Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John and Eliza Wignell. Before the outbreak of war he worked on his fathers farm, he enlisted in the 25th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry, and trained at Retford, Nottinghamshire. He came home on draft leave about the end of June 1916, and expected to go to France early in July, but met with a cycling accident, was picked up unconscious, and taken to the V.A.D. Hospital at Uppingham, where he remained for six weeks. When discharged he was sent to Catterick Camp in Yorkshire. He embarked for France on the 13th October 1916, was taken ill with diptheria near Bethune, France about the 23rd November, and was taken to hospital at Etaples and invalided home to England where he arrived on the 1st January 1917, being taken to Wallasy Hospital, and then to Blackpool Convalescent Home. Going out to France again on the 16th May 1917, he was wounded in the arm and leg on the 16th June, but was back in the trenches about the middle of August, attached to the 12th Field Company of the Royal Engineers for work on Hill 70. He was killed by a shell in a trench between Lens and Loos.