Chris Wilkinson RIP

Kyt · Mar 12, 2009

Historian and tank collector dies (From Borehamwood Times)

Tributes have been paid to a Borehamwood war veteran and historian who died this week.

Chris Wilkinson, 83, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday. He was born in Bushey in 1926 to Charles and Elizabeth Wilkinson and moved to Elstree in 1934.

As the second eldest of four sons he was the last surviving member of his brothers.

He attended Hillside School in Borehamwood when it first opened in 1939 and later went on to become head boy.

After leaving school, he joined the navy and served the country in the Mediterranean until just after the end of the Second World War.

Soon after the war he met his wife Meriol who he was married to for 50 years until she died in 2001.

Following the navy Mr Wilkinson spent time travelling around Europe before returning to start work at a Borehamwood engineering firm.

After this he started his own military vehicle spare parts business based in St Albans where he supplied components to customers around the world.

He was also an enthusiastic collector of military vehicles having owned a number of British and American vehicles from the Second World War period.

Many of his vehicles found fame in film and television productions including Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan and television series Band of Brothers as well as UK productions including Minder and Are You Being Served.

In his spare time, Mr Wilkinson was a keen historian and was a volunteer for both Elstree & Boreham Wood Museum, in Drayton Road, and Barnet Museum, in Wood Street, Barnet.

Deborah Taylor, volunteer at Elstree & Boreham Wood Museum, said: “We were very grateful that Chris stepped in at short notice as treasurer for the museum.

“He had a wonderful recall of local history and we will miss him very much.”

Mr Wilkinson is survived by his four children including David, Simon, Ruth and Rachel, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

His funeral will be held on Thursday, March 19, at St Martin’s Church, London Road, Shenley, at 12pm.
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war hawk · Mar 12, 2009

RIP mr. Wilkinson.

Antipodean Andy · Mar 12, 2009

Married for 50 years - wow. A man of history if ever there was one. RIP.

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