Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Needham, a bricklayer’s labourer, born on the 5th February 1859 in Whetstone, Leicestershire (son of Joseph Needham, 1831 and Jane Kenney, 1832-1904) and his wife Sarah Jane Needham (nee Kenney, married on the 25th December 1888 in St. Mark’s Church, Leicester), born on the 21st September 1865 in Leicester and baptised on the 20th April 1874 in St. Margaret’s Church, Leicester (daughter of Robert Kenney, 1843 and Ann nee Chiswell, formerly Newhall/Newball, 1831). Wilfred was born in the October quarter of 1898 in Glenfield and baptised on the 11th September 1898 in St. Peter’s Church, Glenfield, his siblings were, Rose Ellen, born in the January quarter of 1890 and Gladys, born in the April quarter of 1896 and baptised on the 2nd June 1895 in St. Peter’s Church, Glenfield, both siblings were born in Glenfield, also residing with the family was Wilfred’s half-blood sibling, Arthur Leonard A. Kenney, a granite labourer, born on the 25th February 1884 in Leicester and baptised on the 26th January 1887 in St. Leonard’s Church, Leicester and Wilfred’s widowed maternal grandmother, Ann Kenney (nee Chiswell, formerly Newhall/Newball), born 1833 in Ratby and his maternal aunt, Rose Ellen Kenney, born on the 26th September 1872 in Glenfield and baptised on the 20th April 1874 in St. Margaret’s Church, Leicester, in March 1901 the family home was at Chestnut Road, Glenfield.
In April 1911 Wilfred, was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at 46, Chestnut Road, Glenfield, together with his father, a bricklayer’s labourer, his mother and siblings, Gladys a hosiery trade mender, and Frances, a schoolgirl, born on the 29th June 1904 in Glenfield and baptised on the 7th August 1904 in St. Peter’s Church, Glenfield, also residing with the family was his widowed maternal grandmother, Ann Kenney.
FAMILY NOTES: Wilfred also had another half-blood sibling, John William Kenney, born on the 1st October 1886 and baptised on the 26th January 1887 in St. Leonard’s Church, Leicester.
Wilfred’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Leicester into the Regular Army. Date not known.
Joined. At Leicester. Date not known.
Posted. To Depot Leicestershire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 38106.
Posted. To Leicestershire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Transferred. To 15th Training Reserve Bn. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 18383.
Transferred. To 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regt. Pte. Date not known
Allotted the Regimental Service number 42385.
First entered the theatre of war in France after the 31st December 1915.
Killed in action. In the Field. 9th November 1917.
Body not recovered. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Wilfred nominated his mother Sarah as his sole legatee.
The War Diary records: 9 Nov-17 – (Friday). Battalion Headquarters was in the BUTTE of POLYGON WOOD, an eminence that once overlooked the Racecourse, but now occupied by British troops. Here tunnels had been made and chambers dug-out to give sufficient protection.
“C” and “D” Companies held the front line, with “B” Company in Support. “A” Company was round-about the BUTTE. “C” Company sent out a patrol during the day, but little information was gained, and the NCO in charge was killed by hostile Machine Gun bullets.
On the 11th December, 1918 Wilfred’s mother Sarah Jane Needham, of Chestnut Road, Glenfield, was awarded a weekly Army Dependant’s Pension of five shillings for life, commensurate on the 24th December 1918.
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