Wickham, William Giles, son of William Noel Wickham, solicitor, of Alton, Hants, and Edith Mary, d. of Rev. Montagu John Burrows, incumbent of St Peter’s Colombo, Sri Lanka; b. 18 Jan. 1925; adm. Sept. 1938 (G); left July 1941; and went to Farnham GS; RE 1944-7; a chartered survevor, AAI 1954, ARICS 1960; m. 24 Sept. 1960 Geraldine Mary, d. of Gavin Hamilton Glass of Edinburgh; d. 1 June 1993.
WILBE, RICHARD HAYDOCK WIFFIN, son of Richard Haydock Wilbe MD MRCS LSA, Queen’s Road, St. John’s Wood, and Elizabeth --- (1881 Census); b. 18 Jun 1865; adm. 23 Jan 1879 (G); left May 1881; St. Bartholomew’s Hospital; MRCS 1886; LRCP 1887; MB Durham 1887; MD 1889; medical practitioner in London (still in Medical Directory 1899).
Wilde, David Scott, son of Sidney Algernon Wilde, chartered survevor, and lris Scott, d. of Walter Scott-Thomson; b. 17 June 1923; adm. Sept. 1935 (G); left Dec. 1939; Ordinary Seaman RNVR; killed in action in HMS Coventry 14 Sept. 1942.
David Scott Wilde was born at Radlett, Hertfordshire on the 17th of June 1923 the son of Sidney Algernon Wilde, a chartered surveyor, and Iris Scott (nee Thomas) Wilde of 78, Carlisle Mansions, Westminster in London and of “Crowtrees”, 49, Watford Road, Radlett in Hertfordshire. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from September 1935 to December 1939.
He enlisted in the Royal Navy and was posted to the light cruiser HMS Coventry (D43).
On the 14th of September 1942, HMS Coventry, under the command of Captain Ronald John Robert Dendy RN, was taking part in Operation Agreement, a commando attack on the harbour at Tobruk. At 11.40am she was sailing to the north of Marsa Matruh as part of “Force D” with her escorts, the destroyers HMS Belvoir, HMS Dulverton, HMS Hursley and HMS Croome, when the group was attacked by enemy aircraft. The enemy formation consisted of 16 Junker 88 aircraft each of which was armed with one 500lb bomb and three 250lb bombs. In the ensuing attack HMS Coventry was the focus of the enemy’s attack with four direct hits being scored on her. Three of the bombs fell in the ship’s engineering area while one wrecked the bow. She was set on fire and came to a dead stop in the water. The survivors were taken off and she was scuttled by the destroyer HMS Zulu at 3.15pm. Sixty three of her crew had been killed during the attacks with David Wilde being among the dead. HMS Zulu was also later in the day and the survivors were transferred to HMS Croome. HMS Zulu was taken under tow by HMS Hursley but sank at 7pm.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Radlett.
His brother, Pilot Officer Sidney John Scott Wilde, 115 Squadron, Royal Air Force, was killed in action on the 3rd of August 1940.
He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial Panel 66, Column 2.
Wilding, Roger Fenwick, son of Longworth Allen Wilding, schoolmaster, of Oxford, and Elizabeth Olga Fenwick, d. of Rev. William Fenwick Stokes, asst. master Rugby Sch.; b. 13 Feb. 1935; adm. Sept. 1948 (G); left July 1952; dir. Wilding and Son Ltd., Shrewsbury 1958-66; man. accountant Nuffield Press Ltd., Oxford 1966-87; m. 1st, 20 Aug. 1960 Edith Margaret, d. of William James Dunn MD, consult. physician, of Burnley, Lancs; 2nd, 7 Aug. 1981 Jennifer Mary Sheppard; d. 20 May 2012.
Wilkins, Francis Alfred Pressland, only son of Alfred Wilkins, of Earl's Court Square, London; b. April 9, 1871; adm. Sept. 28, 1883 (G); left July 1888; 2nd Lieut. Suffolk Regt. May 18, 1892; Lieut. June 19, 1895; Adjt. Jan. 10, 1899; killed in action at Rensburg, South Africa, Jan. 6, 1900.
Wilkinson, David Langley, son of Harold Mayfield Wilkinson, asst master Durham Sch., and Annie Gwendoline, d. of Henry Douglas Johns MD, of Hornsea, Yorks; b. 26 Apr. 1919; adm. Sept. 1932 (G); left July 1937; Trin. Coll. Camb., matric. 1937, BA 1941; commissioned 1/15 Punjab Regt IA July 1941 (Capt.), MC (Burma) June 1943; later Bde Maj. 106 Ind. Inf. Bde and HQ Mhow Sub-Area; d. 15 Apr. 1997.
Wilkinson, Edward Martin Henry, brother of David Langley Wilkinson (qv); b. 12 May 1921; adm. Sept. 1934 (G), KS May 1935; left July 1939; Trin. Coll. Camb., matric. 1939, BA 1942; RNVR 1942-5 (Lieut.); Dip. Ed. (Lond.) 1947; asst master King's Sch. Gloucester 1947-9, Richmond GS, Yorks, 1949; sen. classics master Richmond Comp. Sch. 1971; d. 17 Oct. 1995.
Wilkinson, Oliver Marlow, son of Louis Umfraville Wilkinson, author and lecturer, of Aldeburgh, Suffolk, and Frances Josepha Gregg, poet, d. of Oliver Howard Gregg of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, USA; b. 28 Jan. 1915; adm. Jan. 1929 (G); left Dec. 1930; dir. Red Triangle Theatre, London, 1936-8; drama adviser Lond. YMCA 1938-9; RN in WW2; drama dir. Iona Community 1945-51; co-dir. Oxford Playhouse 1951-2; drama adviser TocH 1952-6, drama organiser Oxfordshire County 1956-61; sen. lecturer Oxf. Poly. 1962-80; author (as Oliver Marlow) of Ishmael (Sybil Thorndike Trophy winner) 1937, How Can We Save Father (Royal Court) 1954; ed. letters of his godfather John Cowper Powys; m. 18 Mar. 1939 Margaret Lily, d. of Henry Shenton, civil servant, of Hampstead; d. Sept. 1999.
Willcocks, Robert Waller, brother of Roger Escombe Willcocks (q.v.); b. July 26, 1887; adm. Sept. 27, 1900 (G); left July 1905; Caius Coll. Camb. (adm. pensr. Oct. 1, 1905); B.A. 1908; M.B. and B.C. 1914; St. Bartholomew's Hospital; M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. 1912; practises at Chelmsford, Essex; Capt. R.A.M.C. Dec. 1, 1915; served in Gallipoli and France; mentioned in despatches; m. July 26, 1927, Irene Hope, daughter of G.R.H. Stringer, of Colchester, Essex; d. 1 May 1970.
Willcocks, Roger Escombe, son of George Waller Willcocks, C.B., M.Inst.C.E., of Streatham, by Mary, eldest daughter of Rowland Escombe; b. Sept. 25, 1885; adm. May 4, 1899 (G); left Dec. 1902; called to the bar at the Middle Temple June 23, 1909; Western Circuit; Legal Dept. Ministry of Labour; joined the Inns of Court O.T.C. on the outbreak of Great War I; a clerk in the solicitors' dept., Ministry of Labour; d. Jan. 15, 1944; unm.