Career
His family emigrated from the United Kingdom to Australia in 1925 as assisted immigrants. He was a cricket player until World World War II when he enlisted and was sent to Meckering Western Australia, an embarkation point for troops leaving for overseas action. While cleaning a machine gun, he was ordered by a lieutenant to clean it in a way which Wykes knew to be wrong, but he had to obey orders.
The gun exploded and Wykes was shot in the ankle and foot, shattering many bones in his foot.
An operation removed several of his toes on the left foot and he thereafter had to wear an elevator shoe on lieutenant This injury put paid to his cricket playing career and he then took up umpiring.
Brian Booth scored a century and there were 13 other scores of at least 50. Wykes joined the NSW Cricket Umpires’ Association in 1949, became a first-class umpire in 1956, and retired from first-class umpiring in 1972, after 85 appearances.
He retained his involvement in umpiring, as President of the NSW Cricket Umpires’ Association from 1967 to 1989, and was still Vice-president in 2000.
He died on 22 November 2008 at Wollongong Australia. His ashes were buried with full honours at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 9, 2009 in two locations near the Test Pitch.
