Governor of Queensland Sir Leslie Orme Wilson and Queensland Government House

GOVERNOR OF QUEENSLAND
SIR LESLIE ORME WILSON
AND QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT HOUSE "FERNBERG"
168 FERNBERG RD, PADDINGTON, BRISBANE, QLD
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

Colonel the Honourable Sir Leslie Orme Wilson GCMG GCSI GCIE DSO was the 15th Governor of Queensland and served as Governor from 13 June 1932 through to 24 April 1946.

In May 1940, a press reporter interviewing the Governor was introduced to the Governor's per budgerigar. Sir Leslie Wilson thrust his fist under the nose of the reporter and opened it to reveal his pet budgerigar. The bird obediently cut short its chirping when the Governor said "Shut up, you little rascal!" and the bird flew off into the open door of its cage. The budgerigar apparently used to hop around the table in the Governor's study and sit on his shoulder whilst he was working at his desk.

In September 1940, Sir Leslie Wilson opened the Union Jack Club on Wickham Terrace, Brisbane. The Governor had also accepted the role of Patron of the Union Jack Club which was sponsored by the nurses of Queensland and was affiliated with the Patriotic Fund of Queensland. It could accommodate up to 150 men.

At 3pm on Wednesday 8 January 1941, the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson inspected the ceremonial passing out parade for 24 trainees of No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School at Archerfield Airfield.

Sir Leslie Wilson visited Camp Chermside, on the north side of Brisbane on Friday morning of 10 January 1941.

On the afternoon of 16 January 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson attended a meeting of the Red Cross Appeal Fund Committee in the old Town Hall building in Brisbane.

At 2 pm on Friday 24 January 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson officially opened the new Air Force Hostel for RAAF personnel at Campbell Street, Bowen Hills in Brisbane.

On the evening of Thursday 30 January 1941, the Queensland Governor, Sir Leslie Wilson inspected the work of the Voluntary Coastal Patrol in training men for commissions in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve. Sir Leslie Wilson was received by Captain A. N. Boulton, President of the Voluntary Coastal Patrol, Mr. H. E. Broadbent, Secretary and Captain J. Leighton, a member of the committee.

Sir Leslie Wilson inspected the passing out parade for 23 Air Cadets of No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF at Archerfield Airfield on the afternoon of Wednesday 5 February 1941. The men were then due to move to the Service Flying Training School at Amberley Airfield. During the ceremony the Governor recalled a statement made by his son when war broke out:-

Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson inspecting Air trainees
at the Elementary Flying Training School at Archerfield Airfield.

Sir Leslie Wilson, President of the Red Cross Appeal, and Lady Winifred Wilson, President of the Australian Red Cross Society visited the Shell Theatrette on Thursday 20 February 1941 to watch a special Red Cross film titled "They Serve". The film was produced by the Shell Company.

At 11:30am on Wednesday 26 February 1941, the Governor visited the A.A.M.C. Training Depot, A.I.F. at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds and had lunch with the officers. The Governor was accompanied by his A.D.C., Captain N. Dick, and was shown the Army Medical Training Depot by the Commanding Officer of the Infantry Training Brigade, Lt. Col. A. G. Salisbury, and the Commanding Officer of the Depot, Major H. M. Saxby. The Governor chatted with the soldier patients at the hospital area.

On Thursday 27 February 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson sent a cheque for Ł2/2/- for a fund for the purchase of a portable boxing ring for Air Force trainees at Amberley Airfield. On the same day the Queensland Governor handed over a cheque for Ł987/14/5 to the Red Cross Appeal Committee. The money was raised from a sportsmen's carnival held in the grounds of Government House, "Fernberg" at 168 Fernberg Rd, Paddington.

On Wednesday 5 March 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson praised the work of the flying instructors at the passing out parade for another 24 graduates of the Elementary Flying Training School at Archerfield Airfield.

