About Maurice Wilson
Maurice Wilson MC (21 April 1898 – c. 31 May 1934) was a British soldier, mystic, and aviator who is known for his ill-fated attempt to climb Mount Everest alone in 1934. Often characterised as "eccentric", Wilson wished to climb Everest as a platform to promote his belief that the world's problems could be solved by a combination of fasting and faith in God. Despite his lack of mountaineering or flying experience, he succeeded in flying from Britain to India, surreptitiously entering Tibet and climbing as high as 6,920 metres (22,703 ft) on Everest. However, Wilson died in his attempt, and his body was found the following year by a British expedition. == Early life and wartime service == Maurice Wilson was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, to a woollen mill owner, and would have grown up expecting to work in the mill with his father and brothers. However, the outbreak of the First World War changed his expectations, and Wilson joined the British Army on his eighteenth birthday. He quickly rose through the ranks in the army, eventually becoming a Captain. Posted to France in November 1917, Wilson was awarded the Military Cross in April 1918 for his part in an engagement near Wytschaete where, as the only uninjured survivor of his unit, he single-handedly held a machine gun post against advancing Germans. The citation for the award read: 2nd Lt.
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