William “Bill” Pilkington
B.E.M, FRSA,DCM
“Britain’s Unsung Instructor”

Pilkington in Guard Position with Walking Stick

————–
?Born 9 / 12 / 1916
Died 24 / 08 / 2004
? 2006
Phil Matthews – thebristolbloke

I’ve already been quoted as writing before in my short article on Stan Bissell that there is a persistent notion I have come across in my research that W.E Fairbairn & E.A Sykes were the sole Instructors to all the Allied Armed Forces during World War Two.
I hope I have already shown this to be an erroneous belief; however it has again been shown very recently that erroneous beliefs are not uncommon in our field of research.
The work of both of these two great men laid the foundation for the majority of Close Combat Instruction throughout the Western World up to the present day, in this short article I shall elaborate more on this notion. This is not to imply in any way though that the other Instructors from World War Two were not as innovative or daring as Fairbairn and Sykes.
It could fairly be stated that History has been noted to have a habit of cruel neglect; I firmly believe however that History (just like the truth) has a habit of being found out and making itself known. My thoughts are of course my own, I have researched and I have never claimed to be anything other than I am.
I’ve mentioned before that all of my works are only “works in progress” – that is to say I still don’t consider them ‘finished’ and neither is my research on these individuals ‘complete’. Here then is a little information on the man I term “Britain’s Unsung Instructor” from World War Two, a man by the name of William Pilkington.

Introduction
William “Bill” Pilkington was born on the Ninth of December, 1916 in a town named Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula . His father being an Inspector in the Police no doubt encouraged him in his teenage years to join one of the great loves in his life “The Saint John’s Ambulance Brigade,” a society devoted to providing first aid training and aid assistance at public events. The young Bill Pilkington would later notch up over thirty-seven years service with them but this activity it seems came second to his main interest of Martial Arts study.
Whilst helping out with first-aid training for the public and first aid response duties at even such as football matches he also trained in the Oriental Arts of Jiu-Jitsu, Kendo and Lathi. At that time the nearby city of Liverpool was a major shipping port receiving thousands of visitors and immigrants from all across Great Britain’s far flung colonies. Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling and other combative matches and exhibitions were held regularly in the Dance Halls as they were in London.
Pilkington trained in these arts alongside his training in the Saint Johns Ambulance from 1936 onwards, little realising how one day one task would affect the other. On leaving school and enrolling at University he decided that he would continue his medical studies and become a Doctor of Medicine. Family finances were unfortunately not sufficient to enable this so he changed his course to a General Arts Degree, he found another passion in his life which was that of acting. On completing his degree he enrolled at RADA later returning to Liverpool and working again the Saint John’s Ambulance supported by a job as Master of Ceremony’s in the Argyle Theatre.
The pre-war years were busy for him and in 1936 he was invited as a Private in the Birkenhead North Division of the Saint Johns Ambulance to join a course in Civil Defence known as “Air Raid Precautions” (ARP). This was a course dealing with the then main considered threat for war at the time; Chemical Weapons such as Phosgene and Mustard gas which were used in the previous World War. After a very strict examination at the end of the twelve weeks it lasted Pilkington became the youngest ARP Instructor on the Merseyside, little did he know how that one event would change his course of thinking for a lifetime.
The inevitable war came closer and patriotic to the core of his being Pilkington didn’t wait for a draft but volunteered. What he told me (in his own words) was that “the most interesting years of his life had begun”.

The War Years
It is not my intention to go into depth in this section as others have attempted, this I believe is better left for another revision or even another researcher. In my defence all I can say is that it was a complex time and even now in some things I feel I am merely scratching the surface. I have my research and I have my notes.
Here then is a brief summary of his work during the war.
At age Twenty-Two William Pilkington volunteered for the British Army and after the briefest of military training joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) bound for France. The Force was hastily assembled and ill-equipped and he found himself for the most part without proper Uniform or Armaments performing Guard duties in France. He later estimated that for every member of the BEF “there was only about one rifle for every fifth soldier”. The only issued defensive weapon for the soldiers on guard duties it seemed was a ‘Pick-Axe Handle’, however with his previous training he didn’t let this dishearten him.
Somehow two Officers who he later referred to as “Brigadier Manton” and Colonel Orde” had found out about his earlier training and asked him to devise:
“A system of Self Defence using only a stick, book or even pencil. It needed to be taught quickly and ‘without any excessive costs for materials”
In thinking about how he would construct this course of Instruction he thought back to his days training with the Saint Johns Ambulance as well as his time with the Martial Arts. With his extensive knowledge of anatomy he set out to find “‘Soft Spots, where the least force produces the most pain”

The course was eventually devised and he was tasked with Instructing Soldiers, Military Police and Officers in what he termed his “Scientific Defence and Attack Training with Sticks and Staves”. As he later wrote:

“The result was a series of some 200 attack and defence moves that made a walking stick or Officers cane a deadly weapon”

Later as the war progressed he was evacuated from Dunkirk and returned to Britain, because he had studied the Norwegian language at night school he was selected to go to Norway as part of the ill fated “Independent Companies” expedition he further refined his program of instruction. Alongside his Martial and Anatomical knowledge he created his second programs which he then termed “Stick, Staff and Baton” and “Improvised Self-Defence System” respectively.

