Theodore Percival Cameron Wilson (April 25, 1888 - March 23, 1918), was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

poet and novelist of 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 ...

, best known for his poem '' Magpies in Picardy'', published posthumously in 1919 by

The Poetry Bookshop The Poetry Bookshop operated at 35 Devonshire Street (now Boswell Street) in the Bloomsbury district of central London, from 1913 to 1926. It was the brainchild of Harold Monro, and was supported by his moderate income.Joy Grant, ''Harold Monro a ...

. Wilson was born in

Paignton Paignton ( ) is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the borough of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignt ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, where his father, Theodore Cameron Wilson, was vicar of Christchurch. His mother was Annie Smith, possibly an American; his grandfather, the Rev.

Theodore Percival Wilson Rev. Theodore Percival "Percy" Wilson (1819 – 8 August 1881), generally known as T. P. Wilson, was an Anglican priest and author known for his pioneering, albeit brief, work in Adelaide, South Australia. History Wilson was born in England, a son ...

was, albeit briefly, a pioneering priest in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and first headmaster of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

's great Anglican school, St Peter's College. He was also a popular novelist, noted for ''Frank Oldfield'', set in South Australia and England on the theme of

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

. Wilson was the fourth of six children; the youngest brother became a successful actor under the name of Charles Cameron, and one sister, Marjorie, was a published poet. Wilson preferred to be known as "Jim" rather than by any of his given forenames. He was scrappily educated, went to

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in 1907 as a non-collegiate student, and left without a degree in about 1910 to become a teacher at a preparatory school, Mount Arlington in Hindhead, Surrey. One of his pupils was the son of the poet Harold Monro, who became a friend. His first novel, ''The Friendly Enemy'', was published in 1913. Before the

broke out, he spent much of his leisure time at the Poetry Bookshop in London, which was run by Monro, and probably wrote a great many poems and short stories. Upon the British entry into World War I in August 1914, though quite unmilitary, Wilson joined the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...

, and the following year obtained a commission in the

Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to f ...

. He reached the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

in February 1916 and was horrified by what he saw. Some emotional letters home said that a man had to be 'either a peace-maker or a degenerate'. ''Magpies in Picardy'' was published in the '' Westminster Gazette'' on 16 August 1916. At around the same time he was moved to the staff and was introduced to General

Sir Douglas Haig Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior officer of the British Army. During the First World War, he commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front from late 1915 until ...

, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in Belgium and France. He continued to write poems, but became more and more depressed by his situation, but fortified by the belief that theirs would end all wars. Having gained promotion to the rank of

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 ...

, he was moved back to the front line and was killed at

Hermies Hermies () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Hermies is a farming village situated southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D5 and the D19 roads. Population Places of inter ...

in France during the great German assault in late March 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the Missing and on the lychgate at

Little Eaton Little Eaton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Derbyshire. The population as taken at the 2011 Census was 2,430. The name originated from Anglo Saxon times and means the "little town by the water". It is on the former rou ...

church,

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

. His collected poems were published by Monro in 1919 under the title ''Magpies in Picardy'' and a second novel, ''Bolts from the Blue'', appeared in 1929.

References

Further reading