On Friday 7 March 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute and presented each man with his wings at the graduation ceremony for 25 men of the RAAF Service Flying Training School at Amberley Airfield. These men were the first graduates from this Service Flying Training School. Sir Leslie Wilson and Lady Wilson had afternoon tea in the Officer's Mess after the parade.

On 4 April 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson attended the Navy, Army and RAAF swimming carnival at the Valley Baths at Fortitude Valley in Brisbane.

On Tuesday 25 March 1941, Brisbane hosted a variety of welcome ceremonies for a number of American warships that visited the city. Four US destroyers entered the Brisbane River at 4:30am with two of them berthing at New Farm Wharf and the other two at the Mercantile Wharf at 7am. The flagship USS Chicago entered the river at 6am followed by the USS Portland and the Flotilla leader USS Clark. They all berthed at the Hamilton Wharf.

600 US Naval officers and men marched with Australian service personnel from Fortitude Valley to the Brisbane City Hall. A holiday was declared for public offices, State Schools, banks and insurance offices. Other businesses were asked to close for a few hours to welcome the US Naval personnel to Brisbane. They marched from Fortitude Valley along Wickham Street, Petrie Bight and Queen Street where the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson, took the salute at the GPO. The parade continued along George, Ann and Albert Streets to the Brisbane City Hall. The Governor and Lady Wilson entertained officers and private citizens at Government House that afternoon. The Governor entertained senior American officers of the US Fleet at a small official dinner party that night.

On the evening of Thursday 27 March 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson and Lady Wilson went aboard USS Chicago to attend a reception given by the American Rear-Admiral J. H. Newton.

On the evening of Wednesday 9 April 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson visited two of the six mechanised classes held by the Women's Auxiliary Transport Service WATS at their garage in Ann Street, Brisbane. He then proceeded to the Ford Factory's mechanical school at Eagle Farm where he saw a second class of WATS ladies working under the supervision of instructors.

On Thursday 10 April 1941, the Queensland Governor opened the annual conference of the Commercial Traveller's Association where he asked members to "carry to all parts of Australia a message that if we were to win the war we must put all our courage, skill and sacrifice into one task of defeating the tremendous forces of evil which Hitler had built up." He added that:- "This war was unlike any other war. The last so-called Great War was a young man's war, but in this old and young were equally in danger."

Sir Leslie Wilson accompanied by Lady Wilson reviewed a parade of about 250 Women's Auxiliary Transport Service members at Roma Street Railway Station on the evening of Friday 18 April 1941. Lady Wilson, the patroness of the WATS organisation, was presented with a spray of orchids. A supper was then served to over 200 guests.

At 11:45 am on 19 April 1941, Lady Wilson presented the Lady Wilson Cup and certificates for proficiency in first aid to the 69 members of the Beaudesert circle of the Junior Red Cross at Government House.

Sir Leslie Wilson convened a public meeting at the Red Cross Cafe at 7:45pm on Monday 21 April 1941 to make arrangements for a state wide Red Cross campaign beginning on 12 May 1941 to show Queensland the work of the Red Cross.

On Sunday 27 April 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson and Lady Wilson attended the Metro Theatre at 2:30pm where Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer Co. Ltd. gave a private screening to limbless soldiers and their dependents and the patients of Rosemount Hospital and the Anzac Hostel.

At a civic reception at Goondiwindi on Friday 9 May 1941, the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson said "An enemy has never set foot on these shore, and we have been allowed to develop Australia under conditions that no other nation enjoyed. If we desire to keep Australia, the war effort must be 100 per cent. I know the people in the country are making a great effort, but it must be greater. Australia and the Empire want money, munitions, and men, and if the freedom now enjoyed in Australia is to continue, these must be forthcoming."

At 11am on Monday 12 May 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson opened a photographic exhibition of photos from the Victorian Salon of Photography at Messrs Allan and Stark Ltd. to raise money for the Red Cross.

