Guy George Egerton Wylly, (17 February 1880 – 9 January 1962) was a senior

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

officer and an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces, for actions during the Second Boer War.

Early life

Wylly was born on 17 February 1880 in

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

, Tasmania, to Edward Arthur Egerton Wylly; an officer in the Indian Army, and his wife Henrietta Mary, née Clerk. As an infant Wylly went to India with his parents, before settling at Sandy Bay,

in 1885, where he attended The Hutchins School before completing his education at the

Collegiate School of St Peter, Adelaide , other_name = The Collegiate School of St Peter , seal_image = St Peter's College, Adelaide Logo.svg , seal_size = 150 , image = SPSC chapel and memorial hall.jpg , image_size ...

. His father retired from the army in 1888.

Boer War

As a 20-year-old, he became a lieutenant in the Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen, raised to fight in the Second Boer War. On 1 September 1900 near Warm Bad, Transvaal, South Africa, Lieutenant Wylly was part of a force under Herbert Plumer which engaged a small group of Boers at Rooikop. The Imperial forces captured 100 rifles, 40,000 rounds of ammunition, 7 Boers, 350 cattle, and 2 supply wagons. After the engagement, Wylly was reported to have been severely wounded, along with another Tasmanian officer, and 3 men from the Bushmen. On 18 September 1900, the ''

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

'' carried an announcement that Wylly had been granted a commission as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the Royal Berkshire Regiment, on the nomination of the Governor of Tasmania, backdated to 19 May 1900. On 16 November, this appointment was cancelled for some reason. On 23 November his VC was gazetted, with the following citation: On 5 December, came a new commission as a second lieutenant, now in the South Lancashire Regiment. Confusingly, '' The Times'' of 14 January 1901 listed in a report of killed and wounded "2nd Berkshire Regiment.—Lieut. G. Wylly, dangerously wounded, doing well, Nooitgedacht, date not stated." Whether this was a new wound, or he had not yet recovered from the wound he received in September, his condition was such that he was invalided to England, leaving Cape Town on 5 March 1901, on the hospital ship ''Avoca'', which arrived at Southampton on 26 March. The report of this also indicates that he was serving with 2nd Battalion, South Lancs. By the following Sunday, 31 March, when the United Kingdom Census 1901 was taken, he was staying with his uncle, Robert M Clark, a retired colonel, at Charlton House in Shepton Mallett. He was presented with his VC at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

by King Edward VII on 25 July 1901. On 5 March 1902 he was promoted to lieutenant in the South Lancashire Regiment. He transferred to the Indian Army on 1 October 1902. On 7 January 1906 Wylly was appointed the aide-de-camp to the commander in chief, India, who was then

Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, (; 24 June 1850 – 5 June 1916) was a senior British Army officer and colonial administrator. Kitchener came to prominence for his imperial campaigns, his scorched earth policy against the Boers, h ...

. Wylly had been serving with the Corps of Guides. He was promoted

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 26 April 1909. In 1913 he passed the examination for entry to the Staff College, Quetta, but not high enough up the list to be admitted immediately.

First World War and after

Four months after the British entry into World War I, he was appointed a staff captain on 14 December 1914, and advanced to brigade major on 14 September 1915. He finally completed the staff course at Quetta in February 1916, was promoted to temporary

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on 26 April 1916, and on 20 June 1916 he was appointed a general staff officer, Grade 2. He was

Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

on 15 June 1916. Following Lord Kitchener's death, Wylly, along with others who had also served as Kitchener's aides, received a bequest of £200. He received a further Mention in Despatches on 15 May 1917, and again on 11 December 1917. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the

1918 New Year Honours The 1918 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were published in ''The London Gazette'' and ''The Times'' in Ja ...

. The war came to an end on 11 November 1918 and, during the Third Anglo-Afghan War, Wylly again served as a general staff officer, Grade 2 from 6 May 1919. He was promoted lieutenant colonel on 26 April 1926. From 15 November 1926 until his retirement in 1933, Wylly was an aide-de-camp to King George V. On 9 November 1929 he was appointed an assistant adjutant and quartermaster general (AA & QMG) in India, he had also by now been given

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

promotion to colonel. He received substantive promotion to colonel on 26 April 1930, with seniority from 15 November 1926. On 6 May 1931 he was Mentioned in Despatches for his part in the campaign against the Afridi and Red Shirt Rebellion as AA & QMG Peshawar District. He was appointed

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

in the 1933 King's Birthday Honours. He received a further Mention on 8 September 1933 for his part in the Chitral Reliefs. He stepped down as AA & QMG of Peshawar on 9 November 1933, retired from the army on 30 December. A final Mention was gazetted on 3 July 1934, for his part in the Mohmand and Bajaur Operations between 28 July and 3 October 1933. He attended an investiture at

on 27 February 1934 to receive his insignia for the Order of the Bath. Following his retirement he worked for the Retired Army Officers Employment Bureau. Although he did not reach the age limit for service until 17 February 1940, he was not recalled for service in the Second World War. He died on 9 January 1962 in Camberley, Surrey, at the age of 81. His medal is on display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart.

References

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Woking Crematorium)''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wylly, Guy George Egerton 1880 births 1962 deaths Burials in Surrey Royal Berkshire Regiment officers Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta Military personnel from Tasmania Australian Army officers Australian military personnel of the Second Boer War Australian recipients of the Victoria Cross British Indian Army officers Indian Army personnel of World War I Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Companions of the Order of the Bath People educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide People from Hobart Second Boer War recipients of the Victoria Cross South Lancashire Regiment officers British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Afghan War