People · 1881–1964
Henry Maitland Wilson
British general, commander of W Force in Greece (1941)
Commander of all British and Commonwealth forces in Greece in 1941. On 26 April 1941 his headquarters stood in an olive grove at Myloi; after midnight he left from the bay in a Sunderland flying boat for Crete. Later Field Marshal and Lord Wilson of Libya.
Also written: Χένρι Μέιτλαντ Ουίλσον, Jumbo Wilson, Lord Wilson of Libya, H. M. Wilson, Ουίλσον
Events
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25 April 1941 – 26 April 1941
Patrick Leigh Fermor arrives in the armed caique Aghia Varvara
Lieutenant Patrick Leigh Fermor, then an intelligence officer with the British Military Mission, sailed the armed caique Aghia Varvara from near Sounion to Myloi, to evacuate General Wilson and Prince Peter if other…
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25 April 1941 – 26 April 1941
General Wilson drives from Athens to Myloi through the night
General Henry Maitland Wilson, commander of all British and Commonwealth forces in Greece, moved his headquarters south of Argos in the night of 25 to 26 April 1941. His party crossed the bridge over the Corinth Canal…
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26 April 1941
Prince Peter and Greek ministers wait at the headquarters
Baillie-Grohman's report lists who was at the headquarters at Myloi on 26 April 1941: General Wilson, Major-General Heywood, Rear-Admiral Turle, Brigadier Salisbury-Jones, Prince Peter of Greece, Admiral Sakellariou, the…
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26 April 1941
Wilson hands command in the Peloponnese to Freyberg
Later on 26 April 1941 Wilson told Freyberg that he would leave that night. Freyberg would take command of all troops still in the Peloponnese. 'From Myloi General Wilson departed in a Sunderland flying-boat for Crete…
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26 April 1941
Wilson's headquarters in an olive grove at the Tripoli road
On 26 April 1941 the headquarters of W Force was hidden in an olive grove at Myloi, where the trees gave cover from the German dive bombers. Wilson himself wrote that it lay 'close to where the road to Tripolis leaves…
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26 April 1941
Around 8.30 p.m. a Sunderland flying boat lands in the bay
A Sunderland flying boat sent from Souda Bay came to collect General Wilson at about 20:30 on 26 April 1941. It did not take off straight away: it lay in the bay off the pier until after midnight.
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26 April 1941
At sunset the headquarters is abandoned and the party goes to the pier
'At sunset we abandoned our H.Q. and the whole party proceeded to Myli pier,' wrote Baillie-Grohman. The flying boat and the caique were there, but the destroyer that was to take off the rest of the staff had not yet…
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26 April 1941 – 27 April 1941
Which destroyer called at Myloi: Nubian or Havock?
One version, followed until now on this website, says that HMS Nubian called at 'Myli' in the night of 26 to 27 April 1941 to collect General Wilson and found him already gone. The official despatch in the London Gazette…
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27 April 1941
The caique with Wilson's luggage is bombed and sunk off Leonidio
After Baillie-Grohman transferred to HMS Havock, the caique Aghia Varvara sailed on south from Myloi with Smith-Dorrien, Leigh Fermor and Wilson's aide. At dawn it reached Leonidio, where German dive bombers sank it in…
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27 April 1941
After midnight General Wilson leaves Myloi by flying boat
The pilot could not land at Souda Bay before 06:30 and had too little fuel to stay in the air all night. So after midnight, in the night of 26 to 27 April 1941, the Sunderland with Wilson, Prince Peter, Admiral…