Wheatley was born on 5 March 1921 in Wilmslow, Cheshire. He was educated at King Edward VII School (photo) in Sheffield, where he was Head Prefect in 1938/1940, Captain of cricket for two years and 1st XI footballer for four. He began a degree at Oxford at the start of World War II, but was soon enlisted as a bombardier. He was captured during the Fall of Singapore in 1942. After four years as a prisoner of war, and working on the Burma railway, and then regaining his health, Wheatley returned to Oxford, studying at Queen's Colllege (1946-1948) and Merton College (1948-1949). He was awarded a first in chemistry in 1948 and a DPhil in physical chemistry in 1951.