Rank Major | Name William Gosling Role Armed force officer | |
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Battles/wars World War IWorld War II Similar People Alfred Joseph Richards, Tom Dresser, Arthur Frederick Saunders, John Vaughan Campbell, Robert Downie | ||
Place of burial Wroughton, United Kingdom | ||
Major William Gosling VC (15 August 1892 – 12 February 1945) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
William Gosling was born in Wanborough, Wiltshire, one of four children to farmer Albert Gosling and his wife Elizabeth. After his education in the village school he worked alongside his father as a wheat farmer. Following his father's death in a farming accident, the family relocated to Wroughton where Elizabeth, assisted by William and his two elder brothers, took up tenancy of Artis Farm.
In 1908 William enlisted with the Territorial Force and at the age of 18 years emigrated to Canada where he worked on grain silos before becoming a fireman on the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Following the outbreak of the First World War he paid for his own passage home and enlisted with the 3rd Wessex Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He departed for France on 6 May 1915 where his battalion was attached to the 51st (Highland) Division stationed near Arras.
During the precursor bombardment to the Battle of Arras, on 5 April 1917 Gosling was a battery sergeant in charge of several heavy trench mortars. A bomb was fired from a Stokes Mortar from Sergeant Gosling's battery. "Owing to a faulty cartridge the bomb, after discharge, fell 10 yards from the mortar. Sergeant Gosling sprang out, lifted the nose of the bomb which had sunk into the ground, unscrewed the fuse and threw it on the ground, where it immediately exploded. This very gallant and prompt action undoubtedly saved the lives of the whole detachment". For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross and was presented with the award by King George V outside Buckingham Palace on 21 July 1917.
After the war William Gosling returned to his home village of Wroughton to take up the tenancy of Summerhouse Farm. He was vice-president of the Wroughton branch of the Royal British Legion and served as a Parish Councillor for 14 years between 1922 and 1936. During World War II, the decorated war hero served as a major in the Home Guard.
William managed and worked his dairy farm in Wroughton for the remainder of his life. He died at his home on 12 February 1945 aged 52. He is buried in the parish churchyard of St John the Baptist & St. Helen's church.