Pte. Magnus Wishart (1896 – 1972)

Magnus Wishart was born in Leith on 17^th November 1896. He was the son of James Fraser Wishart, a warehouseman from Northmavine, and Christine Clark. In 1901 Magnus was living with his parents and two siblings at 265 Gala Park Road in Galashiels. Ten years later the family had left Scotland and were living in Grimsby at 47 Fairmont Road. Magnus’ father was working as a fish curer whilst Magnus, aged fourteen, was employed as an errand boy in a local grocery.

By 1914 Magnus was employed as a fish house worker and enlisted with the Grimsby Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment (The Grimsby Chums) in Grimsby on 28^th October. The battalion had been formed on the 9^th September by the town council as a territorial battalion and were subsequently known as the 10^th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment when they became part of the British Army.

Magnus was recorded as being just over five foot seven in height and weighing 122 lbs. He had a fresh complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. Private M. Wishart (1056) saw home service between 28^th October 1914 and 15^th April 1916 after which he was sent to France with the B.E.F. A month after arriving he was transferred to the 8^th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment (‘C’ company) who at the time were based in the trenches at Meaulte. On the 23rd April they were relieved by the 1^st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and sent to billets at La Neuville for training.  On the 1^st July – the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the battalion attacked at Fricourt as part of the 63^rd Brigade. Suffering heavy losses, the Lincolns remained on the front line until the 4^th when they were relieved and entrained at Dernancourt for Ailly-sur-Somme, before marching to Vaux-en-Amienois for three day’s rest.

By April 1917 the battalion were based in the Arras area where they saw action between the 23^rd and 29^th of that month, suffering casualties of 8 officers and 516 other ranks.  During this period Magnus’ parents became worried about him, having not heard any news or received correspondence. His mother subsequently wrote to the Infantry Record Office in Lichfield in June 1917:

Magnus’ battalion had been moving about quite a bit and it is possible that he had not had the opportunity to write – or that his letters had been lost in transit.  The battalion was involved in the attack on Rifle Farm on 31^st July, and in early August, when the battalion was stationed at Chinese Wall, Magnus returned to the UK and was posted to the Command Depot in Lichfield on the 12^th.  A month later on 22^nd September he was given ten days furlough – returning to Grimsby for the first time in well over a year.

It appears that Magnus was then assigned to a territorial battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment from 3^rd October  (possibly the 3^rd Battalion -  a training unit based in Grimsby) before being sent to No. 18 Company of the R.A.M.C. as Private 136005 in January 1918. He was stationed in London at some point over the next year and was eventually discharged from service on 25^th April 1919.

After the war Magnus married Elsie Dawson on 7^th June 1920 in Grimsby and had three daughters and one son by the marriage (Queenie, John Ramsay, Pamela & June Wishart).

In 1936 he was living at 59 First Avenue in Grimsby and died in the town during 1972.

During the war both of Magnus’ brothers also served in the forces: Gilbert, with the Royal Field Artillery and Robert, with the 51^st Royal Sussex Regiment.