During his time at Eton, the young Wheeler enrolled in the school Officer Training Corps unit and received his first taste of military life.

He evidently enjoyed the military way as following the annual OTC summer camp of 1915, Wheeler went missing and was eventually tracked down by his father and housemaster at the Guards Depot Caterham, Surrey.

Wheeler did not have to wait long to come of age and soon left Eton for the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where, due to the expediencies of war, he completed a much shortened course of officer training.

The London Gazette citations for the awards were published on 21 January 1920 and read as follows: Military Cross Lt. Vashon James Wheeler,.

Wheeler paid for these awards with his own pound of flesh, losing two fingers on his left hand due to a painful wound received during the fighting.

After returning from Russia, Wheeler spent a further 10 months in the army before deciding to leave for pastures new in July 1920, he was granted a small disability pension in compensation for the loss of his two fingers.

After returning home to England, Wheeler decided to spend a portion of the proceeds gained from the sale of his farm on a course of flying lessons at Heston Aerodrome.

By 1939 Wheeler was working for an Egyptian-based airline, on the outbreak of war he immediately returned home to England with the intention of joining the Royal Air Force.

Knowing that his age (41) would likely bar him from any operational flying role, he decided to utilise the same trick that he had used so successfully back in 1915, he lied about it.

This resulted in his application being successful, and he was commissioned as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in January 1940.

For his first posting he spent four months acting as the resident staff pilot to a Bombing and Gunnery School in Wales, duties included towing targets, transporting senior officers and performing other routine flights.

At that time the squadron was heavily involved in supporting the British Expeditionary Force in France, and subsequently assisting in its evacuation after the German Blitzkrieg in May 1940.

Over the next four months he flew the Anson on 22 convoy escort and anti U-Boat patrols over the English Channel and the North Sea.

On the first he managed to successfully chase a Junkers Ju 88 away from the convoy he was escorting, on the second he narrowly escaped death after being attacked by several Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighters.

This officer has performed excellent operational work' during a long period, including convoy patrols and reconnaissance missions over enemy territory.

Wheeler completed 29 defensive patrols with the squadron before flying the units first ever offensive Intruder operation on 23 March 1943 in the Paris area.

In recognition of his efforts with 157 Sqn he was awarded a bar to his DFC in September 1943, his London Gazette citation reads: Acting Wing Commander Vashon James WHEELER, M.C., D.F.C.

Wheeler soon grew frustrated when it became apparent that Fighter Command was intent on keeping him desk bound due to his advanced years (45).

This did not go unnoticed by the aircrews, Navigator Flight Sergeant Jack Briggs sums up the general feeling towards Wheeler at this time: Wing Commander was a fantastic character for a crowd of young lads like us, going on every trip like he did.

[3]Wing Commander Wheeler took off on the night of 22/23 March 1944 in Lancaster serial number ME666, coded EM-A, to join a raid against Frankfurt.

The bodies of Wing Commander Wheeler and his crew are buried in the British Military Cemetery at Durnbach in Bavaria.