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Air MarshalArchibald WilsonICD OBE
Minister of Posts Minister of Roads and Road Traffic Minister of Transport and Power
In office 10 March 1977 – 1978
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Roger Hawkins
Succeeded by	William Irvine
Member of the House of Assembly of Rhodesia for Arundel
In office 30 July 1974 – 10 April 1979
Preceded by	Andrew Skeen
Succeeded by	Abolished
Member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (White non-constituency member)
In office 10 April 1979 – 11 December 1979
Senator of the Senate of Zimbabwe
In office 11 February 1981 – July 1982
Preceded by	Douglas Hamilton Ritchie
Succeeded by	Esme Scott
Personal details
Born	28 May 1921 Bulawayo, Rhodesia
Died	4 July 2014(2014-07-04) (aged 93) Pinjarra Hills, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Rhodesian Front
Spouse	Lorna Alexandra Wilson ​ ​(died 2008)​
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom  Southern Rhodesia  Rhodesia
Branch/service	Royal Air Force Rhodesian Air Force
Years of service	1939–1973
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands	RRAF Thornhill (1957–1959)
Battles/wars	World War II Rhodesian Bush War
Awards

Air Marshal Archibald Oliver Garfield Wilson ICD OBE DFC (USA) (28 May 1921 – 4 July 2014) was a Rhodesian fighter pilot who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He went on to become a senior commander and then Air Marshal in the Rhodesian Air Force in the 1960s and early 1970s. After retirement, he served two terms in the Rhodesian House of Assembly, in the Zimbabwe-Rhodesian Parliament in 1979, and then in the Zimbabwe Parliament in 1981–1982. He held several cabinet portfolios prior to the Internal Settlement. He resigned in 1982 to emigrate, with his wife Lorna, to Australia's Gold Coast in 1982. He became a citizen of Australia in 1988.

Air force career

Wilson joined the Southern Rhodesian Air Force in 1939. He served in World War II as a pilot and then as Officer Commanding No. 238 Squadron from 1943. After the War he held command positions in Southern Rhodesian Air Force (later the Royal Rhodesian Air Force and the Rhodesian Air Force). From 10 June 1957 to 22 June 1959, he was commanding officer of RRAF Thornhill. Wilson was involved in directing the Rhodesian counter-insurgency operations in Nyasaland, Zambia and Rhodesia.

On 8 February 1969 Wilson was appointed Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Rhodesian Air Force, receiving promotion to the rank of Air vice-marshal. With Rhodesia becoming a republic from 2 March 1970, Wilson oversaw various changes to the force and his role, including new ranks, ensign, roundel, and the renaming of the force from 8 August 1970 as the "Rhodesian Air Force" (RhAF). At the same time his office of Chief of the Air Staff was changed to Commander of the Air Force, and Wilson was promoted to the rank of Air marshal. In 1970–71 Wilson was involved in the development of the secret Alcora Exercise military alliance between Rhodesia, South Africa and Portugal. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the 1947 formation of the Southern Rhodesia Air Force in November 1972, Wilson announced: "Our Air Force will continue to fulfil its role with quiet efficiency and is ready and able to do its duty – come what may."

After 32 years, Wilson retired from Air Force service on 15 April 1973, being the last remaining member of the original Southern Rhodesia Air Force and the last Chief of the Air Staff. On his retirement he expressed a hopeful tone: "Terrorism in Rhodesia will probably get worse before it gets better but the security forces will win. Terrorism cannot win. It cannot achieve its aim."

Politics

As a member of Ian Smith's Rhodesian Front, Wilson was elected to the House of Assembly as the member for Arundel at the Rhodesian general election in 1974. He retained his seat during the 1977 general election.

Later life

After resigning from the Senate in July 1982, Wilson decided to emigrate with his wife Lorna to Australia in August 1982. Wilson and his family settled in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, receiving Australian citizenship on 25 October 1988. With his wife Lorna predeceasing him (27 July 1923 – 22 August 2008) when she died in Brisbane at age 85, Wilson spent his last few years in the RSL Care retirement community in Pinjarra Hills until his death at the age of 93 on 4 July 2014. He is buried with his wife in Tamborine Mountain Cemetery.

Honours

Award (Ribbon / Description)	Notes
Independence Commemorative Decoration (ICD)	11 November 1970
Order of the British Empire (OBE)	(OBE; Military Division) NY 1961
1939–45 Star
Italy Star
Defence Medal (United Kingdom)
War Medal 1939–1945
General Service Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

References

1. ^ "RAAF Museum: Air Crew Association Member's Service Profile: Archie Wilson". Retrieved 21 August 2013.
2. Birmingham, John (22 November 2012). "Archie, his fighter planes and his gift to us all". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
3. "Thornhill Air Station - Rhodesian Air Force, 1955 - 1980". Rhodesian Forces Web Site. Rhodesia Army Association. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
4. "A Brief History: The Rhodesian Air Force". Rhodesian Forces Web Site. Rhodesia Army Association. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
5. de Meneses, Filipe Ribeiro; McNamara, Robert (2018). "4 (Building the 'White Redoubt')". The White Redoubt, the Great Powers and the Struggle for Southern Africa, 1960–1980 (PDF). London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 129. doi:10.1057/978-1-137-44758-6. ISBN 978-1-137-44757-9. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
6. "25th Birthday of the Rhodesian Air Force". Rhodesian Forces Web Site. Rhodesia Army Association. 28 November 1972. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
7. ^ Salt, Beryl (2000). A Pride of Eagles: A History of the Rhodesian Air Force (2015 ed.). Helion & Company; 30 South Publishers (Pty) Ltd. pp. 494–495. ISBN 978-1-908916-26-6.
8. "Passing of Air Marshal Archie Wilson". ORAFs - Old Rhodesian Air Force Sods. Google Groups. 6 July 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
9. Saffery, David (2006). The Rhodesia Medal Roll: Honours and Decorations of the Rhodesian Conflict 1970-1981. Jeppestown Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-9553936-0-0.
10. "No. 42235". The London Gazette (5th supplement). 27 December 1960. p. 8935.

v t e Commanders of Air Force of Zimbabwe and its antecedents
	Rhodesian Air Force commanders	Cloete Meredith Taute Jacklin Bentley Hawkins Wilson McLaren Mussell
	Air Force of Zimbabwe commanders	Mussell Walsh Daudpota Tungamirai Shiri Moyo

• Officers of the Order of the British Empire
• Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
• 1921 births
• 2014 deaths
• People from Bulawayo
• Rhodesian Air Force air marshals
• Southern Rhodesian World War II pilots
• Rhodesian military personnel of the Bush War
• Zimbabwean people of British descent
• White Rhodesian people
• Rhodesian Front politicians
• Naturalised citizens of Australia
• Zimbabwean emigrants to Australia
• Members of the Parliament of Rhodesia
• Members of the Senate of Zimbabwe