William Innes Watson

Born in Barnard Castle in 1906, his family had a long association with the Volunteer and Territorial movements in County Durham. His father commanded the 6th Battalion DLI from 1911 to 1915, whilst his grandfather and uncle had both commanded the Volunteers in Barnard Castle in the late 19th century.

William Watson, after being educated at Charterhouse, joined the family firm of solicitors and, in 1926, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 6 DLI. In 1931, he took command of the Company at Crook and, in 1938, he revived the Company at Barnard Castle.

On the outbreak of war in 1939, he was attached to the staff of the 50th Division and went to France in January 1940, but was invalided home with pneumonia before Dunkirk.

He rejoined 6 DLI in June 1940 and went with it to the Middle East in 1941. In July 1942, as Lieutenant Colonel, he was given command of 6 DLI and commanded his battalion from El Alamein to Mareth and from the invasion of Sicily to Primosole Bridge.

In September 1943, he left 6 DLI and held a variety of staff appointments in the Middle East, before he was demobilized in late 1945. In 1947, when the Territorial Army was revived, he was given command of the new 6 DLI, before retiring in 1950. He was later made Honorary Colonel of 6 DLI and was awarded the OBE in 1973 for his services to the Territorial Army. Colonel Watson, who was a Trustee of the DLI Museum and the main driving force behind its creation in the 1960's, died in Durham in July 1988.