Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George William Corrigan, a boot warehouse manager, born on the 10th July 1866 in Manchester, Lancashire (son of George Cornelius Corrigan, 1837-1896 and Ellen Mary Walker, 1841-1892) and his wife Margaret Ann Corrigan (nee Bazley, married in the July quarter of 1888 in the Manchester, Lancashire district), born on the 26th January 1866 in Openshaw, Lancashire (daughter of George Bazley, 1838-1889 and Mary Ann Beech, 1839-1878). Edwin George was born in the October quarter of 1891 in Gateshead, County Durham, his siblings were, Maggie, born on the 23rd October 1889 in Salford, Manchester, Ethel, born on the 15th November 1892 in Gateshead, County Durham, Amy, born on the 28th February 1894 and baptised on the 1st April 1894 in Jarrow and Albert, born on the 11th January 1897 and baptised on the 7th February 1897 in Jarrow, the latter two siblings were both born in Jarrow, County Durham, in March 1901 the family home was at 31, Equity Road, Leicester. In April 1911 Edwin was employed as a boot trade finisher and was residing in the family home at 13, Harrow Road, Leicester, together with his father, a boot warehouse manager, his mother and siblings, Maggie, a boot trade machinist, Ethel, a typist and book keeper, Amy, Albert, a schoolboy and George, born on the 21st October 1907 in Leicester and baptised on the 17th November 1907 in the Church of The Martyrs, Leicester, also residing with the family was Edwin’s cousin, John May, a boot trade packer, born 1891 in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.
Edwin’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, date not known.
Joined. At Leicester, date not known.
Posted. To Leicestershire Regiment, Private, date not known.
Allotted the Regimental number 2561.
Posted. To 1/4th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, Private date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France on the 2nd March 1915.
Promoted. To Lance Corporal, date not known.
Appointed. Acting Corporal, date not known.
Killed in action. In the Field on the 13th October 1915.
Body not recovered and commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Edwin nominated his father George as his sole legatee.
The War Diary records: 12 Oct-15 - At 9.00 am Battalion marched to SAILLY LABOURSE. Dinners and teas were cooked here. Rations for 134 men issued. At 5.15 pm Battalion marched to VERMELLES where stores were taken up. At 11.00 pm Battalion arrived in trenches.
The War Diary records: 13 Oct-15 - At noon our artillery started to bombard. At 1.00 pm our smoke and gas started. At 1.50 pm smoke and gas stopped. At 2.00 pm artillery lifted and Battalion assaulted the HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. Lieutenant Colonel R. E. MARTIN was wounded early but remained in the fire trench directing operations for nearly 24 hours and until -?- to the dressing station by Brigadier General KEMP. All officers of the Battalion either killed or wounded.
The War Diary records: 14 Oct-15 - In the evening the Battalion was relieved by part of the 139th Brigade and went back to the LANCASHIRE TRENCH. Roll call revealed that 188 NCO’s and men returned.
The Official History of the War – Military Operations (France and Belgium 1915 Volume II) provided the following statistics for the 1/4th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, officers killed 20, other ranks killed 453. Total losses for the day were 138th Brigade 64 officers and 1,476 other ranks. 137th Brigade 68 officers and 1,478 other ranks.
On Tuesday, November 16th, 1915, The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. - LEICESTERS FALLEN IN ACTION, OR MISSING. - (A photograph accompanied the article). – Pte. C. G. CORRIGAN, 4th Leicester’s, missing since the great charge of Oct 13. His home was at 13, Harrow-road.
On the 31st January 1920 the Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester published a Roll of Honour of former pupils, this records that Edwin attended the school between the years 1904 and 1907.