Private Henry Joshua Wigley
| Date of Birth | c. 1898 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 20 |
| Date of Death | 19 March 1919 |
| Service Number | 27865 |
| Military Service | 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment |
| Merton Address | 76 Melbourne Road, Merton Park |
| Local Memorial | Rutlish School, Merton |
Additional Information
Henry was born in London in about 1898, the only child of Joshua and Nana Wigley. Joshua worked as a hosier. In 1911, the family was living in a six room house at 76 Melbourne Road, Merton Park, along with Henry’s widowed paternal aunt and her two daughters, who had evidently moved from Derbyshire. Henry attended Rutlish School.
He enlisted in the military on 3 October 1916, probably just after his 18th birthday, and was trained in the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment, which was later reorganised to train men for the Royal Hussars, and indeed, it appears that Henry may have briefly joined the 19th Hussars. Sadly, he contracted tuberculosis while in the Army, and was discharged only 7 months later, on 14 April 1917, due to ill health, having never seen combat. He died just under two years later, at home, and was buried in Gap Road Cemetery. He did not receive a military burial.