Wilson worked as a draughtsman for the
Bristol Aeroplane Company and served as a gunner in the
Territorial Army, before commissioning into the 5th Survey Regiment of the
Royal Regiment of Artillery on 2 September 1939. He served in the
Battle of France with the 3rd Survey Regiment, Royal Artillery before being evacuated from Dunkirk. In November 1940 he joined a 'Folbot' section of
No. 8 (Guards) Commando and saw service in the
Middle East. In April 1941 he was a founder member of
Roger Courtney's
Special Boat Service (SBS) and participated in operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa. In February 1942 he was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order for his role in six SBS raids in Egypt and Libya. In September 1942 he was captured during an operation in Italy and was marked for transportation to a German prisoner of war camp, but successfully escaped at Modena station. Wilson was recaptured in Rome on 8 January 1944 and held at
Stalag IV-B. He was later transferred to
Oflag VIII-F and then to
Oflag 79, which was liberated by US forces on 12 April 1945. On 20 December 1945 he was awarded a Bar to his DSO is recognition for his actions during and after his capture. Between February 1946 and September 1947, Wilson served as Battery Commander, 66th Airborne Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery in Palestine during the
Palestine Emergency. He then returned to UK and served as a Battery Commander in heavy anti-aircraft and light anti-aircraft regiments and then as a Staff Officer Royal Artillery at the Army Air Transport Development Centre. From 1951 to 1953 Wilson was a Battery Commander in the
14th Regiment Royal Artillery, and served in the
Korean War. On 24 April 1953 he was
Mentioned in Dispatches. Between 1953 and 1956 he was Second-in-Command of the 38th Training Regiment RA in North Wales, before serving as Commanding Officer of the 37th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA in Malta. Wilson retired from the regular army in April 1958 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Wilson was the subject of a 1985 book by Rex Woods, called
Special Commando : the wartime adventures of Lt-Col Robert Wilson, DSO and Bar. ==References==