267:. Their observation post came under direct fire from two of these guns which scored 30–40 hits on the mill. Wilson was knocked down by the blast from one explosion, and hit by falling masonry but continued to assist Fyffe. Allied artillery was able to use the information provided to break up the counterattack. The award of the medal was
211:
Wilson joined the 79th
Regiment of the Royal Artillery when many of his fellow soldiers were half his age. He was assigned to the radio division, which meant that his unit would land with the first group of soldiers on
323:, the French ambassador, in London. When he was 90 years old, Wilson became an honorary member of the Dunbar and District Probus Club. He also received the "Our Forces Hero" award from the
179:
for his grammar school education. When he was fourteen, he began working at McNiven and
Cameron's, who were the makers of the Waverley pens. Wilson met his wife, Lily (née Ross) during a
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350:, whom he had already met that day, "You know, madam, we'll have to stop meeting like this." Later, when he met the then-Prime Minister,
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331:. In October 2004, Jock attended both the opening of the new Parliament in Edinburgh and Scotland's World Cup Qualifier against
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Known for his sense of humour, when Wilson and other veterans were meeting dignitaries after an awards ceremony, he said to
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determine where to deploy troops. Wilson was injured twice in the war and still had shrapnel in his arm after the war.
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385:, at the Belhaven Hospital. He had received the first card from the Queen on his 104th birthday.
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and had a daughter called Joyce in 1944. When Joyce was only two weeks old, Jock Wilson flew to
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299:. Wilson lived with his daughter for 43 years before moving to the Hollytrees Nursing Home in
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Crematorium in
Edinburgh. It was conducted by Charles Robertson, the Chaplain to the
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and participated in the fighting that led to one of the biggest defeats for
Germany.
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655:"Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Wilson, John Nicholson"
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overnight, and established their observation post in a flour mill in the battalion
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Wilson celebrated his 105th birthday at the Dunbar Club and received a bottle of
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354:, Wilson joked, "The only person to go into parliament with good intentions was
401:, on 29 September 2008, at the age of 105. His funeral service was held at the
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263:. At around 0830, the German forces launched a counterattack, supported by
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for his actions on 14 February 1945, near the village of Viller in the
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and dedicated it to the soldiers who had lost their lives on D-Day in
216:, 6 June 1944. Under constant attack, he and his comrades assembled a
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to transmit information about the enemy's movements which helped the
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712:"Jock Wilson – Britain's oldest surviving veteran of D-Day landings"
670:(fee may be required to view full original recommendation for medal)
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services. During the
Remembrance Services in 2001, Wilson placed a
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After the death of his wife in 1964, he moved from
Edinburgh to
808:"Oldest Normandy veteran Jock Wilson celebrates 105th birthday"
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so that he could live with Joyce and her husband, Tom. In that
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to fight with the 79th
Regiment of the Royal Artillery against
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502:"Real Lives – D-Day landings hero celebrates 105th birthday"
339:. He watched both events, which were 50 miles apart, in a
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139:(7 September 1903 – 29 September 2008) was a British
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171:John "Jock" Wilson was born on 7 September 1903 in
584:"France's top honour given to the oldest survivor"
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796:
424:
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319:, a prestigious military award of France, from
840:"Our Heroes 2004 Awards: Salute to Our Heroes"
287:town, he was considered a "central figure" at
510:. Edinburgh. 6 September 2008. Archived from
243:Fyffe who was attached to 1st Battalion, the
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720:. Edinburgh. 1 October 2008. Archived from
147:veteran. Wilson was a soldier in the 79th (
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239:. He was acting as technical assistant to
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700:(Supplement). 22 May 1945. p. 2648.
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431:"D-Day hero Jock dies at the age of 105"
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459:"Oldest Normandy veteran dies aged 105"
912:British Army personnel of World War II
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496:
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806:Campbell, Avril (12 September 2008).
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167:Personal life before Second World War
457:Paterson, Liam (30 September 2008).
744:"France honours D-Day veteran Jock"
623:"Jock has 105 reasons to celebrate"
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206:
13:
917:Recipients of the Legion of Honour
631:. 4 September 2008. Archived from
546:Torrance, David (5 October 2008).
429:Campbell, Avril (3 October 2008).
