Name
John Wallis Wright
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/07/1916
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14067
King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11 C and 12 A.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Rickmansworth UDC Memorial, St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, Rickmansworth
Pre War
John Wallis Wright was born in Rickmansworth in 1899 to Jabez, a labourer and Kezia Wright. He was baptised at St Mary’s Church on 23.4.1899. (His name was given as John Wallace at his baptism.)
In 1901 the family were living in Talbot Road, Rickmansworth and in 1911 they were living at Two Stones, Uxbridge Road, Mill End. John was at school and had 1 elder brother and 4 younger sisters. His name occurs in the National School log book for Rickmansworth in October 1906 when he was reported as having diphtheria.
The family later lived at 99 Ebury Road, Rickmansworth.
Wartime Service
He enlisted at Maylebone and entered France on 26 August 1915. He was only 17 according to his birth records but declared his age to be 19 to the army.
The War diaries of the 8th Battalion show that in the previous few days they had been moving up into the trenches at Ovillers. On 1st July the battalion attacked at 7.30am. ‘During the preliminary bombardment our losses from hostile shell fire were considerable. I estimate them at 10% of the whole strength.The first 2 waves leaving our trenches just before 7.30am reached the German lines with only slight loss. The remaining waves lost heavily in no-mans-land from fire from both flanks and I estimate-their loss before they reached the German front line at 60%. . . The Germans were many times observed sniping our wounded. During the night the Battalion was withdrawn to Long Valley.’
The capture of Ovillers, a village north east of Amiens in Picardie in northern France, lasted from 1-16 July 1916. It was a British operation during the Battle of Albert, the name given to the first 2 weeks of the Battle of the Somme. The initial attack was a disaster with over 5000 casualties.
Additional Information
Number in SDITGW is 14069 and in CWGC 14067. His effects of £2 17s 1d and a War Gratuity of £8 were left to his mother, Kezia. His elder brother, Robert Thomas Wright enlisted in 1914 in the Royal Engineers. He survived the war and continued to live in the Watford area until his death in 1976.
Acknowledgments
Pat Hamilton
Malcolm Lennox
