Air Marshal Archibald Oliver Garfield Wilson (28 May 19214 July 2014) was a Rhodesian fighter pilot who served in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

during

World War II 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 ...

. He went on to become a senior commander and then Air Marshal in the Rhodesian Air Force in the 1960s and early 1970s. After retirement, he served two terms in the Rhodesian House of Assembly, in the Zimbabwe-Rhodesian Parliament in 1979, and then in the Zimbabwe Parliament in 1981–1982. He held several

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

portfolios prior to the

Internal Settlement The Internal Settlement was an agreement which was signed on 3 March 1978 between Prime Minister of Rhodesia Ian Smith and the moderate African nationalist leaders comprising Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Ndabaningi Sithole and Senator Chief Jeremiah Chi ...

. He resigned in 1982 to emigrate, with his wife Lorna, to Australia's Gold Coast in 1982. He became a citizen of Australia in 1988.

Air force career

Wilson joined the

Southern Rhodesian Air Force The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury (now Harare) which represented several entities under various names between 1935 and 1980: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was the ...

in 1939. He served in

as a pilot and then as Officer Commanding No. 238 Squadron from 1943. After the War he held command positions in Southern Rhodesian Air Force (later the Royal Rhodesian Air Force and the Rhodesian Air Force). From 10 June 1957 to 22 June 1959, he was commanding officer of RRAF Thornhill. Wilson was involved in directing the Rhodesian counter-insurgency operations in

Nyasaland Nyasaland () was a British protectorate located in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasala ...

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

and

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

. On 8 February 1969 Wilson was appointed Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Rhodesian Air Force, receiving promotion to the rank of

Air vice-marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

. With Rhodesia becoming a republic from 2 March 1970, Wilson oversaw various changes to the force and his role, including new ranks, ensign, roundel, and the renaming of the force from 8 August 1970 as the "Rhodesian Air Force" (RhAF). At the same time his office of Chief of the Air Staff was changed to Commander of the Air Force, and Wilson was promoted to the rank of Air marshal. In 1970–71 Wilson was involved in the development of the secret

Alcora Exercise Alcora Exercise ( pt, Exercício Alcora, af, Alcora Oefening) or simply Alcora was a secret military alliance between South Africa, Portugal, and Rhodesia, formally in force between 1970 and 1974. The code name "Alcora" being an acronym for " ...

military alliance between Rhodesia,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the 1947 formation of the Southern Rhodesia Air Force in November 1972, Wilson announced: "Our Air Force will continue to fulfil its role with quiet efficiency and is ready and able to do its duty – come what may." After 32 years, Wilson retired from Air Force service on 15 April 1973, being the last remaining member of the original Southern Rhodesia Air Force and the last Chief of the Air Staff. On his retirement he expressed a hopeful tone: "Terrorism in Rhodesia will probably get worse before it gets better but the security forces will win. Terrorism cannot win. It cannot achieve its aim."

Politics

As a member of

Ian Smith Ian Douglas Smith (8 April 1919 – 20 November 2007) was a Rhodesian politician, farmer, and fighter pilot who served as Prime Minister of Rhodesia (known as Southern Rhodesia until October 1964 and now known as Zimbabwe) from 1964 to ...

Rhodesian Front The Rhodesian Front was a right-wing conservative political party in Southern Rhodesia, subsequently known as Rhodesia. It was the last ruling party of Southern Rhodesia prior to that country's unilateral declaration of independence, and the rul ...

, Wilson was elected to the House of Assembly as the member for Arundel at the Rhodesian general election in 1974. He retained his seat during the 1977 general election.

Later life

After resigning from the Senate in July 1982, Wilson decided to emigrate with his wife Lorna to Australia in August 1982. Wilson and his family settled in the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

region of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, receiving Australian citizenship on 25 October 1988. With his wife Lorna predeceasing him (27 July 1923 – 22 August 2008) when she died in Brisbane at age 85, Wilson spent his last few years in the Returned and Services League of Australia, RSL Care retirement community in Pinjarra Hills, Queensland, Pinjarra Hills until his death at the age of 93 on 4 July 2014. He is buried with his wife in Tamborine Mountain Cemetery.

Honours

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Archibald 1921 births 2014 deaths People from Bulawayo Rhodesian Air Force air marshals Southern Rhodesian military personnel of World War II Southern Rhodesian World War II pilots Rhodesian military personnel of the Bush War Zimbabwean people of British descent White Rhodesian people Officers of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Rhodesian Front politicians Naturalised citizens of Australia Zimbabwean emigrants to Australia Members of the Parliament of Rhodesia Members of the Senate of Zimbabwe