Malcolm David Wanklyn

Few Royal Navy submarine commanders achieved so much in so little time as Lieutenant Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn VC, DSO & Two Bars. At just 30 years old, the commanding officer of HMS Upholder had become one of Britain's most celebrated submariners of the Second World War. His combination of courage, tactical judgment and relentless offensive spirit brought him the Victoria Cross and the exceptionally rare distinction of the Distinguished Service Order with Two Bars before he was lost with his submarine in the Mediterranean.

Malcolm David Wanklyn was born on 28 June 1911 at Calcutta in British India and entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1925. He later specialised in submarines and, in January 1940, undertook the demanding Commanding Officer's Qualifying Course, known throughout the Submarine Service as the "Perisher." After successfully completing the course, he took command of HMS H32 in February 1940 and subsequently commanded HMS H31, carrying out wartime operations in northern European waters. In August 1940 he was appointed to the newly built U-class submarine HMS Upholder.

Upholder soon became inseparable from Wanklyn's reputation. After working up in British waters, the submarine sailed for the Mediterranean and joined the 10th Submarine Flotilla at Malta, one of the most hazardous commands available to a Royal Navy submariner. From Malta, Wanklyn repeatedly took Upholder against Axis troopships, supply vessels, tankers and warships moving between Italy and North Africa. His patrols demanded attacks in heavily defended waters where enemy aircraft, destroyers, torpedo boats and minefields were constant threats.

His first major official recognition came with appointment as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. Announced in the London Gazette on 2 September 1941, the award was made, in the Admiralty's concise words, "For skill and enterprise in successful submarine patrols." Wanklyn was specifically named as commanding officer of HMS Upholder. This was not an award for a single dramatic action, but recognition of sustained operational performance and command.

The action that made Wanklyn's name famous took place off Sicily on 24 May 1941. Upholder encountered a southbound Italian troop convoy protected by destroyers. Light was fading, reliable periscope observation was becoming increasingly difficult, and the submarine's listening gear was out of action. A safer commander might have broken contact. Wanklyn instead chose to close the convoy and attack at short range.

As Upholder approached, one of the escorting destroyers suddenly appeared out of the darkness and Wanklyn narrowly avoided being rammed. Once clear, he regained his firing position and launched his torpedoes. They struck and sank the Italian troopship Conte Rosso, a vessel of nearly 18,000 tons carrying troops toward North Africa. The escorts immediately counterattacked. Over the next twenty minutes they dropped 37 depth charges near Upholder, while Wanklyn had to evade without functioning listening equipment. He nevertheless brought his submarine clear and safely back to harbour.

For this action and his wider record in command, Wanklyn was awarded the Victoria Cross. The award was announced in the London Gazette on 16 December 1941, which stated that the King had approved the VC for his "valour and resolution in command" of HMS Upholder. The citation praised his courage, coolness and skill during the attack of 24 May, but it deliberately went beyond that single encounter. It recorded his continuing bravery in the presence of the enemy and his repeated attacks on destroyers, submarines, troop transports, tankers and supply ships. By the time the citation was published, Wanklyn's record had become a sustained demonstration of aggressive submarine command rather than one isolated act of gallantry.

The pressure of Mediterranean submarine warfare did not ease after the Victoria Cross. Wanklyn and Upholder continued operating against Axis communications from Malta, repeatedly penetrating defended shipping routes in the central Mediterranean. The submarine became one of the outstanding boats of the campaign and Wanklyn's leadership became closely associated with the fighting reputation of Malta's 10th Submarine Flotilla.

On 6 April 1942, HMS Upholder sailed from Malta on what became her final patrol. After completing a special operation, she was directed toward enemy shipping routes associated with the approaches to Tripoli. She never returned. Wanklyn and the entire ship's company were lost, with 14 April 1942 accepted as the date of loss. The exact cause and location of Upholder's destruction remain uncertain. Several explanations have been proposed over the decades, including enemy anti-submarine action and a mine, but the available evidence does not justify presenting any single theory as conclusively proved. Modern Royal Navy historical material likewise acknowledges that the exact fate of the submarine remains unclear.

Wanklyn's final distinctions were announced after his death. On 25 August 1942, the London Gazette awarded him both a Bar and a Second Bar to the Distinguished Service Order. The Admiralty grouped the two awards under the citation "For gallant and distinguished services in successful submarine patrols in H.M.S. Upholder." The Gazette then named Wanklyn separately for the Bar and again for the Second Bar. These posthumous awards completed the extraordinary combination by which he is remembered today: Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order and Two Bars.

Malcolm David Wanklyn's reputation rests on more than the number of ships attacked or sunk. His official citations repeatedly return to the same qualities: skill, enterprise, courage, coolness, determination and sustained leadership under extreme operational pressure. He fought from one of Britain's most exposed wartime bases, commanded a submarine in some of the Mediterranean's most dangerous waters, and continued pressing attacks when the tactical situation offered every reason to withdraw. He did not survive the war, but the example set by Wanklyn and the men of HMS Upholder became part of the enduring history of the Royal Navy Submarine Service and the defence of Malta.