#406, William Wyndham GREEN

William Wyndham Green was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1907. During the latter part of WWI he served as Brigade Major in France and as a Captain in 1916 was awarded the Military Cross for extinguishing a burning Gun Pit whilst under heavy fire. He became an Instructor in Gunnery at the School of Artillery in 1926 and served on the North West Front in India in 1929 before returning to the School of Artillery in 1937 as Chief Instructor for equipment. In 1938 he was appointed Commandant at the Royal Military College of Science.

Initially in WWII he was Brigadier Royal Artillery at Northern Command and then from 1941 he was Second in Command, Gibralter. In 1942 he became Commander of 3rd Anti-Aircraft Division and in 1943 he was made Commander of 5th and 6th Anti-Aircraft Groups. After the War he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Anti-Aircraft Command until his retirement in 1946. He was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery from 1947 to 1952.

The family home was Little Gables in New Romney, Kent and a family member described him as 'a no-nonsense Christian who read his Bible every night'.

Picture copyright National Portrait Gallery.