Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haife shi a Schrimm a lardin Posen, Wilcke ya ba da kansa don aikin soja a cikin "Reichswehr" na Reich na Uku a 1934. Da farko yana aiki a cikin "Heer" (Soja), an canza shi zuwa Luftwaffe (Sojan Sama) a 1935. Bayan horo na jirgin sama, an tura shi zuwa "Jagdgeschwader" "Richthofen" (Fighter Wing "Richthofen") a watan Afrilun 1936. Bayan wani aiki a matsayin mai koyar da matukin jirgi ya ba da kansa don yin aiki tare da Condor Legion a lokacin yakin basasar Spain a farkon 1939. Bayan dawowarsa daga Spain, an nada shi "Staffelkapitän" (shugaban runduna) na 7. "Staffel" (squadron na 7) na "Jagdgeschwader" 53 (JG 53 <unk> 53rd Fighter Wing). Bayan barkewar Yaƙin Duniya na II, ya yi ikirarin nasararsa ta farko a sama a ranar 7 ga Nuwamba 1939. A ranar 18 ga Mayu, 1940, yayin Yaƙin Faransa, an harbe shi kuma aka kama shi a matsayin fursunonin yaƙi. Bayan da
yarjejeniya tare da Faransa, ya dawo daga bauta kuma an nada shi "Gruppenkommandeur" (shugaban rukuni) na III. "Gruppe" (rukunin na uku) na JG 53 a lokacin yakin Burtaniya, yana da'awar cin nasara 10 akan Ingila.