Heslop’s Local Advertiser 23/02/1917
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William McGuigan was born at Heworth, Gateshead, County Durham in 1881, one of 9 children he was the 3rd born of 5 sons and 4 daughters. His father James McGuigan was born in Ireland in 1851 and married Ellen born 1857 at Felling, Gateshead in 1873. Living at Hunter’s Place, Felling in 1881 James was a stone mason, as the family grew they moved to Wesley Lane and by 1901 his son James (23) had joined him as a stone mason whilst Peter (25) worked as a bricklayer, William (20) and Francis (18) were employed at the colliery as stone shifters below ground and Hugh (14) as a screener above ground. At the age of 60 years his father was unemployed, William (30) now the eldest at home still worked at the colliery as a hewer, Hugh (24) was employed as a labourer, Catherine (21) and Maggie (19) worked at the electric factory, Bella (16) helped her mother at home, Mary (12) and her cousin, Maggie Menim, who lived with them were scholars. In 1911 they were living at 15, Charlton’s Row, Felling.
On the outbreak of war William enlisted at Felling in 1915 as Private 13046 assigned to the 20th (Service) Battalion Durham Light Infantry also known as the Wearside Battalion as it was raised in Sunderland but attracted men from across the north East to its ranks. In August 1915 they were moved to a tented camp at Wensley in North Yorkshire for training although they had still not been issued with uniforms or rifles. Bad weather in October forced them into billets at Barnard Castle where they stayed two days and were withdrawn until January 1916 before being moved to Aldershot to join the newly-formed 41st Division.
After several more months of intensive training they departed to France in May 1916 and on the 20th they entered the front line trenches just north of Armentieres. They engaged in trench warfare for the next 3 months suffering casualties almost every day. In September 1916 the battalion still attached to the 41st Division was sent south to the Somme where the 20th Durham Light infantry was involved in the attack at Flers on September 14th 1916. They lost over 100 men to shell fire during the next two days, they were withdrawn in reserve to regroup and clean their equipment before returning to the front line October 1st near Guedecourt before being ordered back to Flanders (Belgium).
They spent the winter of 1916-17 patrolling no man’s land, Private McGuigan and others were transferred to the 171st Company Royal Engineers, digging and repairing trenches.
Private 13046 William McGuigan Royal Engineers (ex Durham Light Infantry) was wounded and died of wounds sustained April 9th 1917 either on the battlefield or at one of the Casualty Clearing Stations near the village of Lijssenthoek. He was interred at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, near Ypres in Belgium, grave X. D. 13A. He was 35 years old and single.
As his sole beneficiary his mother Ellen received all monies due to him along with his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 38, Holly Street, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham. She paid for an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “For King And Country He Did His Best O Lord Grant Him Eternal Rest. R.I.P..
William’s father James McGuigan died aged 66 years in 1918, his mother Ellen in 1922 aged 65 years, both deaths registered in the district of Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Heslop’s Local Advertiser 23/02/1917 carries an In Memoriam notice which reads:
“Private W. McGuigan, D.L.I., died of wounds on Jan. 9th, in his 36th year. Son of James and Ellen McGuigan, Back Holly Street, Felling.”
William McGuigan is remembered at Felling on F32.06 and in the 20th DLI Regimental Roll of Honour page 49
