Collection WILDISH, HW - WILDISH, Engineer R Adm Sir Henry William (1884-1973)

Key Information

Reference code

WILDISH, HW

Title

WILDISH, Engineer R Adm Sir Henry William (1884-1973)

Date(s)

  • 2001 (1884-1973) (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent

1 volume

Scope and content

Copy of unpublished memoir, 'The Life of Engineer Rear Admiral Sir Henry Wildish aka The Rogue Elephant, 1884-1973', by his son, V Adm Sir Denis Bryan Harvey Wildish, covering his Naval career, 1901-1945, including chapters on his early life and training; sea service aboard HMSs NILE, HERMES, DUNCAN, 1905-1914; service in World War One as Senior Engineer of the heavy cruiser, HMS SUTLEJ, attached to 11th Cruiser Squadron based at Queenstown 1914-1915, as Senior Engineer of the heavy cruiser HMS KING ALFRED, Flagship of the 6th Cruiser Squadron, mainly engaged in patrol duties off the African coast, and as Chief Engineer of the destroyer HMS SPRINGBOK, attached to the Harwich Light Forces, 1916-1919; inter-war sea service as Engineer Officer of HMSs DILIGENCE, 1925, WEYMOUTH, 1925-1926, and FURIOUS, 1928-1931, and shore appointments particularly as Engineer Officer in Charge. Admiralty Fuel Experimental Station. Haslar, 1926-1928; service in World War Two as Engineer Admiral on the Staff of Staff of Commander-in-Chief, Nore Command, 1937-1941and as Command Engineer Officer on the Staff of Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches, Adm Sir Max Kennedy Horton, 1941-1945; Appendices include copies of his Confidential Reports (flimsies), 1904-1945; correspondence on Wildish's concept of a petrol fuelled internal combustion engine for torpedoes and submarines when submerged; details of the Stefco-Wildish Patent Two Stage Steam Dryer and the Wildish firebrick and bolt.

System of arrangement

Single volume

General Information

Name of creator

(1914-)

Biographical history

Born 1914, son of R Adm Sir Henry William Wildish, educated at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, 1928-1931; entered RN as Cadet, 1932, sea service in HMSS RAMILLIES and REVENGE, 1932; transferred to Engineering Branch, 1933; Mid (E), 1933; RN Engineering College, Keyham, 1933-1936; Sub Lt (E) 1935; appointed to HMS NELSON, 1936-1938; Lt (E) 1937; RN Apprentice Training Establishment, 1938-1939; Damage Control Officer, HMS PRINCE OF WALES, 1940-1941; Staff of Fleet Engineer Officer, Far East Fleet, 1942; Engineer Officer, HMS ISIS, Apr 1942-Feb 1944; RN Engineering College, Devonport, Feb 1944-Sep 1946; Lt Cdr (E) 1945; Senior Engineer, HMS IMPLACBLE, Sep 1946-Aug 1948; Cdr (E) 1948; Planning Staff, Exercise Trident, 1948-1949; Staff of Engineer Officers' Admin Course, 1949-1951; Assistant Naval Attaché, British Embassy, Rome, Italy, 1951-1954; Engineer Officer, HMS EAGLE and Staff EO to Flag Officer Heavy Squadron, 1954-1956; Admiralty, Officer Planning Section, 2nd Sea Lord's Department, 1956-1958; Capt 1957; Admiralty Engineer Overseer, Southern District, 1958-1960; Deputy Director, Fleet Maintenance (Organisation), 1960-1962; Director of Fleet Maintenance, 1962-1964; Senior Officers War Course, 1964; Commodore, Naval Drafting, 1964-1966; R Adm 1966; Adm Superintendent HM Dockyard, Devonport, 1966-1970; CB 1968; V Adm 1970; Director General of Personnel Services and Training (Naval) and Deputy Second Sea Lord 1970-1972.

Custodial history

Presented by V Adm D B H Wildish, 2001

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only.

Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, via the Archives.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Existence and location of originals

Off-campus collection

Please note: We require 7 days notice to retrieve this collection as part, or all of it, is held off-campus. Read more ›

Existence and location of copies

Copy also presented to the Imperial War Museum, London

Related materials

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London, also holds V Adm Sir Denis Bryan Harvey Wildish's unpublished memoir 'D.B.H.W.' covering his life and naval career 1917-1999 (Ref GB0099 KCLMA Wildish D B H )

Related descriptions

Alternative identifier(s)

Place access points

People and Organisations

Genre access points

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.

Script(s)

Archivist's note

Compiled by Alan Kucia as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Accession area