Sgt.
Arthur Wilson
"Sergeant
Arthur Wilson is one of those reticent people who rarely open
their hearts to their fellow men. For this reason he has remained
something of a man of mystery. He was born in 1887 in a rambling
country house in Gloucestershire.
His
great uncle, a peer of the realm, entered him at birth for Harrow,
but unfortunately the boy failed his common entrance exam. A lesser
public school readily accepted him, the Headmaster been another
great uncle. Young Arthur was destined for the Indian civil service
and having failed that exam it was a toss up whether he would
go into the army or a merchant bank. The great uncle with the
merchant bank lost the toss so the city had the advantage of Arthur's
early years."
"He soon
became a legend, not so much for his skill with banking, as his
skill with banker's daughters and publicans daughters - in fact,
any daughters. He served in the army from 1915 to 1918 and would
undoubtedly have beeen commissioned had he not failed to turn
up at the selection board owing to the breakdown of a chorus girl's
alarm clock."
"In the
post war years he returned to banking and in the mid-twenties
married one of Mr Cochrane's Young Ladies. She left him not long
after the birth of their only child, a daughter, who is currently
serving in the WRENS. In the mid-thirties while working at Martin's
Bank in Weston-super-Mare, he met Mrs Pike who, to his surprise,
followed him to Walmington-on-Sea when he was appointed Chief
Clerk at Mr Mainwaring's branch. He is on the list for promotion
to Branch Manager but his rise above that position is unlikely.
Arthur Wilson has run out of time-and great uncles."
Jimmy Perry
& David Croft from "Dads Army" (Elm Tree Books 1975).
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