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Pte. Herbert Joseph Wright
British Army 2nd Btn Royal Warwickshire Regiment
from:Barnet, England.
(d.14th Nov 1914)
Herbert Wright was born to Alfred and Sarah Wright on the 21st April 1881 at Buckenham Square, Southwark. The youngest of 4 children, his brother Alfred, joined the army in 1899 and fought in the Boer War. Herbert joined the Royal Warwickshire's in 1902 and served in Bermuda before joining the reserves. Herbert married Eleanor Keyworth in Clapham in 1906 and became a stage coach conductor and later driver.
In 1914, war loomed over Europe, and now, living in Barnet, Herbert rejoined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment upon mobilisation on 5th August 1914 as Private 8021. The regiment formed part of the 22nd Brigade of the Expeditionary Force, along with Surrey, Welsh and Staffordshire regiments. They landed in France, probably at Zeebrugge on 26th October 1914 and saw intensive action around Ypres, suffering great losses throughout October and early November 1914.
On November 14th, the Brigade marched via Sailly to Fleubaix where they were billeted. The next day, a Sunday, they furnished digging parties for Battalions holding trenches in the vicinity of La Boutillerie. At some point on that day, Herbert was killed in action. Aged 33, he will probably have been buried but the location is at present unknown. His name is on the war memorial at Ploegsteert near Hainaut, Belgium. This memorial commemorates more than 11,000 servicemen. The Last Post is sounded on the first Friday of every month at 7pm. Herbert received the Victory, British and 1914 Star medals for his part in the war, all of which are still in the family.
At home, along with thousands of other widows, Nellie was left to bring up the four children on her own. After Herbert’s death, her separation allowance became a widow’s pension. She received 22s 6d a week, until the children were 16. She never remarried.