If he had thought the experiences of France and his fortunate escape from the clutches of the Nazis at Dunkirk to be an experience never to be repeated was something I never found out. Time is at times a thief.
In War things can happen which in latter times could be construed in a very different light by others who quite simply “were not there or understand the situations these people were in” (my italics).

Whether or not an individual can agree with the actions of those is up to them, certainly I do believe that drastic circumstances can provide for (or even necessitate) drastic actions. It’s in with this in mind that I provide this quote from another researcher (see notes) which was used in Pilkington’s obituary.

“Killing was not what Pilkington had in mind on a spring morning in 1940 as he and a colleague, Jim Beech, walked along a country lane approaching the small town of Bodo. Both were dressed in what somebody in an office back home had said was correct Norwegian clothing. An elderly, grey-haired lady with a pleasant smile approached them. “Good morning,” she said, in English. “I think that you are British, is that so?”

“Yes,” Pilkington replied.

“I can always tell the British. If you will come to my house, I will give you breakfast. We are allies in this terrible thing that has happened to my country. Come with me.”

The woman led them to her house in which was her son, a teenager. “Ingvald,” said the nice lady in Norwegian. “These are British spies. Go out and telephone the SS that we have them here.”

Ingvald began to put on his boots.

“Do you have a toilet?” said Beech.

“My boy will show you,” said their hostess. Then, to Ingvald, “Show him, then get off quickly.”

Beech followed the youth round to the rear of the house. There he drew his knife and, with a swift, professional thrust, stabbed Ingvald through the back and into the heart.

In the kitchen, the lady turned from the stove and Pilkington said in Norwegian: “Madam, you should have found out first whether we spoke your language.” Drawing his revolver, he shot her as Beech returned wiping his knife. In later years, whenever he was asked if he had killed anyone in the war, Pilkington would reply: “Yes, I shot a nice old lady who was just going to give me breakfast.”

It was his first kill, in my conversations with him he always stated it as fact. It was to my mind nothing he felt especially proud of, he was simply doing his job. In doing so however it is certain he probably saved his life.

Strafed by Nazi Aeroplanes and pursued by enemy soldiers most of the way he eventually managed to escape from Norway back to Britain. It was from his service in Norway that he earned his Distinguished Conduct Medal, it was in Britain that he experienced another life changing experience.

The Sykes/Fairbairn Connection

There wasn’t much time for Pilkington to rest, there was a War on after all!

Through the offices of Section D the two then Captains E.A Sykes and W.E Fairbairn selected personnel for Instruction in their brand of “Close Quarter Mayhem(tm)”.

Based at a former Boarding School named Auchinraith House in Lanarkshire (Scotland), they trained twelve Officers as an Instructor Cadre in Close Quarter Battle (both with and without Firearms), Silent Killing, Unarmed Combat, Knife Fighting and a host of other assorted skills. These Officers once they had passed the course would then go out to train others in these same skills; these would train others who would train others ad infinitum.

The original candidates were chosen as they had some type of skill already that recommended them. They were also given the opportunity to display these skills.

In a letter written by W.E Fairbairn himself entitled “Anti-Invasion Measures of Defence Tactics – Notes To Instructors” (written halfway through the course) it is written:

“I suggest that all instructors should take extra instruction from Mr. Pilkington, in his highly lethal staff, stick and baton system. This should be passed on to the public, as should his other contribution of Improvised Self-Defence System. British Forces have already been given training in these systems”

High praise indeed but Pilkington was a little more matter of fact about it.

“Later in the war I trained under the personal eyes of Captain W.E Fairbairn (of commando knife fame) and modified my system still further”

He went on to train some of the early Aux Units, Home Guard and other special duties personnel such as member of SOE in his methods of “Stick, Staff and Baton” and “Improvised Self-Defence System”. He also went on operations himself, got promoted to the rank of Major and the end of the war found him in Palestine where he was made an Inspector in the Palestinian Police until the British left in 1948 and the state of Israel was declared.

In this he wasn’t the first great SOE CQB Instructor to have worked with that Force; Hector Grant-Taylor had already setup that tradition but that I’ll leave for another time.

There is so much, much more to add.

As I have already explained I have only written the briefest of his wartime experiences and that for my own reasons, maybe another time a full recounting will come.

After the War

After he had been demobbed from the Palestinian Police Force Pilkington returned to the West Midlands. He also returned to his acting carer and his original pursuits of the Saint Johns Ambulance and the arts of self protection.

