Flt./Lt. D. G. Wilkey is the adjutant of the C.C.F., a position he has held since he joined the school in 1956.

He was educated at Bristol Grammar School.  At Bristol he joined in with the Officer Training Corps, the Junior Training Corps and finally, the Air Training Corps, where he rose to the rank of Flt.Sgt.  In 1944, whilst still at school, he volunteered for R.A.F. service as aircrew and was placed on the Volunteer Reserve, but he was not called up.  After the war he deferred his National Service and went to Cambridge in 1945 to read languages.

In 1948 he gained his degree and was called up for his national service by the R.A.F.  After the usual frustrating period of six weeks "square bashing" he was commissioned in the Education Branch.

An Education Officer on a R.A.F. station has a widely ranging job.  He not only has to teach all subjects and arrange correspondence courses and other external courses and examinations, but he is responsible for all the educational pursuits and leisure time activities of the Station.  He also has to play his part as an officer and take his turn at the roster duties of the Station and the Officers Mess.

Flt./Lt. Wilkey was first posted to R.A.F. Watchet, an R.A.F. Regiment base.   After his 18 months there he signed on for a further five years and was immediately posted to Germany for a 2½ year "tour".  He first went to Headquarters No. 2 Group where he served under Air Commodore (now Air Marshall) the Earl of Bandon.   He then moved to R.A.F. Wahn, near Cologne, a N.A.T.O. base  with a British Night Fighter Squadron.  Here his job became even more complex, as he had to teach languages and act as an interpreter to British and Belgian Staff Officers.  This was complicated by the fact that some of the Belgians knew only Flemish!  After this tour of duty he was posted to R.A.F. Western Zoyland, in Somerset, which was a Flying Training School.  Here, as well as being education Officer, he was the statin Adjutant, good practice for what lay ahead!

In 1955 he left the service, primarily because he wanted his children to have a settled education, and not have to move every 2½ years or so.

He returned to Cambridge for a year and then came to Harrow County.  He joined the C.C.F. immediately, for he felt that this gave boys, especially in a day school, opportunities for leadership and character training which they otherwise might not get.  After 6 weeks "learning the ropes" he took over the adjutant's job from Flt/Lt. Anderson (not our present C.O.).  Since Flt/Lt. Yelland left he has also taught Navigation to the Advanced Proficiency candidates.  He has been on one Navigation course and is going on another later this year.

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from "Cadet" 1962