William Herbert WaringVCMM (13 October 1885 – 8 October 1918) was a Welsh 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.
On 18 September 1918 at Ronssoy, France, Lance-Sergeant Waring led an attack against enemy machine-guns and in the face of devastating fire, single-handed rushed a strong-point, bayoneting four of the garrison and capturing twenty, with their guns. The lance-sergeant then reorganized his men, leading and inspiring them for another 400 yards when he fell mortally wounded.[3]
Waring died 20 days later and is buried at Ste Marie Communal Cemetery, Le Havre, Seine Maritime, France.[4]
A stone to commemorate his life was installed in the wall of the Welshpool Town Hall and unveiled in January 2015.[5]
Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds, History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918, Vol IV, 8th August–26th September: The Franco-British Offensive, London: Macmillan, 1939/Uckfield: Imperial War Museum and Naval & Military, 2009, ISBN 978-1-845747-28-2.
Bryn Owen, History of the Welsh Militia and Volunteer Corps 1757–1908: Montgomeryshire Regiments of Militia, Volunteers and Yeomanry Cavalry, Wrexham: Bridge Books, 2000, ISBN 1-872424-85-6.
