View source for Trevor Sidney Wade

{{Short description|RAF fighter & test pilot (1920-1951)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Trevor Sidney Wade
|image= Trevor Wimpy Wade.jpg
|image_size=
|alt= 
|caption= (Right to left) Pilot Officer Trevor Wade, Flight Lieutenant Robert Holland, Mrs Josephine Wade. September 1941 Biggin Hill
|nickname= Wimpy
|birth_date= {{Birth date|1920|01|27|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Wandsworth]], London
|death_date= {{Death date and age|1951|04|03|1920|01|27|df=yes}}
|death_place= [[Ringmer]], Sussex
|placeofburial= 
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[Royal Air Force]]
|serviceyears= 
|rank= [[Squadron Leader]]
|servicenumber= 78984
|unit= 
|commands= 
|battles= [[Second World War]]
* [[Battle of Britain]]
|awards= [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br/>[[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]]
|relations= 
|laterwork= Test pilot
}}
[[Squadron Leader|Sqn Ldr]] '''Trevor Sidney "Wimpy" Wade''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|DFC|AFC}} (27 January 1920 – 3 April 1951) was a [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) [[fighter ace]], one of [[The Few]] and later a test pilot. He was killed test flying the [[Hawker P.1081]] prototype fighter.<ref name="obit" />

==Early life==
Wade was born on 27 January 1920 in [[Wandsworth]], [[London]]. He was educated at [[Yardley Court]] and [[Tonbridge School]].<ref name="obit">{{Cite newspaper The Times|title=Sqn. Ldr. T.S. Wade – Chief Test Pilot of Hawkers|department=Obituaries|date=4 April 1951|page=6|issue=51966|column=D}}</ref>{{sfnp|Franks|2015|p=259}} In April 1938, aged 18, he joined the [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve]] as an Airman u/t (under training) and learned to fly at No. 19 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School, [[Gatwick Airport|Gatwick]]. He was called to full-time service at the outbreak of war and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer (on probation) on 30 April 1940.<ref name="obit" />{{sfnp|Franks|2015|p=259}}<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34859|date=28 May 1940|page=3192}}</ref>

==Fighter pilot==
A month later Wade was posted to [[No. 92 Squadron RAF|No. 92 Squadron]], part of [[No. 10 Group RAF]] and then based at [[Croydon Airport]]. On his first day (26 May) he borrowed [[Tony Bartley|Tony Bartley's]] Spitfire to get more flying hours on type, performing a low level roll immediately after takeoff. His nickname [[J. Wellington Wimpy|"Wimpy"]] was borrowed from the American cartoon character of Popeye fame.{{sfnp|Franks|2015|p=259}}

In June the squadron was moved to [[RAF Pembrey]]. On 28 July Wade was flying a night patrol over [[Swansea Bay]]. As his fuel ran low, with deteriorating visibility and a failed radio he elected to bail out over [[Exeter]]. On 19 August he was in action for the first time. He shared the destruction of a [[Junkers Ju 88|Ju 88]] but was hit by return fire. As a result, he had to make a forced landing, managing to escape before his aircraft ignited.{{sfnp|Franks|2015|p=260}}

Wade was engaged in more combat in September, claiming a half share in a [[Dornier Do 17|Do 17]] on 10 September, a [[Heinkel He 111|He 111]] on 11 September, a probable [[Messerschmitt Bf 109|Bf 109E]] on [[Battle of Britain Day|15 September]], damage to Bf 109Es on [[The Hardest Day|18 September]] and 20 September, with the destruction of a Do 17 on 22 September. .{{sfnp|Shores|Williams|1994|p=611}} On 27 September he was hit by return fire and had to force land at [[Lewes]], his aircraft flipping over.{{sfnp|Shores|Williams|1994|p=611}}

