Wheat, Graham – Left RAF to look after the post

Herbert ‘Graham’ Wheat (1928-2019)

Graham Wheat was born in Bedworth,  Warwickshire, and joined the RAF when he was 16.

He trained as a technician and rose to the rank of chief technician, making the RAF his career.

He served all over the world including Japan, Africa, Singapore and Cyprus, as well as the UK.

He met and married Mary who was also serving in the RAF, and they had two daughters.

After retiring from the RAF, Mr Wheat was employed by his brothers-in-law in their engineering company before going into business with Mary in Grantham with Brook Street sub post office and an adjacent tobacconist and newsagent, until their retirement.

They both entered local politics and Graham was elected on to South Kesteven District Council and Lincolnshire County Council., becoming chairman of both.

His lifelong passion was the RAF and all things aeronautical and was a member of the mess at the Prince William of Gloucester barracks and at RAF Cranwell.

He was involved in the new Bomber Command Memorial at Lincoln as well as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and was an avid collector of military aircraft models.

He was a member of Grantham Twinning Association, a judge for Lincolnshire Best Kept Villages competition, vice-president of the Lincolnshire Playing Fields Association and chairman of the Citizens Advice Bureau among many other posts.

He was also Mayor of Grantham in 2007/08.

A former Mayor of Grantham and chairman of the district and county councils has died at the age of 91.

In December 2015 he was was seriously injured when he was struck by a vehicle near his Manthorpe Road home. As a result he suffered a brain injury and eventually had to be moved to Harrowby Lodge Nursing Home, where he spent the rest of his days.