Killed in action aged 23
No known grave.

Wilfrid Mervyn was the younger son of Captain Mervyn Dunnington-Jefferson, who died in 1912, and his wife Louisa Dorothy Barry.

The Dunnington family were landowners in the East Riding from, at least, the seventeenth century at Thorganby and West Cottingwith, about eight miles south-east of York and close to the banks of the River Derwent. A Dunnington daughter married an Emanuel Jefferson, and Wilfred was descended from them. The family Papers are in the Brynmor Jones Library, Hull University.

In 1901, the family were living at Middlethorpe Hall, York but had moved to Thicket Priory at Thorganby, near Whitby, by 1911.

Wilfred was educated at Radley College and went up to Christ Church in 1910.
He was reading for the Bar at the Middle Temple when he joined up in 1914 with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, and served in Belgium. He was killed near Gravenstafel in the Second Battle of Ypres.

At the time of his death, his address was given as Ashcroft, Old Nunthorpe, Yorkshire. His Effects amounted to £1938 1s 3d, probate granted to Wilfred Forbes Horne Thomson Esq.

His name is on the Ypres [Menin Gate] Memorial at Panel 6 and 8 and he is also commemorated on the War Memorials at St. Clements Church, York and St Helen’s Church, Thorganby.