Lieutenant, 69th Machine Gun Corps.
Died of wounds 7th July 1916, age 20.
Buried in Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-l’Abbe, France.
Student of dentistry.
William was born on 16th October 1895 at Chorley to John William Morris Rigby, a surgeon, and his wife Maude Gellibrand. He was educated at King William College, Isle of Man before entering Manchester University in 1913 to study dentistry.
William was gazetted on 4th October 1914 to 2nd East Lancashire Regiment, promoted to Lieutenant on 20th June while still training in the UK and transferred to the Machine Gun Corps in May 1915 shortly after arriving in France. He died at casualty clearing station no. 36 after being wounded during the Battle of the Somme near Heilly-du-bois. He left effects worth £521 10s 8d to his father. His headstone reads “Loving, brave and true. He died for his country of Chorley, Lancashire”.