On Tuesday 12 May 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson and Lady Wilson accompanied by Major A. V. Stark inspected the Red Cross window displays of city firms that were installed for Red Cross week. At Allan and Stark's the display was a Red Cross Hospital Ward, at McDonnell and East it was a Red Cross Store in Palestine, in Hicks Ltd there was a Camp Dressing Station C.D.S., in Trittons Ltd, the display featured "How the Red Cross uses Waste Material", in Edwards and Lamb there was a Red Cross Depot. In Woolworths the display was about bandage winding and in Barry and Roberts their display was a Red Cross Store. Pikes Ltd featured a recreation room in a convalescent home and Greddens Ltd showed a casualty clearing station. There were many other company window displays.

On Saturday 17 May 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute as approximately 1,000 Air Force enlistees marched through the streets of Brisbane prior to commencing their training the following day as ground staff and air crews.

On Sunday 25 May 1941 Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at the march past of approximately 1,500 Returned Soldiers' League Volunteer Defence Corps at the Brisbane Exhibition grounds.

On Wednesday 28 May 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at the passing out parade for Air Force cadets from the Service Flying Training School at Amberley Airfield. He then presented them with their wings.

The Governor of Queensland visited the military camp at Enoggera in Brisbane on Friday 30 May 1941. He was met by the camp commandant Lt. Col. John Joseph Corrigan and the acting Adjutant W. T. Lang when he arrived at Frasers Paddock. They inspected the Army Service Corps lines of communication camp and the camp hospital. The Governor later inspected the Army Service Corps field units and then lunched at the officer's mess of the Garrison Battalion.

Sir Leslie Wilson inspected the Militia troops at Camp Chermside on Monday 2 June 1941.

On the afternoon of Thursday 5 June 1941, the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson, accompanied by Lady Wilson opened an exhibition of women's war work in the Brisbane City Hall.

At a meeting with soldiers at the Diggers' Rooms in Charters Towers on Thursday 12 June 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson asked one of the soldiers if he was on leave. The soldier replied "Yes , sir, If I don't go back to camp tomorrow I will be a.w.l." The soldier then produced his Leave Pass and said "If you will put 'your moniker' on this it will be o.k. I can blame it on you." The Governor laughed heartily.

Sir Leslie Wilson attended the Merchant Navy ball at the Trocadero in Brisbane on 27 June 1941.

On 7 August 1941, the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Wilson hosted a dinner party in honour of Rear Admiral S. A. Taffinder and officers of the visiting US Navy cruisers USS Northampton and USS Salt Lake City. On 8 August 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson and Rear-Admiral Taffinder took the salute at the General Post Office when 500 officers and ratings from the visiting United States cruisers marched through the streets to City Hall. The march was led by a band from the U.S. cruisers followed by a company of U.S. Marines and a company of U.S. bluejackets. Then came the American standard bearers followed by three companies of U.S. bluejackets. The A.I.F. and RAAF contingents were led by their own bands.

On 12 August 1941, the Queensland Premier, Mr. W. Forgan Smith announced that the King had approved the extension of Sir Leslie Wilson's term as Governor of Queensland a further 12 months from 13 June 1942. The Governor had been granted an earlier extension of five years in 1937.

On Wednesday 13 August 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at a large march past of Army and Air Force personnel at the Brisbane Show. Brigadier G. V. Moriarty, on horseback, was in charge of the parade. G.O.C. Northern Command, Major-General J. M. A. Durrant accompanied the Governor. The march past was led by three Army bands and Bren Gun carriers with crews drawn from the 5th Armoured Regiment, Queensland's first unit in the A.I.F. Armoured Division. There were also army tractors pulling heavy guns, trucks carrying equipment, open trucks with Lewis guns mounted, and 62 motor lorries transporting a complete A.I.F. infantry battalion. Following the presentation of Arms by the troops, the combined bands played the National Anthem.

At 10am on Friday 15 August 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson opened the second annual conference of the 100 branches of the Queensland Division of the Red Cross Society in Albert Hall in Albert Street, Brisbane. Lady Winifred Wilson as president of the Queensland Division had the role of introducing her husband.

