Education
Appointed a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy on July 7, 1911, he graduated and received his commission on June 5, 1915.
Appointed a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy on July 7, 1911, he graduated and received his commission on June 5, 1915.
Ensign Wedderburn served in the cruiser Brooklyn (California-3) from graduation to the end of 1915. In December 1915, he transferred to the destroyer Chauncey (Doctor of Divinity-3) assigned to the Asiatic Fleet and based at Cavite in the Philippines. He was promoted to lieutenant (jg) on July 1, 1917.
And, a month later, his ship departed Cavite with orders to the coast of France.
Based at Saint Nazaire, his ship escorted convoys in the eastern Atlantic. While on such a mission about 110 miles west of Gibraltar, Chauncey was involved in a fatal collision with the British merchantman, Steamship Rose, on the night of November 18–19.
The destroyer sank at approximately 3:17 a.m. on the 19th taking Wedderburn and 20 of his comrades to their deaths. United States Ship Wedderburn (Doctor of Divinity-684), (1943–1969), was named in his honor.