Today We Remember

Nigel Walter Henry CARTWRIGHT

Second Lieutenant,
20th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry

Family Background

Nigel was born on 25 August 1897 in what was known as Church Cottage and is now Catton House. He was the second son of the Rev. William Digby and Lucy Harriette Maud Cartwright. Church Cottage was the curate’s house and in 1914 the Rev William Cartwright succeeded his uncle as Rector and moved to the Rectory, now St Michael’s House, next to the Church. His uncle had been rector for 44 years.

Nigel’s eldest brother, John, who was also killed in the war, and he had a younger brother and two sisters. Both sisters are buried in the churchyard in Aynho – one of them, Mary, became Mistress of Girton College, Cambridge, and the longest serving Mistress ever (19 years); she was a pure mathematician.

Following the in the footsteps of his brother, John, Nigel was educated at Durnford Preparatory School, Langton Matravers near Wareham, Dorset, and Wellington College. He went on to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from where he was gazetted to the Durham Light Infantry on 7 April 1916. He served with the 20th Battalion “The Wearsiders” first in Aldershot where they were attached to the 123rd Brigade in the 41st Division. On the 5 May 1916 the Regiment landed at Le Havre. He was killed 4 months later on the Ypres Salient on 21 September 1917 and was buried where he fell.

He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Panel 128-131 and 162-162A. He is also commemorated on the Durnford School Memorial in Langton Matravers.

For many years a sprig of rosemary was placed on his Aynho memorial by his fiancee.