Edward "Tug" Wilson

Edward "Tug" Wilson (1921 – 2009) was a British colonel. He started the Abu Dhabi Defense Force. He was also really good friends with Sheikh Zayed.

Early life

He was born on January 18, 1921 in West Hartlepool, Yorkshire in England. His birth name was Edward Bearby Wilson. Tug was a nickname. He attended Constantine College. In 1945 he was a wireless operator at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He liked to play rugby and cricket.

Military work

He started working in the Worcestershire Regiment. He then worked for the 1st Battalion of the British Army of the Rhine. Then he worked for the 2nd Division Signal Regiment. He was a part of the Berlin airlift and the Malayan Emergency. He went to Korea and in 1952 moved to Hara Mura, Japan to teach British soldiers at the Battle School. A grenade blew up while he was teaching soldiers and he hurt his shoulder.

He became a Major. In 1961 he started looking over a squadron of the Trucial Oman Scouts. He was working at the Buraimi Oasis, Al Ain. He became good friends with Sheikh Zayed after the Sheikh became ruler of the United Arab Emirates. During this time Wilson founded the Abu Dhabi Defense Force. He was leader of that force until 1968.

Retirement and death

He left Abu Dhabi in 1969. He started teaching at the Old Royal Naval College. Then he taught at the Staff College, Camberley. He retired from the Army in 1971. He started a trout fish farm. Wilson then moved back to Abu Dhabi, at the invitation of Sheikh Zayed, to run the royal stables. He ran the stables until the Sheikh died. He participated in the London To Peking Motor Challenge in 1990. He was awarded the Abu Dhabi Award. He died on January 2, 2009.