Frederick Ling Wilson ("Fred / Freddy")

Fred Wilson began his working life as a railway employee at King’s Cross, but in 1911 his interest in photography led to his joining Charles Urban’s Kinemacolor and Kineto companies as a cameraman, specialising in industrial and travel films. After the outbreak of war in 1914 Wilson became involved with Urban in the first project for official filming, and later recalled ‘leaving Euston one cold evening in 1915, with Charlie and my two colleagues Teddie Tong [qv] and Charlie Weddup [qv], for a secret destination, which turned out to be H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth.' This was in October 1915, and over eleven days of filming Wilson took 5,700 feet of monochrome and Kinemacolor material, which Urban used in the official documentary ‘Britain Prepared’ (1915). Wilson later worked for the Ministry of Information as an official cameraman, in which capacity he provided some material for the Topical Film Company. He worked on the Western Front, but possibly did not arrive before October 1918.

Soon after the Armistice in November 1918 Wilson crossed the line with Bassill [qv] in search of a story, and narrowly escaped being court-martialled. Capt. Faunthorpe, the officer in charge of the cameramen at GHQ, reported that ‘Messrs. F.A. Bassill and F.L. Wilson, Official Cinematographers, proceeded from Lille on the 14th instant with orders to accompany the Allied advance to Brussels and record the entry of the King of the Belgians, which was understood to have been fixed for the 15th...they went together by the Tournai road to Enghien, where in the wake of some other British cars they passed the sentries and unexpectedly found themselves face to face with a party of Germans. As they were in a narrow road where it was difficult to turn their cars, they appear to have made the best of a bad situation, but it is regretted that photographs were taken; these will be destroyed.' Wilson also recalled trying to film German troops retiring, and having his camera smashed. On 22 November 1918 Wilson finally filmed King Albert’s state entry into Brussels, which was released as ‘THE KING AND QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS IN BRUSSELS’ in Pictorial News (Official) No.379-1.

Wilson returned to England February 1919, and soon afterwards began work as ‘camera correspondent in Europe’ for Charles Urban’s newly-formed American newsreel Kinograms. This included some filming in America, but Wilson soon left Kinograms, perhaps because it could no longer support a European cameraman, and in May 1920 he joined Topical Budget. Wilson filmed the ‘GERMAN FLEET’ for Topical Budget No.455-2 of May 1920, and became one of the reel’s most regular cameramen, filming Lloyd George at Chequers for ‘DOWNING STREET IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE’ in No.490-1 in January 1921, the ‘EX-KAISERIN’S FUNERAL TAKES PLACE IN GERMANY’ for No.504-1 of April 1921, and ''LET THE DUBLIN GUARDS BURY ME!',' covering the funeral of Michael Collins for No.575-1 of August 1922. Wilson left Topical in May 1923, and after filming at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley he spent 1924-25 filming for Lord Leverhulme on his journey through West Africa. In 1926 Wilson joined the newly-formed Empire News Bulletin, and may have remained with them until 1928. He worked as a free-lance 1928-29, and then spent a short time with British Paramount News in 1931, including pirating the cup final with Norman Roper [qv]. Wilson worked for Universal Talking News throughout the 1930s, including filming in Spain, and he may also have done some work for Pathe Gazette. He filmed for Universal News during the Second World War, but his work was apparently confined to the Home Front. In May 1944 Wilson thus filmed Royal Fusilier Cadets on a rota assignment from Universal News, although it was not used in that reel. He retired around 1948.

Sources

PRO, ADM 116/1447, ‘Britain Prepared’ file: Kine Year Book 1921, p.594, and Kine Year Book 1926, p.256,'Fred L. Wilson’: F. Wilson ‘Searching the World for News,' [Newcastle] Sunday Sun, 10/2/1935, p.16: F. A. Bassill ‘Crowned Heads and Others: Twenty-five years with Pathe Gazette,' Cine-Technician, April-May 1937, pp.20-21: Cine Technician, April-May 1940, p.25; November-December 1942, p.124: M. A. A. Sinkins ‘A Salute to the Newsreel Cameramen,' Kinematograph Weekly, 14/1/1943, p.45: BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Number 1376 (F.L. Wilson’s rota dopesheet, 1/5/1944): NFTVA, Luke McKernan’s biographical index of Topical Budget staff: IWM, Stephen Badsey’s biographical index of British official cameramen, 1914-1918: Fred Wilson’s papers as part of the Topical Film Company collection, BFI Special Collections.