WIGGINS, William Thomas
| Service Number: | 5788 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 March 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bream Creek, Tasmania, Australia, 26 November 1889 |
| Home Town: | Sorell, Sorell, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Woodcutter |
| Died: | Dunalley, Tasmania, Australia, 7 February 1953, aged 63 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Dunalley Cemetery, Annie Street, Dunalley, Sorell Council, Tasmania, |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5788, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 5788, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Choon embarkation_ship_number: A49 public_note: '' | |
| 8 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 5788, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Seang Choon, Hobart |
Military Medal Citation
Won a Military Medal 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty.
In the attack on POLYGON WOOD, east of YPRES, on 20/21st September, 1917, Pte. WIGGINS and Pte NEASEY, as stretcher bearers, worked untiringly during the whole operation and especially were their efforts willing whilst the Battalion was being heavily shelled in the assembly position.
During a neighbouring units relief, casualties were sustained and these bearers willingly entered a barraged area to give assistance.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 31 Date: 7 March 1918
Submitted 10 April 2018 by Yvonne Height
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William’s brother, 5787 Pte Richard Samuel Wiggins, joined the 12th Battalion AIF, on the same day. They both gave their occupations as woodcutters. Richard died of pneumonia just after they arrived in Egypt, on the 5 July 1916. They were the sons of Henry Robert and Louisa Wiggins, of Dunally, Tasmania.
William Thomas Wiggins joined the 12th Battalion in France just on Christmas 1916. He was severely wounded at Bullecourt in early May and evacuated to England with gunshot wounds to his shoulder and thigh. He rejoined his battalion just in time for the Battle of Menin Road and for his bravery as a stretcher bearer on the 20 September 1917, he was awarded a Military Medal. He rescued numbers of casualties under extremely heavy artillery barrages. He was badly gassed on 1 November 1917 and again evacuated to England.
He returned to the Western Front in April 1918 until the end of hostilities. In August of 1919 he was married in England, to 23-year-old Georgiana Turner. The couple returned to Australia during April 1920, and lived at Dunally, Tasmania.
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