191:. They married in October 1934 in
14:
963:
937:Military personnel from Edinburgh
776:"French honour D-Day centenarian"
582:Horsnell, Michael (2 June 2004).
143:, who was Great Britain's oldest
947:People educated at Leith Academy
922:Recipients of the Military Medal
373:, which was presented to him by
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407:Normandy Veterans' Association
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1:
752:. 1 June 2004. Archived from
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155:. On 6 June 1944, during the
365:. He also received a second
134:John Nicholson "Jock" Wilson
7:
467:. Edinburgh. Archived from
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389:Death and funeral service
315:Wilson also received the
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55:
35:
27:
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952:Royal Artillery soldiers
932:British men centenarians
592:. London. Archived from
175:, Scotland. He attended
942:Scottish Horse soldiers
297:Princes Street Gardens
927:Scottish centenarians
663:The National Archives
295:on a memorial at the
868:"Operation Old Jock"
820:on 30 September 2008
813:East Lothian Courier
635:on 12 September 2008
628:East Lothian Courier
436:East Lothian Courier
393:Jock Wilson died in
235:municipality of the
311:In addition to his
265:self-propelled guns
227:He was awarded the
183:at a Marine Garden
159:, Wilson landed at
151:) Medium Regiment,
100:) Medium Regiment,
697:The London Gazette
560:on 25 October 2008
514:on 12 October 2008
471:on 19 October 2008
371:Queen Elizabeth II
348:Queen Elizabeth II
307:Awards and honours
249:artillery observer
876:. 11 October 2004
724:on 4 October 2008
596:on 9 October 2008
301:Belhaven Hospital
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59:29 September 2008
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317:LĂ©gion d'honneur
271:on 24 May 1945.
207:Second World War
157:Second World War
126:LĂ©gion d'honneur
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46:7 September 1903
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102:Royal Artillery
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848:. 24 June 2008
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784:. 2 June 2004
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878:. Retrieved
873:Daily Record
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862:
850:. Retrieved
845:Daily Record
843:
834:
822:. Retrieved
818:the original
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786:. Retrieved
781:Western Mail
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758:. Retrieved
754:the original
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726:. Retrieved
722:the original
717:The Scotsman
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674:. Retrieved
667:the original
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637:. Retrieved
633:the original
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598:. Retrieved
594:the original
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558:the original
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516:. Retrieved
512:the original
507:The Scotsman
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473:. Retrieved
469:the original
464:The Scotsman
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440:. Retrieved
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392:
375:East Lothian
360:
345:
337:Hampden Park
325:Daily Record
310:
285:East Lothian
278:
275:Postwar life
226:
210:
201:Nazi Germany
170:
133:
132:
108:Battles/wars
87:British Army
61:(2008-09-29)
15:
907:2008 deaths
902:1903 births
692:"No. 37091"
245:Black Watch
237:Netherlands
193:Morningside
28:Nickname(s)
22:John Wilson
896:Categories
553:The Herald
413:References
403:Mortonhall
356:Guy Fawkes
352:Tony Blair
261:bridgehead
161:Juno Beach
141:serviceman
73:Allegiance
68:, Scotland
51:, Scotland
42:1903-09-07
880:7 October
852:7 October
824:8 October
788:7 October
760:7 October
728:8 October
676:7 October
639:8 October
600:8 October
589:The Times
564:7 October
518:7 October
475:7 October
442:7 October
341:limousine
303:in 2007.
181:tea party
173:Edinburgh
49:Edinburgh
399:Scotland
329:Normandy
269:gazetted
197:Normandy
189:Seafield
185:ballroom
81:Service/
257:Buffalo
241:Captain
395:Dunbar
333:Norway
281:Dunbar
233:Gennep
222:Allies
118:Awards
96:79th (
83:branch
66:Dunbar
369:from
293:poppy
255:in a
253:Niers
247:, as
214:D-Day
145:D-Day
112:D-Day
882:2008
854:2008
826:2008
790:2008
762:2008
730:2008
678:2008
641:2008
602:2008
566:2008
520:2008
477:2008
444:2008
363:malt
93:Unit
56:Died
36:Born
31:Jock
749:BBC
377:’s
335:at
187:in
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798:^
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137:MM
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