A FORMER Army captain who was decorated with a high honour for his dedication to the service has died aged 79.

Robert Crompton Wilson TD served in the Territorial Army Royal Artillery. By the time of his retirement in 1966 he had reached the rank of captain.

For his long-standing service he was rewarded with the Territorial Decoration, an honour given only to those who have served at least 20 years.

Mr Wilson was born in Crosland Moor in January, 1929, and after leaving school went to work for the Halifax Building Society.

In 1947 he was called up for National Service with the Royal Artillery and had reached the rank of sergeant by the time he was discharged.

On returning to Huddersfield Mr Wilson joined the family firm of solicitors Mills, Best and Wilson as an articled clerk.

He also joined the Huddersfield Territorial Army, Royal Artillery, where he was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant.

In 1953 he married Dorothy Brooke, a teacher from Slaithwaite. When he qualified as a solicitor he moved on to a solicitor’s office in Derby to gain experience and joined the Territorial Army there.

He then went to work in Ripley, Derbyshire, where he took over a small solicitor’s office before returning to the Huddersfield firm in 1959.

He rejoined the Huddersfield TA Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, retiring in 1966.

In 1960 Mr Wilson and his family moved to the village of Holme and he took over Holmfirth solicitors firm Kidd, Mellor and Wood.

There he became clerk to the Mill Owners’ Water group, which looked after the water abstractions rights of the River Holme.

His legal help to the Graveship of Holme helped it in its problems with Holmfirth Urban District Council.

In other matters the local reservoir owners, Batley Corporation, had a policy of buying properties in Holme.

Mr Wilson helped to campaign to reverse this policy.

He also became a councillor for Holme and served on Holmfirth UDC.

He was also a founding member of the Holme Valley Moorland Rescue Team and was the first chairman, team leader until 1973 and president until his death.

He also helped to set up the Mid Pennine Mountain Accident Panel, a regional grouping of mountain rescue teams, and drew up their constitution.

He was a committee member of Huddersfield Law Society and was president for a year.

Mr Wilson’s family moved to Upper House in Holmfirth in 1967, but his marriage broke up in 1971.

Three years later he married Jean Shentall, from Sheffield.

Mr Wilson became a committee member of the Huddersfield District Army Veterans’ Association, its honorary solicitor and also chairman for four years.

He was a trustee to Huddersfield Drill Hall, as well.

Mr Wilson retired as a solicitor in 1997 and enjoyed his retirement travelling to Australia and New Zealand with his wife Jean.

With the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment Battlefields Tours organisation he went to Normandy, Anzio, Tunisia and the First World War sites in Belgium and France.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters, and three grand-children.