Edward James Wishart was born in Peckham, South London on 22 April 1890. He was the youngest of four children of James Fenton Wishart, a joiner from Alyth, Perthshire, and his wife, Eliza Jones. On 6 January 1896, at the age of five, Edward started at Ivydale Road School in Nunhead where he remained a pupil until 1901. His family lived at 2 Kenilworth Villas but by the turn of the century had moved to 334 Ivydale Road. Edward’s first job was as a harness makers clerk and at the time war broke out in August 1914 he was employed as a woodworker. He enlisted on 14 September 1916 and joined the Royal Naval Air Service with who he was taken on the books of H.M.S. President II, which was a Naval Accounting base for servicemen deployed in various places around the country.

Initially based at Crystal Palace, Edward was rated Air Mechanic, 2nd class and sent to France on 27 October. In April 1917 he rose to Air Mechanic, 1st Class and returned to the UK on 28 May, after which he saw postings to Plymouth, Prawle Point and then back to Crystal Palace. On 1 April 1918, the RNAS and RFC (Royal Flying Corps) combined to form the Royal Air Force. Edward found himself being transferred to Southampton before joining 238 Squadron at RAF Cattewater on the 23rd where he likely spent his time working on seaplanes until November 1918, when he was sent to Beal.

Immediately before the war, Edward went to Yeovil to work as a clerk for Aplin and Barrat’s which is when he perhaps met a local lass named Gladys Mary Rattle. The couple were eventually married in the town on 10 March 1917 and three children were born there between 1920 and 1929. After being transferred into the RAF Reserve on 27 February 1919 it seems that Edward went to work for Petters’ Ltd, an aircraft manufacturer based at the Westland Works in Yeovil, and in the 1920s he became a director of Yeovil and Petters’ Football Club and also began working as a glove manufacturer.

Edward died aged 79 in Chard, Somerset on 19 June 1969.

Are you related to, or think you have further details about Edward?

If so then I’d love to hear from you. Please click the link below or send an email to mail (at) wishart1418.org. Thank you.