Wade's luck held out during the final phase of the [[Battle of Britain]]. On 12 October he claimed one Bf 109E destroyed, one probable and one damaged. On 26 October he claimed one Bf 109 probable, on 29 October a [[Messerschmitt Bf 110|Bf 110]] probable and on 26 November a Do 17 probable.{{sfnp|Shores|Williams|1994|p=611}}{{sfnp|Franks|2015|pp=260–262}} On 2 December Wade was engaged in combat, he claimed one Bf 109E but yet again was hit by return fire forcing him to land at [[Gravesend Airport#Royal Air Force|Gravesend]].{{sfnp|Franks|2015|pp=260–262}}

In June 1941 his combat tour was over and he was sent to join [[No. 123 Squadron RAF#Second World War|No. 123 Squadron]] at [[Edinburgh Airport#Early years|RAF Turnhouse]],{{sfnp|Franks|2015|pp=261–263}} which at that time was assigned operational training duties.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}. While there, he received notification that he had been awarded a [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] for his efforts during the first part of the war and achieving seven confirmed victories.<ref name="obit" /> The citation, published in the ''[[London Gazette]]'' on 15 July 1941, read:
{{Blockquote|This officer has displayed great skill and determination in his numerous engagements against the enemy and has destroyed at least six of their aircraft. His efforts have contributed materially to the success achieved by the squadron.<ref name="dfc">{{London Gazette |issue=35219 |date=15 July 1941|page=4064 |supp=y }}</ref>}}

In September 1941 he was posted as a [[flight commander]] to [[No. 602 Squadron RAF#Second World War|No. 602 Squadron]] for what would be a short tour, because during a raid on the Marquise Shell factory, on 17 September, he received a wound which ended his career as a combat pilot.{{sfnp|Franks|2015|pp=263–265}}

After he had recovered in October 1941, he was sent to the Central Flying School on an instructors course. Following this, he became a pilot-gunnery instructor; first at the [[RAF Sutton Bridge#Central Gunnery School|Central Gunnery School]]; then at [[No. 9 Group RAF|9 Group's]] headquarters, responsible for gunnery instruction at fighter [[List of Royal Air Force Operational Training Units|OTUs]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Airmen's Stories – P/O T S Wade|url=http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Wade.htm|website=The Battle of Britain London Monument|access-date=27 May 2018}}</ref>{{sfnp|Franks|2015|p=263-265}}  He was promoted to Squadron Leader (temporary) on 30 October 1942 <ref>{{London Gazette |issue=35791|date=17 November 1942|page=5037}}</ref> and in late 1943 he was made the [[Officer Commanding]] at the [[Air Fighting Development Unit]] (AFDU).{{sfnp|Franks|2015|pp=263–265}} For his service at the AFDU he was awarded the [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|AFC]] in September 1944.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=36682|date=29 August 1944|page=4075}}</ref> Early in 1945 he was sent to USA to test captured Japanese aircraft and also to gain experience of early jets.{{sfnp|Franks|2015|pp=263–265}}

==Test pilot==
Wade was demobilised in 1946 and joined the staff of ''The Aeroplane'' magazine, testing and reporting on new civil light aeroplanes. Within a year (October 1947) he had joined [[Hawker Aircraft]] as an assistant to the Chief Test Pilot [[Bill Humble]]. He was initially tasked with the production testing of [[Hawker Sea Fury|Furies and Sea Furies]], but also assisted with the development flying of the [[Hawker Sea Hawk#Prototypes|N.7/46]] (P.1040). When Humble became a sales manager in June 1948, Wade became Chief Test Pilot and focussed on the development flying of the latest Hawker jets.{{sfnp|Franks|2015|pp=264–266}}{{sfnp|''Flight'' 23 October 1947|p=462}}{{sfnp|''Flight'' 24 June 1948|p=681}} In August 1948 Wade made the first public demonstration of the P.1040, flying it from [[Langley Airfield]] (Hawker's flight test centre).{{sfnp|''Flight'' 2 September 1948|p=257}} Later in that month he competed in the 1948 [[Society of British Aerospace Companies|S.B.A.C.]] [[Lympne Airport#Air racing|air race]] at [[Lympne]], flying a Hawker Fury.{{sfnp|''Flight'' 26 August 1948|p=249}}

