Alfred Robert Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 5 December 1896 Leigh,Lancashire, England |
| Died | 18 October 1940 (aged 43) Leigh,Lancashire, England |
| Buried | Leigh Cemetery (Plot 1-U, Grave 99)[1] |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Royal Scots Greys Seaforth Highlanders Manchester Regiment |
| Conflicts | World War I |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
| Other work | Coal miner |
Alfred Robert WilkinsonVC (5 December 1896 – 18 October 1940), was anEnglish recipient of theVictoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded toBritish andCommonwealth forces.
Wilkinson enlisted in theRoyal Scots Greys at the outbreak of war in 1914 and transferred the following year to the 2nd. Battalion,Seaforth Highlanders. He finally transferred to the 1/5th Manchester Regiment and went toFrance in July 1916.
He was 21 years old, and aprivate in the 1/5th Battalion,The Manchester Regiment,British Army during theBattle of the Selle in theFirst World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 20 October 1918 atMarou,France, during the attack, four runners had been killed in attempting to deliver a message to the supporting company and Private Wilkinson volunteered for the duty. He succeeded in delivering the message although the journey involved exposure to extremely heavy machine-gun and shell fire for 600 yards.[2]
He later achieved the rank oflieutenant. Wilkinson died in an incident at a laboratory atBickershaw Colliery, Leigh, where he worked fromcarbon monoxide poisoning.[3]
His gravestone at Leigh Cemetery has the VC engraved on it.[1] In 2018 it had a trail of poppies leading to it which had been made by local school children.
A statue of Wilkinson has been erected (October 2018) on the green at Pennington Wharf,[4][5] which is a housing estate at the old Bickershaw Colliery. The road around the green has also been named Wilkinson Park Drive. The road sign is gold in colour and has the VC printed on it.
A mural featuring Wilkinson has been painted on a house on Twist Lane, Leigh, situated between Dorothy Grove and Arthur Street.