At about 11:30am on Saturday 16 August 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at the General Post Office at the largest Air Force march ever held in Brisbane. The march of 1,500 men led by Wing Commander H. Rigby, Officer Commanding Sandgate RAAF Station, started from Gipps Street at 11:12am. Air crew and ground crew from all RAAF Stations in southern Queensland were represented.

At 8pm on Friday 26 September 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson attended a Smoke Concert at the Royal Queensland Yacht Club to mark the absorption of the Voluntary Coastal Patrol in Queensland into the Naval Auxiliary Patrol.

At 7:30pm on 6 October 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson attended an official dinner hosted by newspaper proprietors at Lennons Hotel for the Netherlands East Indies Press delegation which was visiting Brisbane.

At 10:30am on Saturday 11 October 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson inspected the RAAF Recruiting Centre in Creek Street. The visit coincided with the largest call-up of air crew and recruits for the WAAAF in Queensland. The forty eight women who had enlisted in the WAAAF left by train for a southern training depot on the following day.

On Tuesday 14 October 1941, Brisbane held its largest demonstration of military mobility and mechanisation. The War Loan drive parade was made up of 287 military vehicles of all descriptions and carried several hundred A.I.F. and militia troops wearing battle dress and steel hats. Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute in front of the General Post Office. Also on the dias were the Minister for the Army, Mr Forde, the Minister for Transport, Mt Lawson; the General Officer Commanding Northern Command, Major-General J. Durrant; the District Naval Officer, Commander E. Rhodes and Wing Commander W. Hartwright plus a number of Federal and State Parliamentarians.

At 3 pm on Wednesday 15 October 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson opened the Lady Wilson Red Cross Convalescent Home for returned soldiers at Chelmer. The Governor was accompanied by Lady Wilson, who was president of the Red Cross Society (Queensland).

One thousand officers and men of the RAAF marched through Brisbane streets on Sunday 2 November 1941 to stimulate interest in the Ł100,000,000 War Loan and to promote recruitment opportunities. Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute in front of the General Post Office in Queen Street.

At 10am on Friday 14 November 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson opened the 26th Annual Federal Congress of the R.S.S.A.I.L.A. During his opening speech the Governor said "The only way in which we are going to ensure final victory is by wholehearted efforts, by equality of service and sacrifice. We are meeting here at a time of gravest crisis. How grave it is many cannot realise and many will not realise. It is, however, impossible to be ostrich-like and put our heads in the sand. We must face the position as it is." After the day's proceedings, delegates attended an "at home" reception at Government House.

On Monday 17 November 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson officially opened Liberty Week at a "Liberty-line Up Industrial Pageant" in Brisbane City Hall at 8pm. Bonfires were lit all over Queensland that night to mark the opening of Liberty Week which had been planned by the Queensland Patriotic and Australian Comforts Fund in a state-wide drive to raise funds. Boy Scouts and members of the Queensland Amateur Cyclists' Union carried lighted torches from City Hall to Mount Coot-tha where they lit a beacon to act as a signal for the lighting of all the other beacons throughout the state. Shops and businesses were decorated and many were illuminated with coloured lights. Street days were held on Thursday and Friday of that week. A highlight of the week was a procession of about 8,000 people, Navy, Army, Air Force, Militia, Volunteer Defence Corps, A.R.P. and various patriotic groups on the Saturday.

POW support notice attached to the gatepost
at Government House on 7 October 1942.

An Australian Prisoner of War was 'adopted' by a fund at
Government House, to which everybody from the Governor
(Sir Leslie Wilson), to the pantry maid subscribed.

Major David Orme Wilson (62381), the younger son of Sir Leslie and Lady Winifred Wilson, died from wounds he received in the Libyan Campaign on 30 November 1941. Twenty eight year old Major David Wilson was a member of the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade. He is commemorated at the Alamein Memorial in Egypt on Column No. 71.

