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L/Cpl. William Wright
British Army 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders
from:Linlithgow, Scotland
(d.26th Oct 1917)
William Wright enlisted in Edinburgh in April or May 1916 and following basic training joined the 2nd Battalion in France in the autumn of 1916. He was in the offensive against the Hidenburg Line on 7th May 1917 at Bullecourt.
William fought in the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) which started on 31st July 1917, the Battalion was not involved until the attack on Broodseinde Ridge on 4th October in conjunction with Australian forces. Advancing under artillery barrage the Battalion soon achieved its objectives but in turn came under intense German shellfire during the next three days that it occupied the captured positions and suffered correspondingly heavy casualties. A further adverse factor during this time was the terrible weather especially the rain which made movement off the duck boards all but impossible and conditions almost unbearable with the resulting mud causing death to both men and pack animals.
After a few days rest the Battalion was tasked to take part in the capture of the ruined village of Gheluvelt where it had experienced terrific fighting years earlier. In short, the attack, on 26th October was stopped in its tracks by intense artillery and machine gun fire but most of all by the mud which clogged or jammed most of the men's weapons.
The Regimental War Diary for that day recorded 73 killed in action; 480 wounded; and 117 missing. However, subsequent research has shown that the fatalities, including those who subsequently died of their wounds shortly thereafter, amounted to 203 which included practically all of those originally recorded as missing in action.
William was recorded as missing in action and his body was never recovered. He was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his services and his parents received the Memorial Plaque (Dead Man's Penny) and commemorative scroll which went to all families of men who died in the war. William is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
