Current Information:

Swiss Cottage

Enlisted-Westminster

Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, France

For most of the winter of 1914-1915, the 16th London battalion of 18 Brigade, 6th Division were holding trenches opposite the village of Frelinghien on the French-Belgian border just to the north of Armentières with a system of reliefs whereby individual companies moved back for 4 day periods of rest. William Waddington died from wounds on 21st February but it is not known when, nor in what circumstances he was wounded. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.