Eulogy 22 - Leslie Gordon (Gunner) Wilson (1894-1967)
THE GUNNER
(Witten by Warren Maloney on 4th January 2021)
Les and his medals (1919 Self Portrait)
Leslie Gordon (Gunner) Wilson died today in 1967. He was one of those "most colourful" members of our family, with so many of the stories of him brought to life in Rex's Book "The Testro Story".
Les was born in Kyneton Victoria in 1894, the eldest of 5 in a farm labouring/mining family. Interestingly, his paternal grandfather was an American who followed the Gold Rush to Victoria in 1853. Perhaps there were genetics of being a "chancer" passed on.
Les was one of 2 suitors for Mary (Babe) Barker after he returned from WWI. And it was on the battlefield at Westhoeck, Belgium, that Les won his military fame. Whilst conveying messages over some considerable distances, he stopped and rescued 2 Australian Officers who were lying injured. Les was awarded the Military Medal, our 2nd highest award.
He was presented with the medal fortuitously by the Prince of Wales who was visiting the troops. The photo below and the medal "set him up for life" in that he always reminded listeners of the award, and later declared himself a photographer under Royal Patronage because of the medal ceremony. He reinforced the link by dressing in his military uniform as often as possible over the next 39 years. If you've got it, flaunt it.
Les getting his medal (1918)
The Australian Army developed other ideas about Les, and they made him wait almost 4 decades before granting him a TPI pension. Gunner Wilson had served for 4 years in the Artillery and as a Signaller. He had been at Gallipoli, and in the trenches of France and Belgium. He had suffered a shrapnel wound to his arm and was mustard gassed twice; and he had won a medal. But he was boastful and annoying, so he could wait his turn.
The Gunner was not good at waiting his turn, He won the heart of Babe from the other bloke, moved in with her in the second bedroom upstairs at 238 Lygon Street Carlton, then set up a Photography business in Carlton, then re-acquainted himself with the Prince of Wales (who was now visiting Adelaide), then attempted unsuccessfully to break the motor car driving record between Adelaide and Melbourne (missing by 16 hours), then moved his business to Castlemaine, before irritating nearly all the Maloney & Barker women, and finally finding himself in the Repatriation Hospital for much of the 1930s.
Les and his famous car (1930)
By this stage, Les thought the romance with Babe needed to become serious so he married her in 1938, just 19 years after he announced that she "was his sheila". The marriage was of course a ploy to get a permanent base back with the Maloneys at Carlton.
Babe came to her senses when she realised that the love of her life was not going to make any financial contribution. Nor was he in any way an emotional rock. To add to the load, Les, who came from solid Catholic stock, had joined the Persbyterians and saw Catholics as anti-Royalists. The Maloneys and the Barkers were Irish Catholics.
So by 1945, Les was off on his own again with great plans, none of which came to fruition. His last days were spent at the Repatriation Hospital alone.
BUT, Gunner was a good Photographer. Perhaps in another life and with a bit more control, he could have reached some fame.
Les Wilson 1965 (Self Portrait)
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