Hawker's first swept wing jet was the [[Hawker P.1052|P.1052]]; Wade made the maiden flight of the first of the two prototypes (VX272) on 19 November 1948.{{sfnp|''Flight'' 9 February 1950| p=189}} On 13 May 1949,<ref group=Note>The same day as the first flight of the Canberra prototype.</ref> he set up a new record for the London-Paris flight, flying {{convert|221|mi}} in 21min 28s, an average speed of {{convert|618|mph}}.{{sfnp|''Flight'' 19 May 1949|p=579}}  In August 1949 he won the S.B.A.C. Challenge Cup race in the P.1040 (competing against [[John Cunningham (RAF officer)|John Cunningham]] in a [[de Havilland Vampire|D.H Vampire F3]] and [[John Derry]] in the [[de Havilland DH 108|D.H.108]]). He averaged {{convert|510|mph}} over the course, with one lap at {{convert|584|mph}},{{sfnp|''Flight'' 4 August 1949|p=134}} thereby gaining the [[Geoffrey de Havilland Trophy]] for the fastest racing time of the year.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}

The rear fuselage of the second P.1052 prototype (VX279) was rebuilt to use a straight-through jet pipe and a swept [[tailplane]]. Thus modified it was re-designated as [[Hawker P.1081|P.1081]]. On 19 June 1950 Wade flew the P.1081 on its maiden flight from [[RAE Farnborough]]. He was satisfied with its behaviour and put in approximately six hours flying over the following three days prior to flying it to the Antwerp international air display, successfully demonstrating it on 25 June.{{sfnp|''Flight'' 13 April 1951|p=433}} Testing VX279 was not without incident, during one test flight in 1950, a main wheel failed to lower but Wade managed to land the aircraft without serious consequences.{{sfnp|''Flight'' 10 August 1950|p=161}} Wade surpassed his performance at Antwerp at the S.B.A.C. Display in September 1950, when he demonstrated its high roll rate and speed in level flight.{{sfnp|''Flight'' 13 April 1951|p=433}}

In January 1951 Wade was the first of a group of British test pilots to go to the United States on an exchange scheme.{{sfnp|''Flight'' February 1951|p=121}} There he gained experience of supersonic flight in the [[North American F-86 Sabre|F86 Sabre]].{{sfnp|Bedford|1989}} The prototype Hawker P.1081 was transferred from Hawkers to [[RAE Farnborough]] for high speed research. On 3 April 1951 Wade was testing it when the aircraft entered an unrecoverable flight regime. It has been suggested that he was attempting a transonic dive and had inadvertently gone supersonic.<ref Group=Note>Bill Bedford has suggested that Wade may have tried to go supersonic using a vertical dive as was the technique with the F86 Sabre. However, because the P.1081 lacked powered flying controls (unlike the F86) Wade could not recover.</ref>{{sfnp|McLelland|2017}}{{sfnp|Griffin|2006|p=36}}{{sfnp|Bedford|1989}} Wade elected to eject, jettisoning the canopy at {{convert|9000|ft}} and ejecting at {{convert|2000|ft}}.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}} While the ejection was successful, he failed to separate from the seat and was killed on impact with the ground.{{sfnp|''Flight'' 11 May 1951|p=547}}<ref Group=Note>The reason for the crash and the seat failure was not determined at the time or subsequently. Wade's death resulted in [[Laddie Lucas|Percy ('Laddie') Lucas]], MP for Brentford and Chiswick, questioning the Minister of Supply on 30 April 1951 about the types of ejector seat fitted to British aircraft, how they were tested and the insurance of British test pilots. While at the time the RAF used Martin Baker ejection seats, the Hawker P.1081 was fitted with an ML seat. {{harvp|''Flight'' 11 May 1951|p=547}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Trevor Wade married Josephine Clow Gibbins on 2 August 1940 at [[Oxted]], with many of his 92 Squadron colleagues attending the service and the reception, which was held at the White Hart in [[Brasted]], Kent.{{sfnp|Franks|2015|pp=262–263}} Trevor and Josephine had three children:<ref name="obit" /> two sons and a daughter.

