He then lay still while the Germans opened a heavy fire on the wire entanglements behind him, and it was only after about an hour that he was able to crawl back to his own trench. Before starting out he had requested a sergeant to open fire on the enemy's trenches as soon as he had thrown his bombs. Rifleman Mariner was out alone for one and a half hours carrying out this gallant work.
Gazetted: 23 Jun 1916.
Investiture: 12 August 1915 Buckingham Palace.
Other Medals: 1914-15 Star, BWM, VM.
Location of Medals: Not publicly held.
Record of Service: 26 August 1914 - 1 July 1916.
Personal: Born at 12 Wellington Street, Chorley, Preston, Lancashire, son of Mrs A Wignall and was educated at the Parochial School, Chorley, joining the 2nd King's Royal Rifle Corps about 1902. He served seven years in India with the Colours and five years afterwards in the Reserve and was discharged on the termination of his engagement. On 26 August 1914, he re-enlisted with his old battalion, the 2nd King's Royal Rifles and proceeded to France, 29 November 1914. He was invalided to the United Kingdom, 24 August 1915 and again went to France 12 October 1915. "Deeds that thrill the Empire" (pages 148-149) says: "Under circumstances of great daring, Private William Mariner of the 2nd Battn The King's Royal Rifles, left his trench near Cambrin on the night of 22 May 1915. A violent thunderstorm was raging at the time and this covered the sound of his movements as he crept towards the enemy's entanglements. When opposite the emplacement of a machine gun which had damaged the parapet of his trench and hindered working parties, Mariner climbed to the top of the enemy's parapet. Flinging a bomb under the emplacement of the gun, he knew his purpose was achieved on hearing groans and the sound of men dispersing. After a quarter of an hour, Mariner, who remained on the parapet, heard some of the enemy come back. With great daring he climbed up on the other side of the emplacement and then threw a second bomb among them. The Germans thereupon brought a heavy fire to bear upon the wire entanglements where they expected Mariner would be. For an hour, however, he lay still out of sight, and when all was quiet, crawled back to the shelter of his trench after an absence of an hour and a half." Another writer says of Mariner: "The machine gun had been inflicting heavy casualties on his battalion. He volunteered for this mission, knowing full well that the chances were a hundred to one against his coming back. But he won through." Private Mariner was still serving in France when he was killed in action 1 July 1916.
Commemoration: Name on Thiepval Memorial.
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