CAPTAIN ANTHONY WILDING.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15277, 13 May 1915, Page 7

CAPTAIN ANTHONY WILDING.

' KILLED IN ACTION AT THE DARDANELLES. Air F. ending, K.C., received a cabL from tho Admiralty yesterday ' ™rning announcing with regret that S souf Captain Anthony Wilding, had been killed in action on May L-rh. T Press Association message from Won «»« it * sported that Captain S S was killed** the Dardanelles. Pantain \ F. Wilding, ono of the school and Can- , "».iWfinllcce Anthony T\ ildmg enterbao CanJ brid 2 e 3 beicrod Tnmty d for nthnViastic lawn tennis player, and a " ?JK«chamnion of New ZeaPJ Stiisson* tho game in which such success. When Anho 3CM ".iJi,. W ent to Cam--2?& ff ''continued for a .time to devote his attention to cricket nnd nearly gamed Ins Hue foTcrichet. I" 19W. hoover ho became hon. secretary of the 0.b.L.1.U, and represented Cambridge against Oxford at lawn tennis in that year, and tho nest.. " . . O»co having turned his attention exclusively to lawn ten'ai« his ruso was rapid, and in ■tho course of threo years, from 1304 onwards, he gained numerous successes at open meetings, both at Home and iln 1907 ho won tho Dalee , championship at Wimbledon witli Norman Brookes, as well ac tho three covered courts championships at Queen's Club. That year ho was successful with Norman Brookes m winning- the Daw .Cup .for tho . first timo for Australasia after ttro failures in 1900 and 1900. In 1908 and 1009 ho assisted in the retention of tho Cup. but until last year v.-as unabio through pressure of business to help in retaining it or regaining .it when it was lost, until 1914, just before tho war, when Brookes and he recovered it from America. Four times had Anthony "Wilding won the Championship of New Zealand— m ■ }906, 1908. and 1909. In 1009, he gained a memorable victory over Brookes whnn ho won tho Championship of Victoria. In 1010 ho won the All England Championship at Wimbledon (practically tho world's championship), beating tho famous American, Benls Wright, in tho final. and A. "W. Gore, tho holder.' in tho chnllengo round. ■With M. J. G. Ritchie* he also won tho doubles Championship, beating tho holders, A. V.*. Gom and H. Roper Barrett, in the challenge round. I» 1911 ho retained tho championship, his challenger, 11. Hoper Barrett, retiring when tho scorn was two sets all. In tho Doubles Championship "Wilding and Kitchio -were de- ■ fcated by their French challengers. A H. Gobert and M. l>ecugis. Wilding Tetained the World's Championship in 1912, his challenger being A. W. Goro. A historic match was played in 1913 for the championship, when Wilding defeated tho famous American, MrLoughlin. v In an intorview accorded at that time .to a "Press" representative, Mr F. f>. AVilding said of his eon's record: — "lie took part in tho t i\lonto Carlo and Mentone tournaments, and , tho -International Hard "Court ' World's Championship Tournament at Paris, where ho ■ defeated, ] without difficulty, all tho best ! Continental players on tho class of court to'which they were accustomed —■ hard courts formed of rubble, clay, and hand rolled in, and not quite 6o hard as our asphalt courts. Theso urn perfectly true and delightful to play on, but tho boiinco of tho ball is very different from wood, asphalt, or /grass. Having beaten ■ all tho best of tho French., German, and Austrian players on their own grounds, and having Yon the grass championship. Anthouy may fairly, claim to bo entitled to tbo -world's championship. He beat tho German champion, Froitzheim, three sots to ono at Paris, and . ho beat Gobert. tho French champion, 6-3, 6—3, I—6, 6—i." In 1914 Wilding lost the laurel of tho j world's championship to his old compeer Norman Brookes, after holding it for four consecutive years, «i wonderful record. Captain , Wilding passed his legal examinations at Home, and i also qualified for tho Now Zealand Bar when ho was out here in 1909. For some little time before tho outbreak , of var,* however, ho was a director in a commercial concern in .England. When tho war broko out Captain - Wildinjr joined tho Royal Marines as a secontl-lieutenant. and according to «i French paper was promoted to tho rank of firet-lieutenant for bravery on tho field. Later on, ho was attached to the RoyaJ Naval Air Service. In this connexion ho performed splendid work as an observer'in naval aero- . planes, working on several occasions with Grahame White. Ho also did excellent work ivith tho armoured rnotor«ir service, organised by the Duke of Westminster. From timo to time he performed A.IXC. duties for various •jrenerals. Owing to tho multifarious duties imposed unon him ho had not much timo to write, and his letters to Jiis relatives in consequence wero very brief. The first intimation of his promotion to a cuptaincv came with the announcement of his death.