Captain Lionel Wigram (1907 in Sheffield, England – 3 February 1944 in Pizzoferrato Abruzzi Region, Italy) was a British Army officer. He played a significant part in developing British infantry fighting tactics in the Second World War.
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Early years
The son of Maurice Wigram, Lionel Wigram was born in Sheffield into a distinguished Jewish family, and later moved to Surrey, becoming a London solicitor and property developer. Wigram was educated at King Edward VII School in Sheffield from 1918 to 1925 and The Queen's College, Oxford. He was married to Olga Wigram née Jokelson and the couple had a daughter, Denia. She was the first wife of Peter Palumbo, the property developer.
Second World War
In 1939, like many thousands of his contemporaries, Lionel Wigram joined the British army at the outbreak of the war. Already commissioned in the Territorial Army, he went on active duty and was commissioned as a Captain into the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). He was among the founders of the 47th (London) Infantry Division School of Battle Drill in 1941, and was appointed chief instructor at the new GHQ Home Forces Battle School at Barnard Castle early in 1942. This was set up by GHQ Home Forces in the aftermath of the disastrous 1940 campaign in France. British Army battle drill – systematic tactics for small front line units – had been developed during the First World War but had to be revived by the then Lieutenant-General Harold Alexander in I Corps after the evacuation of Dunkirk. Wigram played the leading part in spreading this approach to the whole of the Home Army.