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Who was Henry Wheeler?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Caro (U1691443) on Saturday, 17th September 2011

  In 1945 a man known as Henry Wheeler, Navy signalman was a guest on Desert Island Discs. Someone on another board has asked who he was - Google searching, even calling him Harry, has thrown up nothing more, and his programme is apparently not available to listen to again. Though his choices are there to see.
  
  Do any of you have any knowledge of him and what he might have done to be invited to the programme? His choice of music was relatively highbrow.
  
  What did or might he have done?
  
  Cheers, Caro.

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• Message 2

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  Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Monday, 19th September 2011

  A Henry Wheeler was the TAG (Telegraphist/Air Gunner) in the Swordfish which crippled the Bismarck. Might have been him? Was the broadcast during or after the war - what date in 1945, in other words.

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  Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Monday, 19th September 2011

  Further, I think he was involved in Eugene Esmonde's attack, for whick "Winkle" Esmonde was awarded a posthumous VC, on Salmon & Gluckstein during the Channel Dash, although his part in the Bismark attack came earlier - when Victorioius' stringbags got one hit on Bismarck's bow, rather than in the Ark Royal air group's attack, as I has misremembered it.

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  Posted by Hugh Mosby-Joaquin (U14258131) on Monday, 19th September 2011

  I don't think it could be him.
  In the article:
  [ ]
  It says:
  
  "...As a final footnote, 24 May did not mark the last time 825 Squadron would attack a German battleship. Some nine months later, on 12 February 1942, during the Channel dash, six Swordfish of a reformed 825 Squadron, still led by the indomitable Esmonde, would fly on a one-way mission to destiny. Among the 13 airmen killed that day were six of the 24 survivors of the Bismarck attack:
  
  Lieutenant-Commander(A) Eugene Kingsmill Esmonde, DSO, VC, RN (P) age 32 Swordfish W5984/H
  Petty Officer Airman William Johnson Clinton, RN (TAG) age 22 Swordfish W5984/H
  Petty Officer Airman Ambrose Lawrence Johnson, DSM, RN (TAG) age 22 Swordfish W5983/G
  Sub-Lieutenant(A) John Chute Thompson, RN (P) age 27 Swordfish V4523/F
  Sub-Lieutenant Robert Laurens Parkinson, RN (O) age 21 Swordfish W5985/K
  Leading Airman Henry Thomas Albert Wheeler, RN (TAG) Swordfish W5985/K..."
  
  So that particular Henry Wheeler had sadly lost his life before the recording of Deseett Island Discs, which was broadcast on 24th Nov 1945.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Caro (U1691443) on Wednesday, 21st September 2011

  You think nowadays you can find anything by googling so it's a bit disconcerting to find people can be unfindable. I saw a Canadian navy man (but his name was actaully Jame Henry Wheeler) who had done a little something, but surely the programme would focus on British navymen.
  
  I saw someone asking the same question on a military site - with teh same lack of information. Someone suggested there they just found nice looking and sounding young people to use, and he might not have had any real significance.
  
  Thanks, Ian and Hugh.
  
  Cheers, Caro.

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  Posted by WarsawPact (U1831709) on Friday, 30th September 2011

  The Wikipedia page for Desert Island Discs has the Henry Wheeler episode going out on 24th November 1945 - then endearingly, links to a Henry Wheeler who died in 1908!
  
  Maybe it was a recording.
  
  29

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Triceratops (U3420301) on Sunday, 2nd October 2011

  I did find a William Henry Wheeler, Recruitment Officer RN (retd) being awarded an OBE in June 1963, but whether this is the same person I have no idea. All other searches have drawn a blank.

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