Name
Ernest William Wright
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/11/1916
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
23543
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ANCRE BRITISH CEMETERY, BEAUMONT-HAMEL
IV. E. 34.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints Church Roll of Honour, Sandon, Not on the Therfield memorials
Pre War
Son of Mrs. Florence E. Edwards of Bell Terrace, Therfleld.
In 1891 Florence E. Wright was a 16 year old domestic servant (born in Baldock) living at the Vicarage with Rev. and Mrs.Samuel Rosenthal and their nieces Alice and Christina. So the question arises...did Florence have an illegitimate child, Ernest in 1896 then go on to marry a Mr. Edwards of Therfleld?
The C.W.G.C. details name the deceased as son of Mrs. Florence E. Edwards of Therfield. According to the "Crow" newspaper of November 12 .1915 Ernest was a cowman in Sandon who was before the magistrate for stealing 3 pints of milk, value 6d. He was told that if he enlisted before the next Bench day he would hear no more of the matter...... A year and a day later, Ernest was killed
Wartime Service
The following details are from "The Somme Day by Day" by Chris McCarthy and The 16th Foot, a history of the Beds and Herts Regiment by Major General Sir F. Maurice (1931) and the battalion war diary of that day.
The Battle of the Ancre.
Temperature 54 .F, V Corps. 63rd. Division. 19th. Brigade.
The plan of attack was to capture the Beaumont Hamel Ridge with the 19th and 39th. Divs. south of the River Ancre and the 63rd 51st. 2nd. 3rd. and 31st. in that order from right to left north of the river. At 6:45 am. on November 13th. in thick fog, the attack started with the 4/Beds.acting as carrying parties for taking bombs, sandbags etc up to Beaucourt.
The attack south of the river was successful with the 39th speedily capturing St. Pierre Divion but the task of the troops north of the river proved to be more formidable owing to the state of the ground and the weather. The 4/Beds were held up by rifle and machine gun fire from enemy dugouts after capturing the first German trenches. Nevertheless the 190th. held on grimly to what they had gained and from this worked their way forward into the second German system of defence. This greatly helped the operations of the troops on the left and by nightfall on 17th. the 63rd . had captured the greater part of Beaucourt.
Over 7,000 prisoners were captured but in its first battle the 4/Beds. lost 8 officers and 48 other ranks killed and 1 officer and 9 other ranks died of wounds. 4 officers and 108 other ranks were wounded and 16 were missing. Private Wright was buried between the first and second objectives for his corps that day in what is now the beautiful Ancre Cemetery.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Jean Handley
