William Thornton Watson
| Birth name | William Thornton Watson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 10 November 1887 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nelson, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 9 September 1961 (aged 73) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | New York, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William Thornton Watson, DSO, MC, DCM (10 November 1887 – 9 September 1961) was a New Zealander who served as an officer in the Australian Imperial Force in both World Wars. Prior to and after the First World War he had a distinguished rugby union career, representing Australia in eight Test matches and captaining the national side on three occasions. During the New Guinea Campaign in the Second World War he was the Commanding Officer of the Papuan Infantry Battalion. Following the war, he served as Australia's Vice – Consul to New York.