Name
Ernest William Wright
Circa 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/11/1916
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
23543
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ANCRE BRITISH CEMETERY, BEAUMONT-HAMEL
IV. E. 34.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints Church Roll of Honour, Sandon, Not on the Therfield memorials, Not on the Hitchin memorials
Pre War
In 1891, before Ernest’s birth, his mother Florence Eliza Wright was a 16 year old cook and domestic servant (born in Baldock) living at the Sandon Vicarage with Rev. Samuel Rosenthal and his wife Laura Rosenthal and their nieces Alice and Christina.
Ernest was born in late 1895 or 1896 and his birth registered in Royston, but he was almost certainly born in Rushden, Herts. and he was baptised in there 1896. It seems likely that he was born out of wedlock.
By 1901 we think that Florence had returned to her parents’ home in Rushden, Herts., if so Ernest was recorded as William. Those present were her parents William (54) and Jane (57). William was a grocer shopkeeper and Florence working as her father’s assistant. Another son and daughter were there, Frederic (16) and Jane (15) and William (5).
In 1911 the family were living at Green End, Sandon, Royston, Herts. Present were William and Jane Wright, William now a retired shop keeper. Also present were their son Fred, grandson William (15, we think Ernest William) and another grandson, Cecil Wright (2). Clearly Florence was absent. We need more corroboration, until the following is our assumption.
We think Florence married Albert Bray Feast in Sandon, Herts on 30 December 1909. In which case in 1911 they were living in Green End, Sandon, Herts. Albert was 40 and working as an agricultural labourer and Florence was 36. They are not shown as having any children together, but there were three children present, Percy Feast (6) and Sydney Feast (5) they would have been Albert’s children and Mabel Wright (4), listed as a stepdaughter and Florence’s child and sister to Ernest William.
We have yet to find a death record to confirm Albert’s death, but it seems probable that he died and then Florence married Frederick Edwards in Sandon, Herts on 8 November 1913.
According to the "Royston Crow" newspaper of November 12, 1915, Ernest was a cowman in Sandon who was before the magistrate for stealing 3 pints of milk, value 6d. He was told that if he enlisted before the next Bench day he would hear no more of the matter and presumably he did and a year and a day later, Ernest was killed.
Officially he was recorded as born in Royston and was living in Hitchin when he enlisted in Ampthill.
Wartime Service
The story about his enlistment is support by that fact he did not enter overseas until sometime in 1916, that would usually be after some six months of training.
Ernest died in the Battle of The Ancre in November 1916, but he may have been wounded previously as he is recorded as being entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916.
The following details are from "The Somme Day by Day" by Chris McCarthy and The 16th Foot, a history of the Beds and Herts Regiment by Major General Sir F. Maurice (1931) and the battalion war diary of that day.
The following details are from "The Somme Day by Day" by Chris McCarthy and The 16th Foot, a history of the Beds and Herts Regiment by Major General Sir F. Maurice (1931) and the battalion war diary of that day.
The Battle of the Ancre.
Temperature 54 .F, V Corps. 63rd. Division. 19th. Brigade.
The plan of attack was to capture the Beaumont Hamel Ridge with the 19th and 39th. Divs. south of the River Ancre and the 63rd 51st. 2nd. 3rd. and 31st. in that order from right to left north of the river. At 6:45 am. on November 13th. in thick fog, the attack started with the 4/Beds. acting as carrying parties for taking bombs, sandbags etc up to Beaucourt.
The attack south of the river was successful with the 39th speedily capturing St. Pierre Divion but the task of the troops north of the river proved to be more formidable owing to the state of the ground and the weather. The 4/Beds were held up by rifle and machine gun fire from enemy dugouts after capturing the first German trenches. Nevertheless the 190th. held on grimly to what they had gained and from this worked their way forward into the second German system of defence. This greatly helped the operations of the troops on the left and by nightfall on 17th. the 63rd . had captured the greater part of Beaucourt.
Over 7,000 prisoners were captured but in its first battle the 4/Beds. lost 8 officers and 48 other ranks killed and 1 officer and 9 other ranks died of wounds. 4 officers and 108 other ranks were wounded and 16 were missing. Private Wright was buried between the first and second objectives for his corps that day in what is now the beautiful Ancre Cemetery.
Additional Information
After his death £4 2s 9d pay owing was authorised to go to his mother Florence Edwards, on 28 April 1917. Later, a war gratuity of £3 was authorised to be paid to her on 18 September 1919.
His pension cards record Mrs. Florence E. Edwards of Bell Terrace, Therfield, near Royston as his mother and as his dependant.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Jean Handley