On 2 December 1941, Sir Leslie Wilson visited the ammunition factory at Rocklea on the south side of Brisbane. He saw the production of the first cartridges to be made in Queensland. The factory was scheduled to achieve full production in six months time when it would employ over 5,000 men and women. Production of small arms ammunition had commenced that week at the factory with a staff of 40 women who had been trained in Melbourne earlier in the year. About 200 men were also employed at the factory at that time, mostly carrying out maintenance work.

On Friday 23 January 1942, Sir Leslie Wilson inspected an engineering works factory in Fortitude Valley where they fashioned precision tools essential to the manufacture of shells and guns. Six months earlier, the company had stripped an all-geared turret lathe and handed the parts to a small staff of engineers and draughtsman. The resulting set of drawings enabled the production within three months of an all Queensland lathe that was then sent to all of the Commonwealth. This company is now supplying some of the most intricate gun and machine-gun parts and providing a host of technical requirements for naval, air and army services. The workers showed the Governor the quality of a cutlass that they had made for the Dutch East Indies Government.

Sir Leslie Wilson opened the Presbyterian and Methodist Soldiers' Welfare Hostel for men of the fighting forces in Turbot Street, Brisbane at 2:30pm on Thursday 5 March 1942. It was known as the P-M Hostel.

The Governor opened the three day Irish Patriotic Fair in the Queensland Irish Association rooms in Elizabeth Street at 7:30pm on Monday night 16 March 1942. The fair was organised by four societies with the profits shared by the Queensland branch of the Australian Red Cross Society, the C.U.S.A. and St George's Service Clubs.

On Thursday 20 March 1942, Sir Leslie Wilson as Chairman of the Red Cross Appeal Committee announced a "Tarpaulin muster" for the Red Cross which was appealing for Ł100,000 before 23 May, Ł50,000 before 16 May and Ł50,000 during Red Cross week from 16 to 23 May 1942.

Sir Leslie Wilson in an address in Townsville on the night of Friday 17 April 1942 said that he was sorry to have learned that some people had evacuated the North in fear of an invasion. He was very much against such a policy. He said that large numbers of those who had earlier evacuated North Queensland were returning. He said he did not like the words "weakness" or "retreat". He wanted something beginning with an offensive. The Governor said "Go forward with determination and a cheery heart. Go forward to victory. Victory means everything to us. Without our freedom, life would not be worth living."

On Saturday morning 21 March 1942, Sir Leslie Wilson, Chairman of the Red Cross Appeal Committee, was handed a cheque for Ł3,000 by Mrs. A. E. Goldsmith, convener of the Red Cross Cafe.

On Thursday 2 July 1942, Sir Leslie Wilson and Lady Wilson attended the opening of the American Red Cross Service Club in Terrica House on the corner of Adelaide and Creek Streets in the city. Assistant director of the club, Miss Mary Browne, presented a bouquet to Lady Wilson.

General Douglas MacArthur arrived in Brisbane by train on 23 July 1942 as part of moving his General Headquarters Southwest Pacific Area GHQ SWPA from Melbourne to Brisbane. The following day General MacArthur met with the Governor of Queensland Sir Leslie Wilson. Below is an entry from General MacArthur's Office Diary:-

On Tuesday 11 August 1942, Sir Leslie Wilson visited a WAAAF mobile recruiting unit which was about to leave on a recruiting drive visiting towns from Nambour to Cairns in north Queensland. He said "I hope the drive will bring many recruits into the WAAAF thus relieving men for other army duties."

Sir Leslie Orme Wilson shaking hands with a soldier at an
awards ceremony at Government House on 10 November, 1942

At 6:45pm on Wednesday 9 December 1942, Sir Leslie Wilson visited CUSA headquarters to inspect the new 28 bed hostel above St. Michael's rest room for service women on active service. The leave hostel was sponsored by the Women's Auxiliary of the Presbyterian and Methodist Welfare Association at Wairuna, South Brisbane. The Governor was greeted by Archbishop Duhig, the Chief Justice Sir William Webb, Monsignor English and Messrs. E. P. Griffin (Chairman) and T. J. Pender (Secretary).

