In October 1956, just short of his 34th birthday, Wookey set his world depth record near Bergen, in Norway's Sorfjord, diving from HMS Reclaim.
A qualified Deep Diver and Senior Commissioned Boatswain, he had joined the ship earlier that year to help trial a one-man observation chamber, in which he dived to 323m.
Wookey served in submarines during WW2 and into the 1950s. After his record dive he was promoted to lieutenant and awarded the MBE.
Up to his retirement in 1966, his work included clearance and munitions disposal in Scotland, loan to New Zealand to run a diving school and deep diving vessel, clearance diving in Malta, and training of divers in Jordan.
Civilian activities included archaeological diving off Sicily for an Italian count, and being part of the search and location team which found the famed 'Whisky Galore' wreck, SS Politician, off Eriskay in Scotland
In retirement, Wookey bought a decommissioned fishing vessel in Malta, sailed it to New Zealand through the Suez Canal, and ran an underwater services company before moving into offshore exploration. He retired in 1984 and took up farming at Witchcliffe in western Australia.
Before succumbing to cancer, Wookey was able last October to attend, with his wife Patrice, a commemorative event in Norway to mark the 50th anniversary of his record dive.
In the company of key figures from naval and commercial diving, a plaque was unveiled in Wookey's honour by the British Defence Attache from Oslo.
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