John Wills

Sergeant John (Jack) Wills
01 Jan 1909 - 15 Dec 1984
Profile Picture
Profile picture
Caption & credit
John Wills in 1930's TA
Postings
Unit or location Role Posted from until
Symondsbury Patrol Patrol Leader 02 Aug 1940 03 Dec 1944
National ID
WLCH/61/1
Occupation

Dairy farmer

Address
Quarr Lane, Symondsbury, Dorset
Other information

Known as Jack, Patrol Leader Jack Wills had the OB built in his farm.

He was tough and innovative. He once lost part of a finger while chopping up a stack of wood. He finished the job before going to get his finger looked at.

He adapted a saw bench that appeared in Farmer and Stockbreeder magazine, and was one of the first in the area to have a front-end loader.

After the war he used his skills (and possibly some 'left-over' demolition equipment) to take out tree stumps injuring his throat, and was taken to Odstock Hospital. Odstock was a former WW2 military hospital near Salisbury, and at the birth of the NHS in 1948 became home to the Wessex Plastic Surgery and Regional Burns Wards. He was left with a permanent speech issue.

He was involved with the pier building at West Bay harbour in the 1950's.

Other pictures
Profile picture
Caption & credit
Jack Wills and wife Kate Hallett summer 1931 with son John - Helen Doble Granddaughter
Profile picture
Caption & credit
Jack Wills in TA (right) - Helen Doble Granddaughter
References

TNA ref WO199/3390
1939 Register
Hancock data held at B.R.A
The Wills family