On Friday 11 December 1942, the Queensland Premier Mr. F. A. Cooper announced that the Government was pleased with His Majesty's decision to approve an extension of another 12 months to Sir Leslie Wilson's term of office as the Governor of Queensland making this the third time that the Governor's term had been extended.

At 3pm on Thursday 14 January 1943, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at the General Post Office for a march past of some 600 WAAAFs. After the march the Governor opened a new WAAAF Enrolment Bureau also known as the Air Force Blue Bureau outside the GPO which would take enquiries and ladies completing their application forms to enlist in the WAAAF.

On Sunday 7 February 1943, Sir Leslie Wilson accompanied by Lady Wilson officially opened the Walter T. Robertson convalescent home in Toowoomba, the second Red Cross convalescent home in Queensland.

On Thursday 8 April 1943, Sir Leslie Wilson opened Talbot House in Cairns in north Queensland. Talbot House was organised by the Toc H organisation. The Governor said that Toc H was doing very marvellous work in all parts of the world, and that the people working for this organisation were upholding their duty of helping those not as well off as themselves.

On Sunday 11 July 1943, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at the GPO of a parade of nearly 2,500 members of the Volunteer Defence Corps who were commemorating their third anniversary. The Governor was an honorary Colonel of the VDC.

On Saturday 31 July 1943, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at the GPO of a parade of one thousand Air Cadets, RAAF and WAAAF personnel. The parade was part of the Air Training Corps' drive for 2,000 recruits. A feature of the procession was a Japanese Zero fighter aircraft which, along with Japanese weapons was mounted on a large float.

Japanese Zero on display at the march for the Air Training
Corps drive for 2,000 recruits on 31 July 1943

On 4 September 1943, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute in King George Square outside of the Brisbane City Hall and reviewed the march past of Civil Defence workers in Brisbane on Civil Defence Day.

Opening her presidential address at the annual meeting of the Australian Red Cross Society, Queensland Division, on Tuesday 31 August 1943, Lady Wilson began formally :- "Ladies and gentlemen! It is ...." Lady Wilson broke off suddenly and turned to the Governor and said, slightly embarrassed:- "Oh! I completely forgot about you." She joined in the laughter, inspired by Sir Leslie's chuckles, and began again:- "Your Excellency ....."

On Thursday 9 September 1943, Sir Leslie Wilson accompanied by Lady Wilson, greeted Mrs. Roosevelt, the first U.S. Lady, when she arrived by aircraft from Sydney at Archerfield Airfield. Also in attendance were the Queensland Premier, Mr. Cooper and his wife; the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Ald. and Mrs. J. B. Chandler; Major-General Stantke, G.O.C. Queensland Lines of Communication and Mrs. Stantke, and Mrs. J. P. Ragland, wife of the U.S. Consul in Brisbane. Mrs. Roosevelt then left by car to inspect a U.S. military camp where she dined with the rank and file US servicemen. She then returned to Archerfield Airfield to continue her Queensland tour. She returned to Brisbane a week later.

On Wednesday 20 October 1943, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at a so-called "one million dollar parade" organised by the American Army to aid the Fourth Liberty Loan. More than 2,000 men and hundreds of guns and vehicles took part in the parade. Infantry marched nine abreast in six detachments each of more than 300 men. As a squadron of 17 light reconnaissance tanks three abreast approached the saluting base they sounded their air raid sirens. A band of 80 instruments led the parade and another large band was stationed at the saluting base. Each of the infantry detachments was followed by sections of machine-guns and mortars, each weapon being hauled on a carrier by two men. The second half of the parade was wholly mechanised. Amphibious jeeps, were followed by jeeps hauling anti-tank guns. The artillery included mountain guns, and field guns similar to the Australian 25-pounder. An artillery spotting Piper Cub with its wings folded was carried on an ordinary army truck. Fighting vehicles were followed by recovery units, wireless and administrative vans, supply services and ambulances. Many of the vehicles drove three abreast.

