Rhys, John Wade
John Rhys was a great sportsman, and brainy too. He went on to become a doctor after qualifying in double quick time at Guy’ s Hospital before being called up to serve in the Royal Navy. He was appointed Medical Officer of H.M.S. Glowworm, a ship which is famed in the annals of British naval history. She was the destroyer which was fatally shot up by the German Cruiser Hipper in the Norwegian Sea and without any serviceable guns or torpedoes left to fire, damaged her adversary by ramming her before sinking with the loss of most of her crew. The captain of the H.M.S. Glowworm was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously. www.springgrovegrammarschool.org.uk[Reproduced with permission]
The name of Surgeon Lieutenant John Wade Rhys, R.N., is included in the Admiralty’s list of casualties which occurred when H.M.S Glowworm was sunk on April 8, under the heading “Missing, Presumed Dead”. Dr. Rhys qualified M.R.C.S., L.R.C.S.in 1934, and had been a member of the British Medical Association for three years. He entered the Royal Navy on May 20, 1934. British Medical Journal 8th June 1940
Biographical
| Surname(s) | Rhys |
|---|---|
| First name(s) | John Wade |
| Date of birth | 29 Sept. 1910 |
| Family details | Son of David Rhys |
| Previous education | Spring Grove County Secondary School, Isleworth, Middlesex |
| College | Guy's Hospital |
| Dates at college | 1929 |
| Dept / course | London M.B., B.S. 2nd year |
| Qualifications | M.R.C.S.. L.R.C.P. |
| Military unit | Royal Navy, HMS Glowworm |
| War / conflict | World War Two (1939-1945) |
| Date of death | 08 April 1940 |
| Rank at death | Surgeon Lieutenant |
| Cause of death | Lost at sea. |
| Commemoration(s) | Guy’ s Hospital Memorial, Portsmouth Naval Memorial; Roll of the Fallen, University of London O.T.C. |
| Notes | His address in 1929 was Alma House, 24 Bulstrode Road, Hounslow |
| Sources | Guy’ s Hospital Medical School Records, King’ s College London Archives; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; www.springgrovegrammarschool.org.uk ; University of London O.T.C. |