Esme Wingfield-Stratford was born in Maritzberg, Natal, South Africa on 12 February 1897, the son of Richard Neville Wingfield-Stratford and Grace Dorothea Wingfield-Stratford (née Montgomery). He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet in January 1910. He was promoted to Midshipman on 20 August 1914 and was appointed to the cruiser HMS TALBOT. An appointment to the battleship HMS VANGUARD followed on 26 March 1915. Whilst serving in HMS VANGUARD, he was onboard for the Battle of Jutland on 31 May/1 June 1916. On 2 July 1916 he was appointed to the Minesweeping Sloop HMS PANSY.

He joined submarines on 1 March 1917 with an appointment to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for Submarine Training‘. His appointment to HMS D3 as First Lieutenant was 26 August 1917. D3 was lost with all hands in the English Channel on 12 March 1918. D3 was bombed (in error) by the French airship AT-O after the airship crew failed to recognise identification signals from the submarine.

Esme Wingfield-Stratford is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel No. 28.