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{Cite newspaper The Times|title=Sqn. Ldr. T.S. Wade – Chief Test Pilot of Hawkers|department=Obituaries|date=4 April 1951|page=6|issue=51966|column=D}}
*{{cite magazine|title=NEW HAWKER TEST PILOT|magazine=Flight|date=23 October 1947|page=462|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947%20-%201822.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 23 October 1947}} }}
*{{cite magazine|title=Hawker Appointment|magazine=Flight|date=24 June 1948|page=681|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%200939.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 24 June 1948}} }}
*{{cite magazine|title=THE LYMPNE RACES|magazine=Flight|date=26 August 1948|page=249|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%201375.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 26 August 1948}} }}
*{{cite magazine|magazine=Flight|title=A HAWKER OCCASION|date=2 September 1948|page=257|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%201391.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 2 September 1948}} }}
*{{cite magazine|magazine=Flight|title=1052 and all that|date=19 May 1949|page=579|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%200892.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 19 May 1949}} }}
*{{cite magazine|title=The National Air Races|magazine=Flight|date=4 August 1949|page=134|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%201370.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 4 August 1949}} }}
*{{cite magazine|title=P.1052 Details of the Hawker Swept-wing Experimental Fighter for High-speed Research|magazine=Flight|date=9 February 1950|page=189|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1950/1950%20-%200285.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 9 February 1950}} }}
*{{cite magazine|title=Beyond the Call of Duty|magazine=Flight|date=10 August 1950|page=161|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1950/1950%20-%201485.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 10 August 1950}} }}
*{{cite magazine|title=Pooling experience|magazine=Flight|date=18 January 1951|page=62|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%200098.html}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Off to the states|magazine=Flight|date=1 February 1951|pages=121|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%200189.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' February 1951}} }}
*{{cite magazine|title=TREVOR WADE Death of a Young and Brilliant Test Pilot|magazine=Flight|date=13 April 1951|page=433|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%200697.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 13 April 1951}} }}
*{{cite magazine|title=Inquest on S/L T./S. Wade|magazine=Flight|date=11 May 1951|page=547|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%200874.html|ref={{sfnRef|''Flight'' 11 May 1951}}}}
*{{cite book|last1=Shores|first1=Christopher|last2=Williams|first2=Clive|title=Aces High|date=1994|publisher=London: Grub Street|isbn=1-898697-00-0}}
*{{cite book|last1=Franks|first1=Norman|title=Dowding's Eagles: Accounts of Twenty-Five Battle of Britain Veterans|date=2015|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=9781473844209}}
*{{cite book|last1=Griffin|first1=David, J.|title=Hawker Hunter 1951 to 2007|date=2006|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1430305934}}
*{{cite book|last1=McLelland|first1=Tim|title=Britain's Cold War Fighters|date=2017|publisher=Fonthill Media|isbn=978-1781556306}}
*{{cite web|title=The Airmen's Stories - P/O T S Wade|url=http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Wade.htm|website=The Battle of Britain London Monument|access-date=27 May 2018}}
*{{cite AV media |people=Bedford, Bill |date=12 July 1989 |title=Bedford, Bill (Oral history) |type=Sound recording  |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80017445 |time= |location= |publisher=Imperial War Museum |id=17826 |ref={{Sfnref|Bedford|1989}}}}

==See also==
{{Commons category}}
* [[List of RAF aircrew in the Battle of Britain]]
* [[List of World War II aces from the United Kingdom]]

{{Top UK World War II Aces}}
{{Subject bar
| portal1=Aviation
| portal2=Biography
| portal3=United Kingdom
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wade, Trevor Sidney}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1951 deaths]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in England]]
[[Category:British aviation record holders]]
[[Category:British World War II flying aces]]
[[Category:English test pilots]]
[[Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Wandsworth]]
[[Category:People educated at Tonbridge School]]
[[Category:People from Ringmer]]
[[Category:People from Wandsworth]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force squadron leaders]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:The Few]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1951]]
[[Category:Victims of flight test accidents]]