Name
Bernard Wilfred Wright
24 September 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/05/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Royal Air Force
4th Sqdn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
OUTTERSTEENE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, BAILLEUL
IV.B.1
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Leverstock Green Village Memorial, Leverstock Green Village School Memorial, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Not on the Watford memorials
Pre War
Bernard Wilfred Wright was born on 24 September 1895 in Watford, the son of Robert and Isabel Wright, and baptised at St Mary's, Watford on 15 December the same year. He was the eldest of three children.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 204 High Street, Watford, where his father was working as a Coachbuilder. The following year the family moved to Leverstock Green and were living at Leverstock House, next door to the Leather Bottle public house, where his father set up a business as a Wheelwright, which is where they were listed on the 1911 Census.
Bernard initially attended the village school in Leverstock Green and left in 1907 to be educated at Callowland Board School on Leavesden Road, North Watford, He left at the age of 13 in 1908 and transferred to a Higher Elementary School, Watford Grammar. He then joined Barclays Bank as a trainee and Bank Cashier and worked at the Hitchin branch, which is where he was working at the outbreak of war in 1914.
He married Elizabeth Elford at All Saints, Hatcham Park, nr Deptford, London on 16 February 1918. He gave his profession as "Active Service" and his address as Swingate Down, Dover, where he was in training as a pilot. They had a son, born after his death, on 25 August 1918 in Greenwich who was named Bernard Wilfred after his father.
His home address on RAF records was Leverstock House, Leverstock Green, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, but his wife's address was given as 74 Besson Street, New Cross, London SE14.
Wartime Service
Bernard volunteered for army service on 13 November 1915 and was posted to the 28th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. He was soon promoted to Lance Corporal on 19 January 1916 and then to Corporal on 17th June. After basic training he was transferred to the 104th Training Reserve Battalion in Edinburgh but soon after was admitted to hospital in Edinburgh with enlarged tonsils. He was discharged on 4 October and given leave which he unfortunately overstayed by 80 hours. He was arrested, charged with being "Absent without leave" and sentenced to forfeit a day's pay with leave stopped for a month.
He applied for an officer's commission in early November and was accepted at No. 2 Officer Cadet Battalion, Pirbright on 1 February 1917, later transferring to No. 6 Cadet Battalion , Oxford the following May.
In August 1917 he was selected by the Royal Flying Corps for training as a pilot and he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He trained at the 31 training squadron, Wyton, Huntingdonshire. After fairly basic initial instruction of about 15 hours in the air, he moved to 62 squadron at Swingate Down, Dover, Kent for more intensive training. He qualified as a pilot on 26 March 1918. On 1 April 1918 the Royal Flying Corps amalgamated with the Royal Navy Air Service to form the Royal Air Force and on the same day Bernard was promoted to Lieutenant. He was then posted to No. 4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps based at Bruay, France where he flew Sopwith Camel planes. The squadron flew to a new airfield at Clairmarais on 30 April as Bruay was under threat. His first operational flight on 2 May lasted just over an hour but visibility was poor because of low clouds.
He died on his 3rd operational flight on 4 May when he was flying one of 11 aircraft which took off for an offensive and bombing patrol. They were engaged in a dogfight at 6.00 pm with German albatross aircraft. Records indicate two German aircraft were destroyed and bombs were dropped but Bernard was one of the pilots who did not return.
He was initially listed as missing and death was presumed on or since 4 May 1918, however his body was presumably found at a later date as he is buried at Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
Additional Information
His widow received at war gratuity of £11 and pay owing of £11. His widow later married Cecil Hicks in Greenwich in 1920.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, google.com/site/leverstockgreenmemorial, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
