Name
William Lewis Wigan
10 Nov1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/02/1916
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
1st Bn. attd. 8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY
II. A. 39.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Bengeo School Memorial – Location TBC
Pre War
Willian Lewis Wigan was born on 10th November 1895 at East Malling, Kent, to parents William Lewis Wigan, Farmer and JP, and Laura (nee Carr), he had two sisters Harriet and Caroline Akers and a younger brother Lambert George.
Initially educated at Bengeo School, in 1911 aged 15 William attended St Peters (now Radley) College, Radley, Abingdon, Berks. A member of the OTC at Radley he had the rank of Sergeant. In Nov 1913 he was accepted for University College Oxford studying Classics but later opting for Moderns.
Wartime Service
Soon after the outbreak of the Great War he received a nomination for Royal Military College. He passed out on 10 Nov 1914 and was commissioned in 1st Bn. Queens Own (Royal West Kent).
He went to France on 7 Dec 1914. By March he was invalided home suffering from Pleurisy. He returned to the Front in Aug 15 and served with an Entrenching Battalion for 3 months. He was then attached B Coy. 8th Bn. Queens Own.
In Feb 16 they were in the Ypres salient and were ordered to take over the trenches at Sanctuary Wood/Hill 62. On the 19th of that month as they were moving into the trenches, a long range naval shell exploded near 'B' Coy HQ and two officers were seriously wounded. As men from 'B' Coy went to their aid a second shell landed about six yards away at the entrance to a dug out and all three officers inside were badly wounded, including William who died from his wounds on 23rd February.
His commanding officer said that he was ‘universally adored by all ranks’
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Ann Hacke, Terry & Glenis Collins
