2nd LIEUTENANT WILLIAM DOBINSON M.C. was a Cumbrian lad born in 1889 at Carlisle, he arrived in Wigan when he was 2 years old with his parents Joseph and Mary Dobinson, their surname sometimes mistakenly spelt ‘Dobbinson’.
When he began to play rugby in 1913 for the newly reformed Wigan Old Boys he was living with his parents at 57 Delph Street and had no brothers or sisters. He was however well educated though he didn’t appear to attend Wigan Grammar School, and probably completed his secondary education at college or university. He was employed as a Clerk/ Book-keeper on the staff of Messrs. W.R. Davies & Co. - Railway Wagon Builders who had a manufacturing facility at Ince and a H.O. in the Royal Liver Building, Liverpool. Moving in the same social circles as ex Wigan Grammar School boys and sons of wealthy established Wigan families, involved with the newly reformed rugby club, it was not surprising that he joined them and played as a member of ‘The Pioneers’ in that first season 1913- 14.
When war broke out he was quick to answer the call and enlisted in a Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. The P.S. Battalions were for volunteers from a public school, college or university background who generally joined together along with friends as private soldiers not wishing to enjoy the privileges of an an officer’s commission – this tells us a lot about William’s mind set and confirms his standard of education.
Private William Dobinson arrived in France on the 14th of November 1915 with the Royal Fusiliers where he spent the next seven months on the Western Front as a private soldier.
With Kitchener’s New Armies faced with a shortage of officers in 1916 the ranks of the Public Schools Battalions which contained plenty of officer material, were plundered and many were encouraged to apply for a commission to overcome the shortfall – a patriotic duty. William Dobinson was one of these and he left the Royal Fusiliers and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 18th Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers on 5th August 1916. Soon after, before returning to France he married Edith Margaret Littler.
On the 27th of September 1916, William joined the 18th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers in France at Dainville near Arras; he was posted to ‘Z’ Company where he would command one of its four platoons of just over 50 men. The 18th Lancashire Fusiliers were part of the 104th Brigade one of the brigades comprising the British 35th Division in 1916.
William and his Battalion were involved in the latter stages of the Battle of The Somme in 1916. In 1917 he won the ‘Military Cross’ for his personal efforts along with his soldiers in ‘Z’ Company on the 15th April 1917.
The Action on that day saw a large British force attack the Hindenburg Line near St Quentin with mixed results – William took matters into his own hand when things seemed to be going away from his Battalion and a counter attack loomed, boldly staunching resistance alongside his men.
The Military Cross awarded to officers with the rank of Captain and below for gallantry was bestowed on William for his actions that day. The London Gazette 16th August 1917 – His citation for The Military Cross read:-
“2nd Lt. William Dobinson Lan. Fus. : - “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion during an attack. Seeing a large counter-attack pending he at once attacked, to cover consolidation, causing heavy casualties, many with his own hand, destroying a machine gun and bombing dug outs. He then retired in good order.”
Sadly just two months later William Dobinson was killed at ‘The Battle of Passchendaele’ - 3rd Ypres, during an attack in the Houthulst Wood (Forest), on the 22nd Oct 1917, along with 3 fellow officers of the 18th Lancashire Fusiliers and over 50 other ranks.
2nd Lieutenant William Dobinson served on The Western Front, in and out of action for 19 months, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial - Panel 54 – 60 and 163 A.
His wife Edith Margaret Dobinson – nee Littler never re-married and died in June 1940, just as another conflict was picking up pace!

Sources
UK Census
CWGC
Liverpool Echo archives
Wigan Parish Registers
Wigan Cemetery Records
London Gazette
The History of the Lancashire Fusiliers
Soldiers Died In the Great War
Medal Roll – WO 372/6/43513
18th Bttn. Lancs. Fus. War Diary
Named photograph – Wigan O.B. 1913-14