Wahl was naturalised as a British subject when he was 4 years old in 1884. His father, Carl Frederick Wahl, was a widower and the family lived at 30 Lanhill Road, St. Peter’s Park, Paddington.
He was educated at Malvern College and Balliol College, Oxford University. He was a member of the Oxford & Cambridge Club, and was initiated into the Apollo whilst at Balliol at the age of 20.
Wahl went to Malvern, to No 6, between 1891 and 1892. He was a Taylorian Scholar at Balliol, and joined the Indian Civil Service, the Heaven Born, on coming down in 1903.
He gave up the ICS to join the Indian Army at the outbreak of war and was commissioned and posted to the 28th Light Cavalry.
The Malvernian reported:
“At the outbreak of war he gave up his Indian Civil Service work and joined the Indian Cavalry, being attached to the 28th Light Cavalry, and taking part in a campaign “somewhere in Asia” which has not yet been divulged. His is only one more instance of the sacrifice of position and everything else for the sake of duty.”
Between January and August 1916, the 28th Light Cavalry was involved near the Afghan border to try and control movement across the border and prevent unrest, and was also involved in operations against the Dahmanis.
He is commemorated on a memorial at the Tehran War Cemetery and on a roll of members of the O&C Club.