World War One: Joseph Wild

Joseph Wild

Joseph was born the third child of Joseph and Mary Ann Wild, of Wardleworth, in 1876.

He spent the early part of his life working in a cotton mill where he met his future wife, Elizabeth: they were married on 13 February 1897 in St Chads, Rochdale Parish Church.

Leaving behind his wife and a young son, he enlisted in the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in 1899, and after a short time training, he sailed to South Africa to fight in what is known as the second Boer War.

He returned to his family in 1902 after the Boer War and joined the Army reserve. He was awarded the South Africa Medal with three Clasps for Transvaal, Rhodesia and Laing's Nek and the King’s South Africa Medal with two clasps 1901 and 1902.

By 1914, Joseph and Elizabeth's family had increased to two boys and three girls and they were living at 66 Great George Street, Rochdale. He was working as a carter for R. Lord of Slack Street in Rochdale.

With the outbreak of the Great War, Joseph re-enlisted in the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, and by 14 April 1915, disembarked in France and was then moved to the Ypres area of Belgium.

A month later, he was caught up in one of the first gas attacks carried out by the German Army.

British casualities were high as they were ill-prepared for this type of attack. Unfortunately, Joseph was injured and spent two weeks in hospital then went back to the front line a few miles east of Ypres at a place called Wieltje.

It was a quiet time on this part of the front line, with just intermittent shelling and sniper fire. On the 10 June 1915, not quite two months after landing in France, a shell killed Joseph and wounded two other Fusiliers.

The entry in the Lancashire Fusiliers' war diary for this date states: "Shelled at intervals during day, one man killed and two wounded."

Joseph was buried on the battlefield at Wieltje with a small cross to mark the spot. It was 1919 before his body could be exhumed and reburied at Bard Cottage Cemetery, Boezinge, Belgium with full military honours.

He was awarded three medals - the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal - these were given to Elizabeth, his wife.