William R.S. Wilberforce
William Robert Sargent Wilberforce, youngest son of Ernest Roland Wilberforce, late Lord Bishop of Chichester, and his wife, Emily (17, Eccleston Square, S.W.), only daughter of the late Very Rev. George H. Connor, Dean of Windsor and Domestic Chaplain to Queen Victoria. He was born Benwell Tower, Northumberland, on the 12th June 1893. He was educated at Summerfields, Oxford, and Winchester College, where he gained many athletic distinctions, winning the school steeplechase, and being a member of Commoner Eleven and the Association football team.
Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, 7th Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps in August 1914, he served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 1915. Then was attached to the Royal Flying Corps in January 1916. Shortly after obtaining his Wings he proceeded to Egypt, and served continuously there, and in Palestine, for 12 months, being present at the 1st Battle of Gaza.
He returned to England in 1917, and was employed as Instructor and Squadron Commander at the Central Flying School, Upavon. He was accidentally killed, while flying there, 2nd June 1918.
Buried at Shedfield. His Commanding Officer wrote: His death is a terrible blow to me. He was my best Squadron Commander, a fine and fearless pilot, and one with the gift of inspiring his officers and men with that clean and healthy ideal of working hard and playing hard, which was, I am sure, his rule of life. How much we miss him is difficult adequately to express.
He was awarded the M.C. [London Gazette, August 1917], for gallantry in the field. Perfect in every relation of life, he was a fine horseman and a good sportsman. he was unmarried.
Source; de Ruvigny's Roll of Honour
William Robert Sargent Wilberforce is remembered at Newcastle on NUT096
