Educated St Helen's College in
Southsea and the
Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Wheeler was
commissioned into the RAF in 1935. He served with
Bomber Command from 1937 and then spent part of the Second World War as Officer Commanding
No. 236 Squadron in
Fighter Command before going to the RAF Staff College and
US Army Staff College in 1943. After the war he joined the Directing Staff at the
RAF Staff College and then transferred to the
Far East Air Force in 1947. He was posted to the Directing Staff at the
Joint Services Staff College in 1949 and to Bomber Command in 1951 before going to the
Air Ministry in 1953. He was appointed Assistant Commandant at the RAF College in 1957 and
Officer Commanding RAF Laarbruch in 1959. He attended the
Imperial Defence College in 1961 and then served in the
Ministry of Defence from 1961. He became Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters
RAF Germany (2 Tactical Air Force) in 1963 and Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1966. He was made
Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1967 and Commander of the
Far East Air Force in 1969. He was Air Member for Supply and Organisation at the Ministry of Defence from 1970 and then
Controller of Aircraft at the
Procurement Executive from 1973. In retirement he became a Director of
Rolls-Royce Limited. ==Family==