David Willison
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir David Willison KCB
, OBE
, MC
(25 December 1919 – 24 April 2009) was a British soldier who served with the Royal Engineers
between 1939 and 1963, from when he served in a series of military intelligence roles until his retirement from the army in 1975. Willison then became Director-General
of British Intelligence until 1978.
. Before attending Wellington College
, David Willison lived in Egypt, where his father, Brigadier
A C Willison served. David Willison was married twice. First, in 1941 to Betty Vernon Bates with whom he had three children (a son and two daughters); after Betty's death, he married Trisha Clitherow in 1994.
for the highest academic achievement of his term. He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1939 and in 1942 he was an instructor at the School of Military Engineering
(specialising in bailey bridge
s).
Willison's first active service was briefly at Sword Beach
at Ouistreham
in Normandy
on D-Day
. He was in command of 17th Field Company, attached to the 3rd Divisional engineers and, during fighting at Bénouville
on the evening of D-Day, he was seriously wounded by shrapnel and did not return to service until the following August. The wound caused pain for much of his life.
On his return to the 3rd Divisional engineers, Willison took command of 246 Field Company, near Venray
in the Netherlands
. In March, 1945, during the advance on Bremen
, his company had to reopen a mined road and a demolished bridge through flooded low-lying lands, in preparation for an assault. Working under heavy shelling, he supervised the installation of a bailey bridge and the clearance of mines and obstructions. In particular, he personally made safe a naval mine
, for which he was awarded the Military Cross
.
Over the following several postwar years, Willison attended the Staff College, Camberley
(where he was judged to be one of the most outstanding students), served as brigade major
with 1 Indian Infantry Brigade as part of the reoccupation force in Java
, served as a staff officer at HQ Malaya Command
, posted to the War Office
in London and took command of 16 Field Company, Royal Engineers, stationed in Egypt.
In 1953, he was posted to Berlin
to command the Royal Engineers there. While in Berlin, Willison assisted with a clandestine Anglo-American effort to tap a major Russian military telephone cable, by constructing an underground facility (the Russians discovered the security breach a few months later).
After a spell from 1955 to 1958 as an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley, Willison was posted to Aden
where he supported the Special Air Service
's assistance to the Sultan of Oman
in the Djebel Akhdar during a pro-Nasser rebellion. He subsequently commanded 38 Engineer Regiment from 1960. This unit was part of the Strategic reserve
, with detachments in several trouble spots; this gave Willison additional international experience.
In 1963, Willison was appointed as Colonel MI4
at the War Office with assessments of Middle Eastern issues as his main concern. Key Intelligence appointments followed his acknowledged success at MI4: Brigadier Defence Intelligence in 1967, Assistant Chief of Staff (Intelligence) in Northern Army Group
in 1970, Director of Service Intelligence in 1971 and finally Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence) in 1972.
policy. During his period in intelligence, Willison built an international reputation for himself.
After retirement, Willison became a consultant, first to the National Westminster Bank
and then to County NatWest Investment Bank, until 1991.
David Willison died on April 24, 2009.
He demanded high standards of those around him and his abrupt manner made uncomfortable to subordinates and superiors alike, but he would be loyal to those who achieved such standards and supportive of those afflicted by tragedy.
, Royal Engineers (1973–1982) and of Chief Royal Engineer
(1977–1982) and Freeman of the City of London in 1981.
|-
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, 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....
(25 December 1919 – 24 April 2009) was a British soldier who served with the 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....
between 1939 and 1963, from when he served in a series of military intelligence roles until his retirement from the army in 1975. Willison then became Director-General
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
of British Intelligence until 1978.
Family and private life
Willison was born in CamberleyCamberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
. Before attending Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
, David Willison lived in Egypt, where his father, Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
A C Willison served. David Willison was married twice. First, in 1941 to Betty Vernon Bates with whom he had three children (a son and two daughters); after Betty's death, he married Trisha Clitherow in 1994.
Army career
After Wellington College, Willison came first in the Army entrance exam and attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, passing out top of his year and winning the Pollock MedalPollock Medal
The Pollock Medal is a prize awarded to the best cadet of the season, in commemoration of Sir George Pollock's exploits in Afghanistan, first at the East India Company's Military Seminary, at Addiscombe Military Academy, and later at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.- Foundation :In 1844, the...
for the highest academic achievement of his term. He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1939 and in 1942 he was an instructor at the School of Military Engineering
School of Military Engineering
School of Military Engineering may refer to a training institution for military engineering such as:*Royal School of Military Engineering of the British Army*College of Military Engineering, Pune of the Indian Army...
(specialising in bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
s).
