Field Marshall Sir Henry Wilson's Flag of Truce

I came across the medal ribbons and buttons of Field Marshall Wilson today, together with the flag of truce he had used in the South African (Boer War) at four engagements.

Wilson had a remarkable career. Born in 1864 in County Longford in Ireland, then part of the UK, he failed to get into Sandhurst, but succeeded in joining the army in the Longford Militia, a militia battalion of the Rifle Brigade, from which he joined the regular Rifle battalion.

He served in the 3rd Burmese War and was seriously wounded, and limped thereafter. He joined the Staff in 1895 and saw active service with the 4th (Light) Brigade as Brigade Major in South Africa, where he used this flag of truce. He was assistant Military Secretary to the British Commander Lord Roberts and was mentioned in despatches.

He rose rapidly on return to England, and commanded the Staff College as Brigadier General, and in 1910 became Director of Military Operations at the War Office.

He recommend the landing of an Expeditionary Force in France in the event of a German attack. Wilson argued that the high quality of the British Army would have a quite disproportionate impact on the Germans if supporting the French left wing. His arguments defeated the Navy Staff view that the British Army should operate independently by seizing Antwerp.

In 1914 he is thought to have supported the British officers at the Curragh Base (the Curragh Mutiny) who refused to lead troops against the Ulster Unionists opposed to the Irish Home Rule Bill.

On the outbreak of War, with his excellent French, he acted as liaison officer with the French Army over the crucial period from theGerman Invasion to December 1915, and then commanded IV Corps on the Western Front. In February 1918 he was appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) and was Lloyd George's principal military adviser in the closing year of the War when the whole War hung in the balance. One of his first acts was to triple the size of the Tank Corps, a key instrument in victory.

After the War he was promoted Field Marshall and was chief military adviser at Versailles where he fell out with Lloyd George.

On the partition of Ireland he joined Craig's Northern Ireland Government as adviser on security in March 1922. On 22 June two IRA assassins killed Wilson after he had unveiled the Great Eastern Railway memorial at Liverpool Street Station.