The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Lieutenant W L Wigan

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Photograph by "International Wargraves Photography Project"

Lieutenant  William Lewis WIGAN,  1st Battalion attached to 8th,  Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, died of wounds,  23rd February 1916, age 20.

Son of William Lewis Wigan and Laura Wigan, of East Malling, Maidstone, Kent.

1911 Census - Clare Cottage, East Malling, Kent - William Lewis Wigan, head, age 57, married, farm about 300 acres of his own, employer, born Clare House, East Malling, Kent; Laura Wigan, wife, age 42, married 17 years, 5 children, 4 still alive, born Rectory, Barming, Kent; Caroline Akers Wigan, daughter, age 10, born Clare Cottage, East Malling, Kent; Lambert George Wigan, son, age 6, born Clare Cottage, East Malling, Kent; Emily Burrow, governess, age 19, single, nursery governess, born Blenheim House, Queen Street, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire; Louise Clara Woolley, servant, age 33, parlour maid, domestic, born Snodland, Kent; Gertrude Ellen Abnett, servant, age 27, house maid, domestic, born Ham Hill, Birling, Kent; Emily Frances Vernall, servant, age 13, between girl, domestic, born, The Rocks, East Malling, Kent; Alice Mary Shorter, servant, age 25, cook, domestic, born Leeds, Kent.

1911 Census - St Peters College, Radley, Abingdon, Berkshire - William Lewis Wigan, scholar, age 15, single, school, born East Malling, Kent.

Educated Radley College, left July 1914; September 1914, Sandhurst Military College; after 3 months passed out and received his commission with Royal West Kent Regiment; December 1914, posted BEF; after 3 months in the trenches invalided home Easter 1915, after a slight attack of pleurisy; early Summer 1915, rejoined his Regiment; 1st February 1916, wounded.

. . He was in a dug-out two and a half miles behind the firing line, with his Captain and two other subs., when a shell dropped in Battalion Commanders Headquarters some six yards behind them. The Captain who was nearest the door went out to see what had happened and the other three must have started to follow him when another shell dropped right in the doorway wounding all three. The Captain writes: I went to the dug-out to see what I could do, but your son, who looked very pale, though quite calm, waved me away, saying:  Get away, you are the only one left in the Company. I then sent for stretcher-bearers and doctor: your son then asked for a cigarette which I gave him and lit it for him. The stretcher-bearers, four in number, then went to him, but he said, Look to the others who are worse first, I shall be all right, I have got one leg broken, and am hit through the other. As I walked with him he said, Don’t look so worried about me, I shall be all right; shall see you at home. I then had to leave him to take my men to the trenches. As I said good-bye to him he blew me a kiss and wished me good luck........I cannot tell you how much we valued and loved him, what a good hard-working officer he was He was beloved of all the men of the Company, who realised his efforts for them and what a good hard-working officer he was . . . always cheery, courageous, and energetic He was taken suddenly worse on the morning of the 23rd, became unconscious about 2 p.m. and died about 4 p.m.

Buried  at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, II. A. 39.  Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium,  Larkfield War Memorial and at East Malling Green

London Gazette 10th November 1914

War Office, 10th November, 1914. REGULAR FORCES.

The under mentioned Gentlemen Cadets from the Royal Military College to be Second Lieutenants. Dated 11th November,1914.

The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, William Lewis Wigan.

London Gazette 25th March 1916.

The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).

The under mentioned to be temporary Lieutenants:

Second Lieutenant William L. Wigan (since died of wounds received in action). Dated 26th September, 1915.