Wilson, Field Marshal Sir (Henry) Maitland (1881–1964),British Army officer who commanded British and Empire troops during the
Balkan campaign in April 1941. He was appointed C-in-C
Middle East Command in January 1943, and succeeded
Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean in January 1944.
In September 1939 Wilson was a lt-general in command of British troops in Egypt. Early successes against the Italians were followed by a brief spell as military governor of Cyrenaica. He was then given command of Allied troops in the Balkan campaign and handled the hasty retreat from Greece with skill. On his return to the Middle East
Wavell appointed him to command British troops in Palestine and Transjordan which Wilson used to quell
Rashid Ali's revolt in Iraq in May 1941 and then in the
Syrian campaign the following month.
Although he was a very competent commander in the field, circumstances now conspired to keep Wilson at posts which required his considerable political and diplomatic skills. Churchill lobbied strongly for him to command the Eighth Army, but the new C-in-C,
Auchinleck, preferred
Cunningham. In December 1941, by which time he had been promoted general, his command became Ninth Army which covered the Levant (Syria and Lebanon) as well as Palestine and Transjordan; in August 1942 he took command of the new Persia–Iraq command (see
Paiforce); and he then succeeded
Alexander as C-in-C Middle East where his only operational involvement was against the
Dodecanese Islands. He was strongly criticized for the British failure there, but he later made it clear that it had been mounted against his better judgement on direct orders from London. During his time as Supreme Commander in the Mediterranean he oversaw the
Italian campaign as well as the last two large amphibious operations there,
Anzio and the landings on the
French Riviera. In December 1944 he handed over to Alexander, was promoted field marshal the next month, and became British representative to the
Combined Chiefs of Staff committee in Washington, a post he held until it was abolished in 1947. He was knighted in 1940.
Bibliography
Keegan, J. (ed.), Churchill's Generals (London, 1991).
