Jack Wright
Date of birth: 1896
Date of death: 20.11.1917
Area: Bragg Lane End
Regiment: King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Family information: Son of Joseph and Martha Wright
Rank: Private
Service number: 200979
War Service
John enlisted with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 2nd/4th Battalion as Private 200979 and in November 1917 they were in the Havrincourt sector holding the line. On 20th November at 6.30am they launched an attack with 3 wire crushing tanks and 8 fighting tanks with the diaries reporting that “the attack was completely successful, objectives being gained by 8.30am”. The rest of the day was spent consolidating the captured ground. The battalion remained in the trenches until being relieved on 23rd November, by which time casualties of “other ranks” numbered 211 killed, wounded and missing.
On December 15th 1917 the Wakefield Express published the following report:
“Mr Joe Wright, Robin Hood Hill, Bragg Lane End, Wrenthorpe has received news from the War Office that his son Private John (Jack) Wright, KOYLI was killed in action on November 20th. He was 21 years of age and at the time of his enlisting in November 1914, he worked with his father as a jobbing gardener”.
And in the same edition was a memorial “from the family”.
Jack was awarded the Victory and British War Medals and his effects were left to his father Joseph.
Family Life
Jack was actually registered as John Wright but like many of the day was called Jack by friends and family. He was the son of Joseph and Martha Wright and in 1901 he was living with his parents at 4, Westfields View, St John’s, with Joseph a domestic gardener. Joseph and Martha had a large family – Fanny (b 1885), Emma (b 1887), Percy (b 1890), Martha (b 1892), Susan (b 1894), John (b 1896) and Annie (b 1899). Also living with them was step son William H Ashton aged 19 who was a drayman for a grocer. He was Martha’s son by a previous marriage.
By 1911 Jack was living on School Lane in Wrenthorpe with his father Joseph and his sister Annie. Joseph was still a gardener whilst Jack was now working at the rope works. Martha, his mother, was living in South Street, Wakefield with her son William Ashton and visiting them were her daughter Emma with her husband Oliver and son Fred.
Hermies Hill British Cemetery
