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Captain Geoffrey Herbert WIGSTON
1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment attached to the 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment Date of birth: 15th May 1895 Date of death: 9th September 1916 Killed in action aged 21 Buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery Plot X Row B Grave 34
Geoffrey Herbert Wigston was born at Ridgeway Place, Wimbledon on the 15th of May 1895 the third son of William Jebb Wigston OL, a solicitor, and Lucy Sophia (nee Stuart) Wigston of “Rushmere”, Ashtead in Surrey. He was christened at St Mary's Church, Wimbledon on the 11th of June 1895. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Seconds House from January 1909 to July 1913. He was Colour Sergeant in the Officer Training Corps and was a member of the Shooting VIII from 1911 to 1913, shooting at Schools Day at Bisley in July 1913. He scored the highest total in the Ashburton and won the Individual Shooting Cup for his house. He was appointed as a House Captain, as Head of House and as a Prefect in 1912. He went on to the Royal Military College Sandhurst in September 1913 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the East Surrey Regiment (Special Reserve of Officers) on the 15th of August 1914. He was posted to the 1st Battalion of his regiment and embarked for France on the 26th of October 1914 where he joined them in the field. He was promoted to Probationary Lieutenant on the 15th of February 1915 and confirmed in that rank on the 17th of May 1915. At 2am on the 19th of April 1915 the 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment took over trenches at Hill 60 in the Ypres Salient. That evening the German artillery opened a heavy bombardment but no infantry attack followed. On the morning of the 20th the artillery opened fire again at 11am and followed with an infantry attack at 3pm which was repelled with rifle fire and grenades. This was followed by more artillery fire and further infantry assaults which continued until early in the morning of the 21st of April when Geoffrey Wigston was wounded in the leg. In two days of fighting at Hill 60 the battalion had suffered casualties of seven officers killed with nine wounded and forty two other ranks killed with sixty four missing and one hundred and fifty eight wounded. His father received the following telegram dated the 24th of April 1915: - "2nd Lieut. G.H. Wigston 1st East Surrey Regt. was wounded 21 April nature or degree not stated." On the 26th of April he received a further telegram: - "2/Lieut. G.H. Wigston East Surrey Regiment was admitted Stationary Hospital Boulogne April 22nd suffering from gunshot wound right leg." A further telegram dated the 30th of April 1915 stated: - "2/Lieut. G.H. Wigston East Surrey Regt. was discharged to duty April 26th." On the 10th of September 1915 the 1st East Surreys relieved the 1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment in trenches at Mourlancourt. At 11am on the morning of the 20th of September Geoffrey Wigston and Captain Streathfield-Jones were standing in the fire trench at a point known as the Mill when a shot came through a loophole which went through Streathfield-Jones' left forearm and shattered Wigston's thighs. He was severely wounded and was evacuated to No. 1 Red Cross Hospital at Le Touquet. His father received the following telegram dated the 22nd of September 1915: - "Regret to inform you that Lt. G.H. Wigston E. Surrey Regt. was wounded Sept 20th. Further news will be telegraphed when received." He received a further telegram dated the 25th of September 1915: - "Regret to inform you Lieut. G.H. Wigston East Surrey Regiment admitted 21st to No. 1 Red Cross Hospital, Le Touquet gunshot wound both thighs severe. Will report any further news." On the 26th of September he was loaded on board a hospital ship at Calais and he landed at Dover later the same day from where he was taken to the 4th Northern General Hospital at Lincoln. A Medical Board was convened there on the 26th of October 1915 to consider his condition: - "The Board find that this officer was wounded by a rifle bullet which entered the right thigh, passed behind the femur and emerged on the inner side of the thigh. The bullet then entered the left thigh on the inner side and was extracted by operation, lying just behind the femur. No important nerves, vessels or bones were injured. The wounds are no healed but are tender" He was placed on light duties and joined 60th Division, based at Sutton Veny, on the 3rd of February 1916. A further Medical Board sat at Sutton Veny on the 3rd of April 1916 to consider his progress: - "Board find that his wounds give no trouble and his general health is good. He states that he sleeps better but not yet normally and that he is somewhat easily fatigued. He also states that duty on the range during musketry practice gives him a bad headache." He was passed as fit for general service at a Medical Board on the 3rd of May 1916. When he returned to France he was attached to the 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment as a Company Commander and joined them in field at High Wood on the Somme on the 1st of September 1916. On the 7th of September the 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment moved up to trenches at High Wood on the Somme. On the 9th of September they, and the 2nd Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps, attacked enemy positions at Wood Lane taking all their objectives and securing their gains by digging a defensive flank to connect with the line in High Wood itself. Geoffrey Wigston was posted as missing during this operation. His father received the following telegram dated the 14th of September 1916: - "Regret to inform you that Capt. G.H. Wigston East Surrey Regt was wounded Sept 9th. Further news sent when received." He received a further telegram dated the 6th of October 1916: - "Regret to inform you Captain G.H. Wigston E. Surrey Regt previously reported wounded now reported wounded and missing Sept 9th. Amy further news will be reported immediately on receipt." A letter from his Battalion said:- "He led his Company very gallantly in the attack; and I need not tell you how much the regiment miss him, as in these times a soldier of your son's ability and experience is much needed." On the 6th of April 1917 the War Office reported: - "No further information has been received, and in view of the lapse of time since he was reported missing, his death has now been accepted for official purposes as having occurred on or since the 9th September 1916." He is commemorated on the war memorial at Ashtead and on the memorial at the Royal Military College Sandhurst..

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