WICKHAM [M.C], Bernard William Theodore


Lieutenant, Bernard William Theodore WICKHAM, M.C.
Aged 22


9th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
Killed in Action on Saturday, 14th April 1917


Military Cross


Bernard William Theodore Wickham was born in Wigan on 23rd October 1894 (Wigan Q4-1894 8C:66), baptised in Wigan on 7th December 1894, only son of Rev William Arthur and Clara WICKHAM (née PECK).

1901 census...Aged 6, he was at St Andrew's Vicarage, Woodhouse Lane, Wigan with his father Rev William Arthur WICKHAM [52] born Trowbridge, Wiltshire; his mother Clara [38] born Southport, Lancashire; sisters Myrtle Dorothy [7], Cicely Theodora [5], Mary Monica[2] and Violet Caroline [1]. All the children were born in Wigan.

1911 census...Aged 16, he was at school in West Horsham, Sussex. His parents were still in Wigan. All his sisters were away at boarding schools

CWGC have him educated at Millmead, Shrewsbury and St John's College, Cambridge.



His father became Vicar at Ampton on 28th November 1916, having been at St Andrew's Wigan since 2nd October 1878.

His Military Cross with a copy of the Wigan St.Andrew's Parish Magazine with further details was sold in 2006 for £528


He volunteered when the war was one month old, commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 19th September 1914. he was wounded and awarded the Military Cross during the battle of the Somme.

From the London Gazette, August 25, 1916.
2nd Lt B.W.T.Wickham: For conspicuous gallantry in the face of the enemy On the morning of the 28th July 1916 in the vicinity of Contalmaison 2nd Lieutenant Wickham with a platoon which had been at work all night wiring in No Man's Land, was in a forward trench, when the enemy made a bombing attack. The garrison and the greater part of the working party were obliged to fall back for want of bombs. 2nd Lieut Wickham with two men of the Durham Light Infantry, stood his ground, searched the trench for bombs, and held it for more than an hour until reinforcements arrived. Though wounded early in the action he continued in charge of a joint party of South Staffords and Durham L.I until the attack was beaten off, and a Sergeant could be found to march his platoon out on relief.

On 14th April 1917, the 9th South Staffs, a pioneer battalion, were working from Ypres Infantry Barracks. The war diary has a different date for the death of Bernard Wickham, ie 13th, which begs the question, did his own battalion officers at the time get it wrong, or the Army records:-
13th-
A Coy..144 OR working on tramway at SHRAPNEL CORNER
C Coy..87 OR wiring CRESCENT, 50 yards completed
.......91 OR SWIFT STREET cleaning out trench 80 yard done
D Coy..70 OR ZILLEBEKE ST sandbagging parapet
.......74 OR VOLLEY COTTAGES repairing road
B Coy on attachment
Lt BWT WICKHAM killed in action
3 OR wounded (2 remained on duty)




let into one of the pillars in the church is a marble mosaic memorial.
and closeup of inscription




photo: Rodney Gibson



Bernard Wickham is buried in Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm) grave 7:J:32
commemorated on the Cadets Memorial at Sandhurst.

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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