Wilkinson, Theodore Stark, 1888-1946

Theodore Stark Wilkinson (1888-1946) was born in Annapolis, Maryland. He entered the Naval Academy in 1905 and graduated first in the class of 1909. He served the two years of sea duty, then required by law prior to commissioning, in the battleships Kansas and South Carolina, before he received his ensign''s commission on 5 June 1911. After instruction at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., under the auspices of the Bureau of Ordnance, Wilkinson reported to the battleship Florida on 25 July 1913 for sea duty. During his time in that dreadnought, Ensign Wilkinson led Florida''s 2d Company in action during the landings on 21 and 22 April 1914 at Veracruz. For his skillful and courageous leadership of that unit of the battleship''s landing force and his exhibition of "eminent and conspicuous" conduct, he received the Medal of Honor. On 4 August, Wilkinson was transferred to Tennessee and two days later sailed eastward in her across the Atlantic. That armored cruiser and North Carolina were ordered to European waters to evacuate Americans trapped on the continent by the outbreak of World War I. On 3 September, he became an assistant to the naval attaché at Paris and a month later left that post to join North Carolina in the Mediterranean. Subsequently, the young officer had tours of sea duty: first as aide, to Commander, 2nd Division, Atlantic Fleet, and then as aide to the commander of the 7th Division. From July 1916 to July 1919, Wilkinson served with distinction as the head of the Experimental Section, Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd), where he developed ordnance materials and devices, most notable being a noxious gas filler for shells and an "exceptionally satisfactory smoke screen." Additionally, he was deemed largely responsible for the successful design of a depth charge and for the development of the firing mechanism of the Mark VI mine used in the North Sea Mine Barrage. Following that tour ashore-for which he received a letter of commendation-Wilkinson went to sea, first serving as gunnery officer in the battleship Kansas and later as fire control officer in the battleship Pennsylvania. In 1921 and 1922, Wilkinson commanded, in succession, the destroyers Osborne (DD-295), Goff (DD-247), and Taylor (DD-94), before he returned to BuOrd''s experimental section. After commanding King (DD-242) from January 1925 to December 1926, Wilkinson headed the Records Section of the Bureau of Navigation (BuNav) Officer Personnel Division. In June 1930, he became fleet gunnery officer and aide to Commander, Scouting Fleet (later, Commander, Scouting Force), Rear Admiral A. L. Willard. Detached from that duty in December 1931, he soon assumed the duties of secretary to the Navy''s General Board. While in that assignment, Wilkinson had additional duty during the arms limitation talks at Geneva in 1933 and in London in 1934. From September 1934 to June 1936, Wilkinson served as executive officer of Indianapolis (CA-35). Over the next three years, he headed the Planning Division of BuNav and then returned to Indianapolis, this time in a staff capacity, as Chief of Staff to Commander, Scouting Force. In January 1941, he fleeted up to command the battleship Mississippi (BB-41). Detached from that duty in September 1941 and promoted to flag rank, Wilkinson-as a rear admiral-became the director of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), in October, a post in which he worked for the next 10 months. Subsequently reporting for duty as Commander, Battleship Division 2, Pacific Fleet, in August 1942, Wilkinson eventually became Deputy Commander, South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force on January 30, 1943, and acted in that capacity until July 1944, when he assumed command of the 3rd Amphibious Force, South Pacific. In that billet, Wilkinson earned the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), for commanding the forces that supported the New Georgia campaign; took Vella La-vella and the Treasury Islands; and established a "highly important" position on the west coast of Bougainville. Subsequently re-designated as Commander, 3rd Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, with the rank of vice admiral, on 12 August 1944, Wilkinson won a gold star in lieu of a second DSM for his leadership in the assaults that took Pelelieu and Angaur, in the Palaus; and Ulithi, in the Carolines. Subsequently, Wilkinson earned another gold star in lieu of a third DSM, for commanding Task Force 79 in action in the Philippines between 1 October 1944 and 18 January 1945-operations that included the landings conducted by the Southern Attack Force at Leyte in October 1944 and at Lingayen in January 1945. Ordered to the Navy Department in September 1945 for temporary duty, Vice Admiral Wilkinson became a member of the Joint Strategic Survey Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in January 1946. He was serving in that capacity when he was killed in an automobile accident on February 21, 1946, in Norfolk, Virginia.

Naval officer. Nickname: Ping.

Biographical Note