Private. 1/7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment. Regimental number 34817.
Early life:
William’s parents were Tempest Wigglesworth and Sarah Jane Wigglesworth née Wigglesworth, who were married at St John’s Church, Ingrow on the 16th of May 1896 They were both aged 21 and Tempest employed as a spindle grinder.
Fred was born on the 4th of September in 1899 and baptised at St John’s on the 11th of October that year. Their home address around this time was at Park Wood Bottom.
According to the 1900 Electoral roll, Tempest was recorded living at 33, Pitt Street in Keighley but by the time of the 1901 census they were living at 2, Quarry Street and the family at that time were father Tempest aged 26 employed as a spindle flyer turner, mother Sarah Jane also aged 26, William aged four and the youngest was Fred aged just one.
By 1910 they were still at Park Wood Bottom and had moved to live at 11, Thames Street which was rented from Rhoda Taylor.
They were still living there for the 1911 census which shows father Tempest aged 36 and employed as a spindle grinder at a worsted machine works, mother Sarah Jane was 36 and they had been married for fourteen years and had four children, all of whom were still alive. They were William, now aged fourteen and employed as a bobbin taker off, Fred was aged eleven, Annie was seven (both at school, probably Park Wood County Primary School) and the youngest was James aged just three. (A second daughter Sarah Jane was born in 1919)
War service:
Fred attested at Keighley on the third of November 1918. He was aged 18 years and 71 days and employed as a core maker for Messrs. Clapham Brothers of Keighley. He was unmarried and had not served in any branch of the military. He stated he did not want to serve in the Royal Navy. He was classed as ‘A’ for fitness to serve and his enlistment to the Training Reserve was approved at Halifax on the 23rd of November 1917, although a later document shows him deemed to have enlisted on the 2nd of March 1916 and called up for service on the 13th of November 1917. There are three Regimental numbers written down which are 126314 with the 7th Training Reserve, 39347 with the Yorkshire Dragoons and 34817 with the West Riding Regiment.
His medical shows he was 5 feet 4 inches tall with a chest measurement of 35 inches and weighed 115 lbs. His physical development was good and his eyesight was 6/6 for both eyes.
Fred was transferred to the West Riding Regiment on the 4th of December 1917. He spent a short period at the Cannock Chase Military Hospital from 4th February to 13th of February 1918 with influenza which he recovered from. Two weeks later on the 31st of March, he was transferred to the Corps of Dragoons of the Line to maintain his former rate of infantry pay. From the 4th to the 18th of June, he spent a further two weeks in hospital at Fermoy(sic) with an inflamed stomach. (Fermoy Military Hospital was in Cork, Ireland).
He was with the 2/1st Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons and was posted to the British Expeditionary Force on the 3rd of August 1918 when he embarked at Folkestone for France and he was posted to the 1/7th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment on the 6th of August.
Around that time the battalion was serving in the Ypres sector and specifically the right sub sector when they were relieved from the front line and marched back to BRAKE CAMP where they were involved in training for several days and it’s likely that Fred joined them during this period. They were later on working parties at ROME FARM SWITCH.
on the 23rd of August they marched to STEENJE SIDING and entrained for NORTKERQUE and then marched to ZOUAESQUES where they were housed in billets. At the start of September they were at CROISETTE and then moved to VILLERS AU BOIS where they underwent further training in a period of heavy rain. A demonstration of Artillery signals in action and they underwent physical training and bayonet fighting drills. On the 14th of September they marched to ROCLINCOURT where they had instruction in the operation of German machine guns. On the 18th they held an inter-company football competition. A Company beat C Company and D Company beat B Company.
The battalion carried out a tactical scheme of taking trenches and a village followed by the final of the football com petition when D Company beat A Company 2-1.
On the 20th of September, there was a field firing practice at ROCLINCOURT ‘C’ RANGE with NCO’s on Lewis Guns and German Machine Guns.
The next day the officers of the battalion were beaten at football by 147th Brigade Headquarters, by 2 goals to 1.
Further training took place including a move to billets and bivouacs at FEUCHY.
On the 24th September a team of ten men lost in a swimming race (presumably a relay race) against the 1/4th Battalion West Riding Regiment. This took place in a lake to the East of WATER WOOD.
A dummy attack to test company communications in action took place. Later the battalion carried out a tactical exercise in ‘pinching a village’ in which three companies attacked against one company defending.
Further training took place for the remainder of the month with machine gun training, church parade and at the end of the month another football competition, this time against the 1/6th Battalion. The 1/7th Battalion won by 4 goals to 3.
In October they were still at FEUCHY for further training and a football match in which the officers lost to the ‘other ranks by 2 goals to 1.
Further training continued interspersed with a gymkhana, football and rugby matches.
