Robert Kenneth Wilson
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Robert Kenneth Wilson
MB BChir Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United Kin ...
,
FRCSEd The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located o ...
(26 January 1899 – 6 June 1969) was a general
surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...
and
gynaecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with ...
in London, who in 1934 supposedly took a photograph purporting to show the
Loch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...
. This became known as "the surgeon's photograph" and was widely regarded as genuine, although scepticism was expressed about this from the start. Analysis and confessions by the perpetrators in the 1990s confirmed that it was an elaborate hoax. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Wilson joined the
Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
and was parachuted behind enemy lines into German-occupied Europe. For operations in occupied France, he was awarded the
Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
by the French government and the
Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...
by the Dutch government. He spent the latter part of his career as a surgeon in Papua New Guinea.


Early life

Robert Kenneth Wilson was born in
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
and was the youngest of six children of Dr William Wilson MRCS, LRCP (1857–1909), a Scottish medical missionary and his wife Hannah (née Henderson), who were
Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
. In 1895, the French colonial rulers suppressed a local nationalist uprising. The subsequent unrest led his parents to decide that their youngest son should return to the safety of England, where he was brought up by his elder sister Emeline (1883-1966), who had married William Adlington Cadbury (1867–1957), a member of the wealthy Quaker
Cadbury family The Cadbury family is a wealthy British family of Quaker industrialists descending from Richard Tapper Cadbury. * Richard Tapper Cadbury (1768–1860) draper and abolitionist, who financed his sons' start-up business ** John Cadbury (1801–1889 ...
of industrialists and confectioners. Wilson went to school at
Leighton Park School Leighton Park School is a co-educational Independent school (United Kingdom), independent school for both day and boarding pupils in Reading, Berkshire, Reading in South East England. The school's ethos is closely tied to the Quaker values, havin ...
, Reading. As a schoolboy he took a particular interest in nature and zoology and was later described as "a very good field naturalist who knows all about the British birds and beasts". He left school at the age of seventeen to join the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
, serving on the Western Front in the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. He sustained wounds to the left hand and right leg, which left him with a permanent limp, and was subsequently
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 ...
. After the war he won a scholarship to read medicine at Trinity Hall,
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, where he joined the University
Officer Training Corps The Officers' Training Corps (OTC), more fully called the University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), are military leadership training units operated by the British Army. Their focus is to develop the leadership abilities of their members whilst ...
(OTC). He completed the clinical part of his medical studies at the
London Hospital The Royal London Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of Barts Health NHS Trust. It provides district general hospital services for the City of London and Tower Hamlets and sp ...
, qualifying with the Conjoint diploma ( MRCS, LRCP) in 1923 and going on to graduate
MB BChir Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United Kin ...
in 1925.


Early surgical career

After qualifying he spent three years in junior medical posts at the London Hospital. In 1926 he passed the examinations to become a Fellow of the
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...
(FRCSEd) and, after three years in
general practice General practice is the name given in various nations, such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to the services provided by general practitioners. In some nations, such as the US, similar services may be describe ...
, he set up in private practice in Queen Anne Street, London as a general surgeon and gynaecologist.


Firearms work

In 1924 he enlisted in the Territorial Army, initially with the rank of lieutenant, and from 1931 also joined the
Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...
as a Territorial officer, rising to the rank of
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
. By this time he had developed an interest in and knowledge of firearms and was able to supplement his income by appearing in court as an expert witness. Sir Gerard Burrard, author of ''The identification of firearms and forensic ballistics'', wrote that his "...work on self-loading pistols has placed him in the front rank of authorities on the mechanisms of firearms". In 1943 Wilson published his own textbook on automatic pistols, which was republished in 1990.


The surgeon's photograph

While on a shooting and fishing trip to the north of Scotland in 1934 with a friend, Maurice Chambers, Wilson took photographic plates to Ogston's chemists shop in
Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
to be developed and printed. Two of the prints purported to show the
Loch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...
and one was sold to the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
'' for £100. This was published in the ''Daily Mail'' on 21 April 1934 and became known as 'the surgeon's photograph'. Wilson did not publicise his involvement and tried to exclude his name from the inevitable publicity, yet was fined by the
British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...
for allowing his name to be associated with the photograph in what was regarded as a breach of professional ethics. The photograph became the most famous on the subject and was subjected to scientific scrutiny over the ensuing years. Although there were doubts from the outset about its authenticity, no credible explanation about what it depicted was forthcoming until the 1990s. After the death of Maurice Chambers in 1994, some of his personal papers revealed that the photograph had been an elaborate hoax by a group of conspirators. The photo had been taken by Marmaduke Wetherell, a big game hunter and film maker, and depicted a toy submarine to which had been added a 'head and neck' made of plastic wood. It had been made by Christian Spurling (1904–1993), an artist and sculptor, who corroborated the story in 1993 at the age of ninety. Wilson had been selected by the group as the 'front man' because he enjoyed a practical joke and because his status as a physician might lend credibility to the story.


