Sydney Rigby Wason

Lieutenant-General Sydney Rigby Wason, (27 September 1887 – 17 March 1969) was a senior British Army officer in the Second World War. His commands included a corps during the Battle of France and the anti-aircraft defences of Southern England and Wales during the Blitz.

Early life and family Born on 27 September 1887 at Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, Scotland, Sydney Rigby Wason was the son of James Wason, a solicitor, and Wilhelmina Margarita, née Nixon. He married Winifred Mary at Chelsea in 1921.

Military career Wason studied at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and was subsequently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in July 1907.

During the First World War as a captain and acting major in the Royal Artillery, he was awarded the Military Cross three times, twice for leading a raid into enemy lines and for observation while under fire. and a second bar on 17 December 1917. He rose to become General Staff Officer of Western Command in 1936, and Commandant of the School of Artillery, Larkhill in 1938.

Major General Robert Whittaker (centre left); Lieutenant General Sydney Wason (centre), and Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Pile (centre right) at Anti-Aircraft Command on 14 February 1941 during a visit by David Margesson, the Secretary of State for War.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Wason was appointed Major General Royal Artillery at the General Headquarters Staff of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. On 26 May 1940 in the prelude to the Battle of Dunkirk, the commander of III Corps, Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam, was redeployed to organise the Dunkirk perimeter and Wason was appointed in his place. Realising that the planned retirement route for his corps would cross with the route planned for the French forces, he immediately set off to drive to their headquarters in an attempt to avoid a confused clash between the two armies. Unfortunately, the roads were clogged with refugees and retreating troops; his return journey took two full days, during which the corps was without its leader. This may have caused serious consequences for the 2nd Infantry Division, which was not ordered to withdraw behind the Canal Line until most of its units had been effectively destroyed. However, Wason was mentioned in despatches for his command of III Corps, which assumed the defence of the western Dunkirk perimeter until its evacuation. In July 1941, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath. Wason's opposition to women serving as anti-aircraft gun crew led to a clash with Winston Churchill, who may have taken this as a personal affront, since his daughter, Sarah, was serving in the armed forces.

Death Wason died on 17 March 1969, in Winchester, Hampshire.