Gaining support acting roles in long running television serials such as “Coronation Street” and “Till Death Do Us Part” and others he continued his previous interests and trained a number of people in the War arts he had studied.

His self protection method was not only taught to selected individuals but shown in some of the many articles he wrote. He thought that his methods would help women and persons of older years in particular and wrote several articles for them specifically.

In many ways he was very much ahead of his time, writing in the 1970’s and 1980′of improvised weapons such as the mini-maglite, books, keys, coins, walking sticks, and many other “to hand weapons”. He was a staunch believer of the right for a person to be able to defend themselves and also wrote a number of articles about the powers of observation in every day life. In a slight twist of irony he also served as the editor of the “Talking Newspaper for the Blind” in the Manchester area. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1989 and also the Civil Defense Long Service and Saint John Ambulance Long Services Medals.

William Pilkington died at his home in Altringham in Cheshire in the 24th of August 2004. He had finally succumbed after a series of lengthy illnesses which forced him into hospital on many occasions.

“Britain’s Unsung Instructor” lost his final battle at the age of eighty-seven.

 

Attacked from behind defender?thrusts?Mini Maglite backwards into?

attackers?nose.

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Attacked by throat grip, defender jabs Mini-maglite upwardsunder attacker’s jaw.————————————Attacked from the rear, use of rolled up magazine————————————-VARIOUS IMPROVISED WEAPONS:

Use of the three-cell Maglite—————- Use of the British 50p coin —————-Use of the spectacle case Personal

I first “met” Bill Pilkington as a researcher in the summer of 2003, I write “met” in inverted commas as although my plans were made to visit him in person his illnesses meant that this was put off again and again until finally it was too late. In this as I have written earlier in this article – time really is a thief.

I spoke with him half a dozen times on the telephone and my soft spoken manner (I worked a number of years in a call centre where that was considered an asset), never failed to infuriate him as he was very hard of hearing. I was “introduced” in the usual manner, a new contact made in my research meant an introduction to another of his contacts who knew of Bill and his contact details etc etc. This is how research is conducted; hard work, money spent, travel, phone calls, letter writing – all in all (in truth) a lot of “blood, sweat and beers”.

Bill was one of the first original WW2 Instructors I was able to contact, through him I found a world of different idea’s, thoughts and avenue’s for research. He always seemed to me to be very disappointed that he didn’t get the recognition he felt he had earned for his efforts in self protection and training during the war. He certainly had enough for his public works in terms of working with the St Johns Ambulance et al but to him that was simply part of ‘one’s civic duty’ and the accolades embarrassments.

He had some very strong views in his life, views which others may have found unpopular. In my mind a man is defined by his beliefs and his willingness to abide by them, I found that Bill never sold himself out or sold himself short in either case.

He was, as I’ve explained in his advanced latter years before I was able to make contact with him, apart from my low volume he seemed very happy to hear from me each time I called. I still remember the very first time I did so as he answered the telephone with a clear “Altringham # # # #” (four numbers). I was honestly stupefied as I thought it was some kind of code!! If you spend enough time lurking in dusty Intelligence files or interviewing Intelligence type people you would have been confused too. As it was it was simply the pre-modern telephone dialling code for his area! After the confusion he sent me some of his articles and from them I’ve tracked down some others, other researchers in the game have helped me out further and for that they have my thanks.

Bill was always interested in my writing an article about him, he gave me permission to use his articles that I’d gathered but although I’ve made a start now it’s not for the best of reasons and certainly not from what I consider the best of research points.

It has been stated (not debated) on certain websites recently that the Fairbairn Double Handed Stick Method was “actually devised by one of his WW2 protoge’s”.

It certainly wasn’t Bill Pilkington I can assure you.

In fact my research shows that the system (and even the photo’s) of the Double-Handed method were developed well before the two ever met.

Personally I believe that they both as impressed by the other as much as they learned from one another. Bill Pilkington had his own system which he devised, based on his own experiences and his own studies.

But that’s my take, take it or leave it as you yourself find it.

Take care,

Phil

Copyright 2006 – thebristolbloke@yahoo.com

Grateful thanks to Paul Gerasymchk for his help and advice as always.

Also thanks to (in no order):

Dennis Martin (UK)
James Farthing (UK)
Mika Soderman (SWE)
Kjetil Vigre (NO)
Rickard G (SWE) – hope to see you soon in the UK mate!
Ron Evans (UK)
Cris Anderson (CA)
Steve Brown (USA)

Notes:

References

Cyril Bracegirdle – Obituary “Bill Pilkington: Actor who had a distinguished and unusual war” 08 September 2004. www.independant.co.uk

W.E Fairbairn “Anti-Invasion Measures of Defence Tactics – Notes To Instructors”

Bill Pilkington: Various Personal Notes and Articles