Service in World War II

On the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in 1939 Wilson closed his London practice and served in the 85th Field Regiment Royal Artillery in
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
with the rank of
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
. He applied, successfully, to join the
Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
(SOE). He took part in
Operation Jedburgh Operation Jedburgh was a clandestine operation during World War II in which three-man teams of operatives of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the Free French Bureau central de renseignem ...
which was undertaken by around one hundred three-man teams of special forces soldiers from allied countries, who were trained to work with resistance groups in occupied countries. He led the team codenamed Daniel II whose other members were Lt. Paul Sherrer of the Free French Forces and Sgt. G. W. Mason. To enable him to take an operational role in this clandestine activity he was required to reduce rank to major. In 1944 he was parachuted into occupied France and for this mission he was awarded the
Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
by the French government. After a second mission into occupied Holland, he was awarded the
Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...
by the government of Holland. In 1945, units of the SOE were deployed to south-east Asia under
South East Asia Command South East Asia Command (SEAC) was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allies of World War II, Allied operations in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, South-East Asian Theatre during the World War II, Second World War. Histo ...
(SEAC) to work alongside Australia's
Z Special Unit Z Special Unit () was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia. Predominantly Australian, Z Special Unit was a specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit that in ...
. Wilson took part in
Operation Semut Operation Semut was a series of reconnaissance operations carried out by Australia's Z Special Unit in 1945, during the final stages of World War II. This operation was the part of the Borneo Campaign, and was undertaken in Sarawak, northwestern ...
II and was parachuted behind enemy lines in
Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the M ...
, Borneo. He wrote a formal account of the actions of Semut II in the jungle warfare against Japanese forces in Sarawak.Wilson RK. Report by Major RK Wilson Commanding Operation Semut II to Commanding Officer SRD. ‘Operations Semut II 25 June 14–July 1945’, AWM File 417/1/32. Australian War Memorial.


Post-war career

On demobilisation Wilson returned to the UK and set up a fishery on the
Solway Firth The Solway Firth ( gd, Tràchd Romhra) is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in ...
in southern Scotland where he remained for the next five years. In 1950 he was appointed as medical officer in
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
. He served as a surgeon initially in
Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
and from 1953 in
Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
. He retired from surgery in 1956, becoming a medical officer for the Australian Petroleum Company in Port Moresby. He died in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia on 6 June 1969.


Family

In 1924 in Melbourne Wilson married Gwen Gulliver, daughter of George Ekins Gulliver, a farmer, and his wife
Henrietta Maria Gulliver Henrietta Maria Gulliver (29 October 1866 – 15 July 1945) was an Australian artist who specialized in landscape and floral still-life paintings. She was also a florist, horticulturalist and landscape designer. Life and Family Henrietta grew ...
, a noted Australian artist. They had two sons, Richard and Phillip.


Selected publications

*Wilson, R.K. (1943). ''Textbook of automatic pistols: Being a treatise on the history, development and functioning of the modern military self-loading pistol, its special ammunition, and their evolvement into the sub-machine gun, together with a supplementing chapter on the light machine gun. 1884-1935''. Plantersville, S.C: Small-Arms Technical Pub. Co. *Wilson, R.K. (1957). Chest surgery in New Guinea. ''Tubercle''. 38. 117–122. 10.1016/S0041-3879(57)80006-3. *Wilson, R.K. (1953). Traumatic rupture of the spleen. ''
The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823. The journal publishes original research articles, ...
''. 265. 545-6. 10.1016/S0140-6736(53)90278-5. *Wilson, R.K. (1954). A pancreatic calculus. ''The Lancet'' 267(6834):367-8 Â
10.1016/S0140-6736(53)90278-5 ·
*Wilson, R.K. & Turner, C. (1957). Appendicitis in Papua. ''
The Medical Journal of Australia The ''Medical Journal of Australia'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal published 22 times a year. It is the official journal of the Australian Medical Association, published by Wiley on behalf of the Australasian Medical Publishing Company. The ...
''. 44. 387-9.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Robert Kenneth 1899 births 1969 deaths People educated at Leighton Park School Alumni of the University of London Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh 20th-century surgeons British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery officers Royal Army Medical Corps officers Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Recipients of the Order of Orange-Nassau Special Operations Executive personnel British expatriates in Madagascar