Harry Wigley, Wincobank Samaritan.

[Yorkshire 53]

I'd like some details of Mr.Wigley from after 1997 if anyone can help. If he is still alive he will be 98 now. The following is a precis from The Daily Telegraph of 11.12.1997.

 

At nineteen years of age, Harry Wigley, a steelworker, fought with the King's Own Light Infantry in Burma during the war. At one point they captured three men with a boy of ten who were suspected of being enemy spies. The senior officer ordered the men, and the boy, to be shot.

 

Harry was selected as a member of the four man firing squad, but pleaded for the boy's life. He was told "no", as this would mean guarding him 24 hrs a day, and if he escaped he could betray their position to the Japanese who were close by. Harry then asked to be excused from the firing squad, but was told that to refuse, HE might be shot.

 

The boy was not blindfolded and was second in line to be shot, which meant he would have to witness the first execution. "Our rifles tore all four apart" he said. The terror on the boy's face tormented Harry ever afterwards and led him to help as many children as he could. Through sponsorship he entered and completed The Great Northern Run from Newcastle to South Shields from which he donate £1,600 to the Sheffield Childrens' Hospital Appeal.

 

Anyone got any stories of Harry please ?

 

---------- Post added 13-05-2017 at 12:16 ----------

 

I missed this bit out... " In an effort to come to terms with the past, he has raised more than £36,000 for children's charities through a variety of sponsored events."