Willison's first active service was briefly at Sword Beach
Sword Beach
Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
at Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. He was in command of 17th Field Company, attached to the 3rd Divisional engineers and, during fighting at Bénouville
Bénouville
Bénouville is the name of several communes in France:*Bénouville, in the Calvados département*Bénouville, in the Seine-Maritime département...
on the evening of D-Day, he was seriously wounded by shrapnel and did not return to service until the following August. The wound caused pain for much of his life.
On his return to the 3rd Divisional engineers, Willison took command of 246 Field Company, near Venray
Venray
Venray is a municipality and a town in Limburg, Netherlands, 115 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam. Venray has about 43,000 inhabitants.- Population centres :...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. In March, 1945, during the advance on Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, his company had to reopen a mined road and a demolished bridge through flooded low-lying lands, in preparation for an assault. Working under heavy shelling, he supervised the installation of a bailey bridge and the clearance of mines and obstructions. In particular, he personally made safe a naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
, for which 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....
.
Over the following several postwar years, Willison attended the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
(where he was judged to be one of the most outstanding students), served as brigade major
Brigade Major
In the British Army, a Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade. He held the rank of Major and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly and oversaw the two other branches, "A - Administration" and "Q - Quartermaster"...
with 1 Indian Infantry Brigade as part of the reoccupation force in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, served as a staff officer at HQ Malaya Command
Malaya Command
The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore.-History:...
, posted to the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in London and took command of 16 Field Company, Royal Engineers, stationed in Egypt.
In 1953, he was posted to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to command the Royal Engineers there. While in Berlin, Willison assisted with a clandestine Anglo-American effort to tap a major Russian military telephone cable, by constructing an underground facility (the Russians discovered the security breach a few months later).
After a spell from 1955 to 1958 as an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley, Willison was posted to Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
where he supported the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
's assistance to the Sultan of Oman
Sultan of Oman
-List of Imams :-Nabhan Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Banu Ghafir Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Al Said Dynasty :-See also:...
in the Djebel Akhdar during a pro-Nasser rebellion. He subsequently commanded 38 Engineer Regiment from 1960. This unit was part of the Strategic reserve
Strategic reserve
For the military term see: Military reserveA strategic reserve is a term used to describe a reserve of a commodity or items, held back from normal use by governments, organisations or business in pursuance of a particular strategy or to cope with unexpected events.A strategic reserve can be:*...
, with detachments in several trouble spots; this gave Willison additional international experience.
In 1963, Willison was appointed as Colonel MI4
MI4
MI4 was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, Section 4, part of the War Office. It was responsible for aerial reconnaissance and interpretation. It developed into the present day JARIC agency.-History:...
at the War Office with assessments of Middle Eastern issues as his main concern. Key Intelligence appointments followed his acknowledged success at MI4: Brigadier Defence Intelligence in 1967, Assistant Chief of Staff (Intelligence) in Northern Army Group
Northern Army Group
The Northern Army Group was a NATO military formation comprising four Western European Army Corps, during the Cold War as part of NATO's forward defence in the Federal Republic of Germany.- History :...
in 1970, Director of Service Intelligence in 1971 and finally Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence) in 1972.
Later career
Willison retired from the Army in 1975, but stayed within public service. He was immediately appointed as Director-General of Intelligence (equivalent to a Deputy Under Secretary of State) until retirement in 1978. During this period, the Labour Government of the day was persuaded to increase defence spending and renew the British nuclear deterrent, against official Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
policy. During his period in intelligence, Willison built an international reputation for himself.
After retirement, Willison became a consultant, first to the National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank Plc, commonly known as NatWest, is the largest retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom and has been part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc since 2000. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is ranked as the second largest bank in the world by assets...
and then to County NatWest Investment Bank, until 1991.
David Willison died on April 24, 2009.
Assessment
Willison was a highly capable man with a rapid grasp of complex issues and the ability to express them clearly and simply. He was blessed with a good memory and wide breadth of knowledge. His abilities showed themselves during the various professional courses he undertook and he either passed out top or impressed as a brilliant student.He demanded high standards of those around him and his abrupt manner made uncomfortable to subordinates and superiors alike, but he would be loyal to those who achieved such standards and supportive of those afflicted by tragedy.
Honours
Apart from his Military Cross, Willison was appointed OBE in 1958 and knighted in 1973. He assumed the honorary roles of Colonel CommandantColonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
, Royal Engineers (1973–1982) and of Chief Royal Engineer
Chief Royal Engineer
The Chief Royal Engineer is the official head of the Corps of Royal Engineers. He was also the professional head of the Corps until 1941, when that role was moved to that of the Engineer-in-Chief.-Origin and development:...
(1977–1982) and Freeman of the City of London in 1981.
External links
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