from the Middle East...
as manager of their Middle Eastern operations.
World War II
In 1933, he was elected as MP for HitchinHitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
. Before 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...
, his outspoken views evoked a lot of criticism. The New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
described him as "an admirer of Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and an unscrupulous propagandist for Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
and Hitler".
However, in October 1939 after the outbreak of the war, he joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Volunteer Reserve, serving as a pilot officer (air gunner) in 37 Squadron
No. 37 Squadron RAF
-History:No. 37 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Orfordness, Suffolk, on 15 April 1916 but ceased to exist a month later. In September of that year, it was re-formed, with headquarters at Woodham Mortimer, in Essex. It responsibilities included defending London against aerial attack...
of RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
. He stated that "I have no desire to shelter myself and live in safety behind the ramparts of the bodies of millions of our young men." Still an MP, he was killed in action in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, around Dunkirk, on 31 May 1940 when his Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
bomber crash landed. He is buried at Eringhem
Eringhem
Eringhem is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is located about half way between Dunkirk and Saint-Omer....
churchyard, half-way between Dunkirk and Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
.
His book, S.W. Persia: Letters and Diary of a Young Political Officer 1907-1914 (1941) was published posthumously.
External links
- Winning his spurs as a stoker -- this includes a photograph of Wilson, taken around 1916.