WILKIE’S WAR – by Mac Bisset (1960G).

Commander Mac Bisset OD is a prominent military historian.  It has been said of him: “He has been involved in advising, teaching, collating, lecturing, restoring, preserving and quietly ensuring that no detail of our country’s rich Naval history and culture is lost to the generations which follow” (Cdr Leon Steyn, Officer-in-Charge South African Naval Museum).  He served with the SADF/SANDF Museums from 1975 – 2002.  Mac has written up histories of staff at Bishops, one being about art teacher Sam Butler’s experiences in the war [Issue 9 of The Old Diocesan].   

Ronald Maude Wilkinson, 'Wilkie' as he was fondly known to generations of Founders House and Bishops boys was at Bishops from 1946 – 1970 arriving from Cheltenham in the UK where he was at school, and Cambridge, at University.  He was for a brief while a teacher at Pridwin Prep in Johannesburg and after that served in the SAAF.  At Bishops, he was the Head of the History Department, Housemaster of Ogilvie House, then Founders.  Wilkie died in November 1990 in Swellendam where he went to live after retiring from Bishops.  Scores of his students kept in touch with him and regularly paid visits to their teacher who was nothing short of a ‘Mr Chipps’.

Mac Bisset (edited): In 1956 in my first year at College, I met Mr RM Wilkinson who was my history teacher until I left school.  I remember his reading to us "Reach for the Sky" on the life of Group Captain Douglas Bader the WWII legless pilot; and "HMS Ulysses", Alastair MacLean’s novel about a ship which escorted convoys to Russia during the war.  A favourite topic was the Queen of Siam … these stories always amused the class.  He told us that he had served in the SAAF during the WWII … I can recall little else.

Ronald Maude Wilkinson was born in the parish of Pickhill in Thirsk, Yorkshire on 22 September 1910.  His father Henry Wilkinson was a school master at Cheltenham College where he was educated.  Some of the Bishops boys from that time might recall the OC tie which he proudly wore (magenta, black, and light blueu).   After leaving school, he read History at St Catherine’s at Cambridge but was then commissioned as a pilot in the RAAFVR (volunteer reserve).    

Prior to joining up in SA on 3 June 1940 he had taught at Pridwin, which had links with St Martin’s-in-the-Veld in Melrose, Johannesburg.  There he served as housemaster.  He and some of the schoolmasters there signed up.  His attestation form of 3 June 1940 says that Mr Wilkinson wanted to join the 3rd Battalion of the ILH but instead he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the SAAF probably due to his previous rank in the RAFVR.  He rose in rank finally as the Adjudant Officer at Lyttleton Air Station on 1 October 1943.  He was subsequently posted to 68 Air School at Voortrekkerhoogte and from there received his posting to the Advanced Transit camp as part of the Balkan Air Force at Campomarino in Italy with the rank of Major.

The severe winter in Italy hampered the squadron’s Beaufighters against targets in Albania, Greece and Yugoslavia.   The F24 cameras on the Beaufighters noses recorded operations which created a vivid record of the war in the air.  The German forces in Italy surrendered on 2 May 1945 with VE Day following on 8 May.  The 16 Squadron fighter planes were returned to the RAF and it was then disbanded, and from Italy it was transferred to Egypt in September 1945.  Major Wilkinson stayed on till October 1945 after which he came back to the Union (SA) for release to Founders House (Bishops) where he had applied for a teaching post.  This was the case with several staff who came to Bishops as teachers after the war.  He came as a decorated airman, with medals to include the War Medal (for service from 1939 – 45) and the Africa Service Medal.  Sadly, due to administrative negligence by the war department he failed to be awarded the Italy Star to which he was entitled.

Unfortunately, no further details are recorded in his file.  Reports or recommendations for his promotions and other details are lacking.  He was one of the many South Africans who volunteered to serve in the WWII on the home front and in the war zone elsewhere and made a valuable contribution to the war effort.

Wilkie oh his bike in the war (Photo supplied by Mac Bisset).