LANCE CORPORAL 12901 WILLIAM WAGGITT 10TH BATTALION WEST RIDING REGIMENT. KILLED IN ACTION 4TH OCTOBER 1916


LANCE CORPORAL 12901 WILLIAM WAGGITT 10TH BATTALION WEST RIDING REGIMENT. KILLED IN ACTION 4TH OCTOBER 1916



William Waggitt was the eldest son of farmer William Waggitt and his wife, Jane, who held the tenancy of Moorside Farm on Addingham Moorside.Aged 25 at the beginning of the war he had enlisted in the Wharfedale Company of the 10th West Riding regiment in September 1914. Posted to France in July 1915 he had been wounded later that year and had a finger amputated.


The 10th served in the Somme Sector throughout the summer and autumn of 1916 and on 4th October were in the front near to the village of Flers. That evening the battalion mounted a trench raid against the German positions from which William failed to return.


Lance Corporal William Waggitt has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and is remembered on the war memorials in Addingham and Ilkley



ADDINGHAM - THE LATE LANCE-CORPORAL WAGGITT
Mr. and Mrs. Waggitt have received the following letter from E. Merrall (see 4th October), respecting their son, Lance-Corpl. W. Waggitt (see 20th October):- "It is with deepest regret that I have to tell you of the death of your valiant son, Will, who has been my greatest chum since he joined this Battalion. We always went about together and both got stripes together after the July turn on this front. He was a magnificent soldier and well above the usual standard, smart and hardworking and fearless, also a leader whom the biggest coward could have followed. The morning of the fourth we were informed that our Platoon had to take a Boche position by going up a trench and bombing our way forward. Straight from our lines, Will leading, we came to the first barricade. Taking a shovel he cut through, the second one likewise and the third. Will spotted the Germans and in his jolly way passed it down to us, "They are waiting for us." Bombs were thrown and the Germans let us have it, bombing us from the sides. One of the bombs dropped in the trench and killed the second man and badly wounded Will. He was assisted back nearly to our lines by Corp. R. Harrison (see 4th October), another of Will's class of British blood. Bob was wounded along with many more. The Company stretcher-bearers went to Will to look to his wounds, but he refused them saying, "I will not last long, look to the others, they need it more than me." His last words with a smile on his face were "Cheer oh, lads, the best of luck, I am going." With these words of encouragement he passed into the arms of his Maker with a clear conscience. The remainder of the Platoon are lost without him, and I wish you to please accept our deepest sympathy in your loss."

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