Alfred Leslie Wheeler
Place of birth: Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Previous occupation: Schoolboy
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Able Seaman
Service Number: JX 132823
Biographical Information: Alfred Leslie Wheeler was born in the naval port of Portsmouth. Some family members called him Les, perhaps to avoid confusion with his father (an RN Stoker) also called Alfred. The younger Alfred went to school in Greenwich, London, in the Royal Hospital School which has a strong naval tradition. Alfred joined the Royal Navy at HMS St Vincent on 27 December 1928 as a Boy Second Class. His History Sheet (record of professional training and qualifications) records that he specialised in Gunnery. He served in Hood, as an Able Seaman, for nearly four years, from 1935 to 1939.
During much of World War II Alfred served in the elderly World War I destroyer HMS Vanoc, and in March 1941 he participated in the famous action which saw the sinking of U Boats U99 (Otto Kretschmer) and U100 (Joachim Schepke.) Both Kretschmer and Schepke were top U Boat 'aces'. Kretschmer survived that action (and was captured) Schepke did not.
Alfred continued in RN service after the War, was advanced to Petty Officer, and qualified for a pension on 23 May 1953, the day before his 40th birthday. He finally left the Service on 27 December 1953.
In civilian life Alfred became an RAC patrolman and later worked at Portsmouth Dockyard. He died in 1979. Alfred left an album of photos from his time in the Hood, which his family donated to the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.
Additional Photographs
None at this time.
No known memorials
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
'Register of Deaths of Naval Ratings' (data extracted by Director of Naval Personnel (Disclosure Cell), Navy Command HQ, 2009)
Photo: Imperial War Museum Collection. Biography: Andrew Batten, grandson.