On the 6th of October the battalion embussed for the BUISSY AREA where they were accommodated in bivouac shelters.
We have included a more detailed account from the war diary for Fred’s final days.
War diary, WO-95/2802/1/4:
This is the 1/7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment war diary for October 1918 showing where Fred was serving in the days leading up to his death:
BUISSY AREA.
7.10.18.
Day spent in improving constructing shelters. Salvage collected.
8.10.18.
Inspections, Q.I.(?) work on shelters & organises salving. Lewis gun classes, C.O. and Company Commanders reconnoitred forward area near CAMBRA, 2M & TO reconnoitred routes to new Transport Lines.
9.10.18.
Training under company arrangements during morning. Battalion moved off at short notice to SAILLY Area arriving just after dusk. Improvised shelters erected.
forward.
SAILLY AREA.
10.10.18.
Battalion put under 2hrs notice and on receipt of orders moved up by march route to ESCADOEUVRES Area arriving about 11pm. Packs, blankets etc. were dumped at SAILLY. Battalion remained in open, awaiting orders to move.
ESCADOUVRES AREA.
11.10.18.
Operation Orders received for attack. Battalion moved forward 2 am to assembly positions. East of NAVES and NW of RIEUX. In positions 5 am. Battalion Headquarters established in NAVES – Right Battalion of Light Brigade on second brigade front.
Zero hour 9 am. An advance of 1000 yards was made, the Battalion parsing through the Canadians who were holding the line. Towards noon the enemy counter-attacked with tanks and we withdrew 500 yards to SUNKEN ROAD running through W.14.b, W.8.d. (Sheet 51A), where enemy were held for the night. The Battalion then became ‘Battalion in Brigade Reserve.’
It was during the 11th of October that Fred Wigglesworth was killed in action and his parents received notification of his death on the 2nd of November 1918.
56 men of the 1/7th battalion died on this day, 50 of whom (including Fred) are buried at the Wellington Cemetery at Rieuxen-Cambriensis. The six others may have died of their wounds after evacuation from the front line and are buried close to where they died, some distance from the front line. One of these men has no known grave and is named on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial.
Fred had served in France for just two months before he was killed in action. His service sheet shows he was at ‘Home’ (in the UK) for 263 days and in France for 70 days with a total service in the Army of 333 days.
His death was reported in the local newspaper.
Keighley News dated 16th November 1918, page 3:
Private Fred Wigglesworth, West Riding Regiment, of 11, Thames Street, Keighley, was killed on October 11. He had been in the army just twelve months, and went to France in August last. In civil life he was employed as a core maker by Messrs Clapham Bros, Keighley.
Remembrance:
Fred is remembered on his gravestone by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. His grave is number 3 in row C of plot II.
He is also named in the Borough of Keighley Roll of Honour book at Keighley Library and on the Sun Street Methodist Church panels held in the storage building of Cliffe Castle Museum.
Post war:
Fred’s father Tempest was his next of kin and he received his outstanding Army pay of £8, 15 shillings on the 19th of March 1919 which included a war gratuity payment of five pounds. He also received a war memorial plaque and scroll on the 3rd of July 1919. Fred’s Victory Medal arrived on the 2nd of May 1921 and the British War Medal on the 3rd of November in the same year.
His mother Sarah Jane applied for a dependant’s war pension and received a payment of 5 shillings per week from the 6th of May 1919.
In the 1921 census, Tempest and Sarah Jane were still living at 11, Thames Street in Parkwood. Tempest was aged 46 and employed as a spindle grinder for Prince Smith and Sons, Textile Machine Makers at their Park Side Works. Sarah Jane was 47 and on home duties. Living with them were William who had survived the war and was aged 24 and working as a machine moulder for W. S. Summerscales at their Park Side Works in Keighley.
Annie was aged 17 and a worsted reeler for Collingham and Keighley, worsted spinners on Low Street; James was 13 and a doffer, working for Heaton and Brotherton, worsted spinners of Low Mill. The youngest child was Sarah Jane aged eight and at school whole time, probably Park Wood County Primary School which was just along the road from where they lived.
Also living here as a boarder was Frederick Wigglesworth aged 37 who was a labourer (iron) for Prince Smith and Sons at their huge Burlington Shed, which was located at what is now the Asda Supermarket and car park.
Fred’s father Tempest died at the age of 47, registered at Keighley in the third quarter of the year 1922.
His mother Sarah Jane died aged 63, registered in Keighley in the first quarter of 1938.
Information sources:
1891 England Census.
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915.
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962.
1901 England Census.
West Yorkshire, England, Tax Valuation, 1910.
1911 England Census.
British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920.
WO-95/2802/1/4. The 1/7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment war diary of October 1918.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