Sir Leslie Wilson attended the army show "Khaki on Parade" at City Hall on Monday 29 November 1943. It included well known radio and Army entertainers. The Queensland L. of C. Units band played and an organ and piano duet was given by Archie Day and Herbert Cannon. Proceeds for the event went to the Red Cross Society.

One of the boxers that fought at the Brisbane Stadium on the evening on 13 December 1943, was US Army negro soldier Corporal Alston James Hoosman. At that time he was considered to be the best heavyweight fighter in Australia. The evening was the Finals of a boxing tournament for US servicemen. About 5,000 American and Australian service personnel attended the boxing matches that night. The Governor of Queensland Sir Leslie Wilson was in attendance at the matches and US Navy Commander Gene Tunney, the world heavyweight champion, was the referee.

The Queensland Premier Mr. Cooper announced on Tuesday 4 January 1944 that the King had the pleasure to approve a further 12 month extension from 13 June 1944 to the term for Sir Leslie Wilson as Governor of Queensland. This was the fourth extension of his term of office.

On Wednesday 19 April 1944, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute in King George Square at the first all-service women's march in support of the First Victory Loan. Some 1,700 women took part in the march including members of the WRANS, WAAAF and AWAS. A Navy band, two Army bands and two RAAF bands took part in the parade.

His Excellency Sir Leslie Wilson, the Governor of Queensland, inspected Townsville W/T Station, No. 1 Transmitting Station at Belgian Gardens and Signals Section Air Operations Room at Sidney Street, West End, both operated by 12 Signals Unit RAAF on 1 May 1944.

On Sunday 3 December 1944, Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at the final parade for the Volunteer Defence Corps which was put on the reserve list from 1 January 1945. The Governor said "The Volunteer Defence Corps had done a great job, how great very few people realised." The Governor also stated "You have done a great deal of work in connection with coastal defence, ack-ack, searching for missing planes and the instruction of the A.I.F. Perhaps the greatest value of the VDC and its work, was the effect on civilian morale. In the north the corps did a great deal to encourage those people to whom the threat was great and who were left with very little defence."

Sir Leslie Wilson accompanied by Lady Wilson attended the official opening of the Victoria League Empire Service Club in Realty House, Queen Street on Wednesday 7 February 1945. Lady Wilson as president of the Victoria League presided over proceedings and the club was officially opened by Sir Leslie Wilson. The club provided light refreshments for troops and had entertained more than 700 servicemen since it commenced operations on 29 December 1944.

On Thursday 12 April 1945, Sir Leslie Wilson attended a function at the City Hall where the degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on General Douglas MacArthur by the Queensland University. The degree was accepted on General MacArthur's behalf by the Chief Justice, Sir William Webb.

Sir Leslie Wilson attended a U.S. Forces memorial service for the late President Roosevelt in the City Hall on Sunday 22 April 1945.

On Thursday 24 May 1945, Sir Leslie Wilson inspected fifty old soldiers, 16 of them veterans of campaigns before 1886, in the Queen's Garden for the annual Empire Day service. The old campaigners formed two ranks, one for the Imperial War veterans and the other for soldiers who fought in the 1899-1902 South African war.

On Friday 25 May 1945, the Governor Sir Leslie Wilson received the highest award of the Queensland Branch of the Royal Geographical Society, the Dr. J. P. Thomson foundation gold medal in recognition of his services to the society.

On 7 June 1945, Sir Leslie Wilson greeted the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as they arrived at Archerfield Airfield in their York aircraft. The Governor and Lady Wilson gave a dinner party at Government House in honour of the Duke and Duchess.

Sir Leslie Wilson took the salute at 3pm at a large Victory Parade by approximately 9,000 British, American, Australian and Dutch servicemen and women held in Brisbane on Thursday 16 August 1945 to mark the end of WWII.

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