Gawin Wild (1892-1957)
Littletown man served with 3rd Tyneside Irish: From miner and soldier to Vice Consul
Gawin Wild was born in Littletown, County Durham, in 1893. He served with C Company 26th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (3rd Tyneside Irish).
In his service days, and after being wounded, he was dragged into a shell hole by Private Jackie Hunter (26/985). Wild wrote to his wife, Mrs Hunter, in Clarence Street, Bowburn, with the news of her husband’s death. He told her this story:
“We got to their second line and the Germans gave us lots of machine-gun fire and I got to within about 20 yards of a German machine gun. A bullet went through my hip and another through my arm. Jackie dragged me about ten yards to a shell hole and just as he pushed me into the safety of the hole, he was shot through the head. A shrapnel shell bursting overhead lodged a piece of shrapnel in me, but I managed to crawl into the hole. I was there about sixteen hours and all the while a lovely sun was burning down. Poor Jackie and I lay all that long burning day together in that shell hole. You can imagine my feelings, lying there with one of my best chums who’d given his life to save mine.”
He was evacuated to hospital in Stourbridge and after returning to the front he was transferred to 732 Labour Company based in St. Pol Sur Mere, where he met and married a French girl.
Wild became a Company Quartermaster Sergeant and was awarded the Military Medal, 1 July 1916.
From 1925 to 1936 Gawin Wild served at Great Britain’s Consulate in Dunkerque. In 1939, he served as Vice-Consul in Bordeaux. In 1940, he met Ronald Hugh Campbell the United Kingdom’s Ambassador at Rue d’Enghien in Bordeaux. Gawin was then promoted Vice Consul in June 1940. After the fall of Paris in June 1040, the French government in exile established itself in Bordeaux.
Gawin Wild returned to England and in 1942, after the Allied landing in North Africa, he was posted to Algers as Britain’s Vice Consul. In December of the same year he welcomed General De Gaulle during his visit to Algeria.
On 2 June 1942 Gawin Wild was awarded an MBE by George VI. After several diplomatic postings, he retired in late 1952 and settled in France with his wife.
He remained in France and died there in 1957.
Civil Parish: Pittington
Birth date: 17-Nov-1892
Death date: 30-Nov-1957
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: 4 Front Street, Littletown, Co. Durham (1911 census)
Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, Gironde, France (place of death)
Organisation membership: C Company 26th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (3rd Tyneside Irish).
Transferred to 732 Labour Company, Labour Corps.
Employment: Coal Miner
Family: Father: Gawin Wild
Mother: Isabella Wild
Siblings: Elizabeth Wild, William Wild, Anthony Wild, Minnie Wild, Florence Wild, Hilda Wild, Elsie Wild, Isabella Wild, Horace Wild
Wife: Mathilde Rambout, married 1919 (with thanks to David Devigne and Al Gaudet)
Military service:
Company Quartermaster Sergeant
Regiment number: 26/1310
C Company 26th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (3rd Tyneside Irish).
Transferred to 732 Labour Company, Labour Corps.
Transferred to 732 Labour Company, Labour Corps, 1914 - 1919.
Medal(s): Military Medal
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Member of the British Empire (1942)
Memorial(s): Roll of Honour , 1914-1918, from Littletown Insitute. His name is included among those who served.
Gender: Male
Contributed by John Sheen | Durham at War Volunteer | David Devigne and Al Gaudet
