Francis Adrian Wilson

{{Infobox military person

|name= Francis Adrian Wilson

|image=

|caption=

|birth_date= 12 October 1874

|death_date= {{death date and age|1954|5|6|1874|10|12|df=y}}

|birth_place= London, England

|death_place= Surrey, England

|placeofburial=

|nickname=

|allegiance= United Kingdom

|branch= British Army

|serviceyears=

|rank= Major-General

|servicenumber=

|unit=

|commands= Chief of the Australian General Staff

|battles= Second Boer War
First World War

|awards= Companion of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
Mentioned in Despatches
Légion d'honneur (France)

|relations=

|laterwork=

}}

Major-General Francis Adrian Wilson, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CB|CMG|DSO}} (12 October 1874 – 6 May 1954) was a senior officer in the British Army who served as Chief of the General Staff in Australia from 1911 to 1912.

Military career

Wilson was commissioned into the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant on 1 July 1895,{{London Gazette|issue=26640|page=3818|date=5 July 1895}} and promoted to a lieutenant on 17 November 1897. He served in the Second Boer War in South Africa, during which he was promoted to captain on 6 February 1901. He was mentioned in despatches (including the final despatch by Lord Kitchener dated 23 June 1902{{London Gazette |issue=27459 |date=29 July 1902 |pages=4835–4839 }}), and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).{{London Gazette|issue=27359|page=6308|date=27 September 1901}} The war ended in June 1902, and Wilson returned to the united Kingdom on the SS Syria two months later, arriving in Southampton in early September.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home|date=21 August 1902 |page=5 |issue=36852}}

He served as Chief of the General Staff in Australia from 1911 to 1912,{{cite news |title=Maj.-Gen. F. A. Wilson |work=The Times |page=11 |date=7 May 1954 }} and then returned to United Kingdom to prepare for the First World War; his service in that war led to the award of the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George{{London Gazette|issue=29886|supp=y|page=4|date=29 December 1916}} and the Légion d'honneur.{{London Gazette|issue=30431|supp=y|page=13206|date=14 December 1917}}

After the war he became Colonel Royal Artillery for Eastern Command for which service he was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath.{{London Gazette|issue=33280|supp=y|page=3605|date=31 May 1927}}