Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

04/11/1914

Date of Discharge

20/03/1919

Place of Enlistment

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

05/10/1892

Place of Birth

Macedon, Victoria

Address (at enlistment)

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

School(s) Attended

Scotch College (Melbourne, Victoria)

Occupation

Soldier

Next of Kin

Frederick A. Wilton (father), Macedon, Victoria

Final Rank

Major

Final Unit

16 Battalion Headquarters AIF

Distinguished Service Order (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 18 April 1918, page 846, position 106), Mention in Despatches (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 29 June 1917, page 1392 position 138), Mention in Despatches (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.57, 18 April 1918)

Wilton entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon with the first intake of cadets on 22 June 1911. He was a member of the guard of honour at the Canberra naming ceremony on 12 March 1913. In 1913 he became the first president of the college photography club which recorded the activities of the cadets. He graduated from RMC on 2 November 1914 and was appointed as a Lieutenant in the 16th Battalion. He was the Signalling Officer with the 16th Battalion when they landed on Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, but he received a bullet wound to the abdomen on 1 May and was evacuated to Egypt for treatment. Whilst there he was promoted to Captain and, after recovering, returned to Gallipoli in October.

Following the evacuation of troops from the peninsula, Wilton was promoted to Major and transferred to the 4th Machine Gun Company in March 1916. In June 1916 he and his men arrived in France and the following month went into action at Pozières during the Battle of the Somme. Wilton was wounded in the leg during the fighting there on 7 August and was sent to England for treatment. He received a mention in despatches for his work as Commanding Officer of the 4th Machine Gun Company at Pozières. After his recovery he returned to France and was appointed as Brigade Major, 4th Infantry Brigade in July 1917. He was further mentioned in despatches for his work during the Third Battle of Ypres and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in January 1918. During 1918 Wilton filled training and administrative roles in England before he returned to Australia in November 1918 and married Kathleen O'Hanrahan. In 1920 he returned to Canberra as an instructor at RMC.

Wilton died in Melbourne Hospital, from injuries received in a motor vehicle accident, on 10 February 1932. At his death he was Chief Inspector of Mechanical Vehicles and was described as a 'mechanical genius' particularly with his work in field artillery traction and in developing armoured cars. His son Ian was also a Duntroon graduate.

Colonel J.E. Lee, 'Duntroon: The Royal Military College of Australia 1911-1946', 1952
AWM Honours & Awards
AWM Collections Record : PB1455
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
Stories from the ACT Memorial, 'The Honour Guard at the Canberra Commencement Ceremony', ACT Heritage Library www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/stories_from_the_act_memorial
Sun Pictorial - 11 February 1932
Argus (Melbourne) - 11 February 1932
Scotch College World War 1 web site,  www.scotch.vic.edu.au/ww1/honour/wiltonEA.htm