He hoped to become a doctor, but at the start of The Great War volunteered for military service. Commissioned on 26th August 1914 in the Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles, he saw action on the Western Front (1916 and 1918), in Greece (1916-17) and in Palestine (1917-18), rising to temporary Captain. In 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross (MC) and, suffering from the effects of mustard gas, invalided to England. [2] For his war service he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
After the war Ken was employed in London by his family's company, George Wills & Sons Ltd, shipping and forwarding agents. He worked at the Baltic Mercantile & Shipping Exchange Ltd, canvassing for cargoes between London and Australia. [2]
Ken married Viola Crossland on 1st September 1920 in All Saints Church of England, Fulham, London. [3]
The following year the firm sent him to South Australia. Appointed a director in 1924 and managing director four years later, he restructured the company. Under his management it flourished as a wholesale distributor of clothing, textiles and fancy goods. He guided the firm through the Depression, acquiring substantial holdings in cement, hardware and other manufacturing companies; by 1936 the company was again making a profit. [2]
On 3rd September 1939, upon the declaration of the (Second World) War, Ken was mobilised for full-time duty in the Militia at Keswick Barracks, Adelaide. [4] As a Major he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF), his nation's all-volunteer expeditionary force for the war, on 1st June 1940 [5] and was posted to Headquarters 1st Australian Army Corps. With I Corps, Ken saw action in North Africa (January-March 1941), Greece-Crete (April-Mary 1941) and Syria-Lebanon (June-July 1941). For his 'organising ability, tact and initiative' during the Greece-Crete Campaign, Kenneth was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). [6][7] This particular campaign made Ken an Anzac, as it was fought by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Later, Ken was upgraded to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). [8] Posted to Headquarters New Guinea Force, he was promoted to temporary Colonel. For 'exceptional services in the field in New Guinea' he was Mentioned in Despatches, equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry. [9][10] His final posting was in the rank of Colonel, to the Allied Intelligence Bureau, General Headquarters, before being demobilised on 22nd October 1945 and returning to the Militia. [5] For service in his second war, Ken was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.
Back home in Adelaide after the war, Kenneth was invested with his OBE at Government House by the Governor of South Australia on 28th December 1945. His address then was 239 Stanley Street, North Adelaide. Whilst in London in 1948, Kenneth was invested with his CBE by King George VI at Buckingham Palace. [11]
He resumed work with G & R Wills & Co., floating it as a public company in 1946; and seeing its five-shilling shares (5/-) trading at over a pound (£1) within six months. Chairman of the company until 1976, he was also a board-member (1950-71) and chairman (1968-71) of Advertiser Newspapers Ltd. He sat on the University of Adelaide council (1945-68), chaired the university's finance committee (1954-60), and served as deputy-chancellor (1961-65) and chancellor (1966-68). [2]
Ken lost his wife in 1956 in Adelaide. He married Mavis Catherine Gilfillan in 1959 in Adelaide. [12]
Kenneth was created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), Civil Division, in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1960. At that time he was the Deputy-Director of Recruiting in South Australia and a Member of the Australian Universities Commission. Mavis became entitled as Lady Wills. For his service as an officer in the Militia, he was awarded the Efficiency Decoration (ED). [13]
Aged 81 years and ten days, Sir Ken passed away on 13th May 1977 in Adelaide and his remains cremated. [14]
W > Wills > Kenneth Agnew Wills KBE MC ED
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