Malcolm David Wanklyn
| Malcolm David Wanklyn | |
|---|---|
Wanklyn (left) with his first lieutenant and senior engineer J. R. D Drummond (right), 13 January 1942
|
|
| Birth name | Malcolm |
| Nickname(s) | Wanks |
| Born |
28 June 1911 Kolkata, British India |
| Died | 14 April 1942 (aged 30) Mediterranean Sea |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1925–42 |
| Rank | Lieutenant commander |
| Unit | Royal Navy Submarine Service |
| Commands held | HMS H31 HMS Upholder |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Victoria Cross Distinguished Service Order & Two Bars |
Lieutenant Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn VC, DSO & Two Bars (28 June 1911 – missing in action 14 April 1942) was a Second World War British Royal Navy submarine ace and one of the most successful submariners in the Western Allied navies. Wanklyn and his crew sank 16 enemy vessels.
Born in 1911 to an affluent family in Kolkata, British India, Wanklyn was influenced into a military career at a young age. His father was a successful businessman and engineer who served in the British Army in the First World War and his uncle was a destroyer commander who had a successful war fighting German U-Boats in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
He developed a seafaring interest at the age of five and applied to join the Royal Navy aged 14. Despite some physical ailments, he was able to pass the selection boards. He progressed as commissioned officer fairly quickly and by 1931 had been promoted to sub-lieutenant and lieutenant two years later in 1933. After serving on a variety of surface ships, he joined the submarine service.
After the outbreak of the Second World War, he was given command of HMS H31 which he commanded from February until August 1940. Wanklyn sailed on patrol in the North Sea, during which he sank one vessel. In August 1940 he was given command of newly commissioned HMS Upholder. In December 1940 the submarine was reassigned to the Mediterranean. Wanklyn began the first of his patrols in January 1941 and remained on operations in the Battle of the Mediterranean for the remainder of his career.
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Wikipedia