Name
Robert Charles Benjamin Wright
1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/09/1915
17
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
10930
East Surrey Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LOOS MEMORIAL
Panel 65 to 67.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
Robert Charles Benjamin Wright was born in 1898 in North Creake, Norfolk, the son of John and Ellen Wright and was one of eleven children although two died in infancy.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 14 Montague Terrace, Collingwood Road, Sutton, Surrey where his father was working as a Gas Worker. In 1911 the family remained in Surrey, but had moved to 10 Sorrento Road, Sutton when his father was working as a Mechanical Stoker for the Sutton Gas Company.
At the time of enlistment, Robert was working as a Grocer's Cellar Man and his parents were living at 44 Stayton Road, Sutton.
It seems that Robert did not ever live in Hemel Hempstead, but his mother and seven siblings moved there when his father died and they lived at 18 Cherry Bounce (Cross Street), Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
Robert enlisted in Kingston upon Thames on 13 August 1914, having declared himself to be aged 18 years and 264 days when in fact he was only 16, and joined the East Surrey Regiment. (N.B. Recruits had to be 18 and were eligible for overseas service at the age of 19.) His service record gives his height as 5ft 7in which was fairly tall and may explain why he was accepted as being older than his true age.
He was initially posted to the 3rd Battalion for basic training in Kingston-upon-Thames and transferred to the 2nd Battalion on 16 March 1915 when he was sent to France, joining his unit four days later at Locre, Belgium.
Robert saw action At Ypres in April and received a gunshot wound to his right arm on 29 April. He was sent for treatment and after a short time in recovery he was back at the Front. Unfortunately his parents had been sent a communication that he was reported killed and wrote to them in June 1915 to confirm that he was still alive.
The following September he was in action at Loos and four days after the commencement of the battle he was killed in action during an attack on the Hohenzollen Redoubt.
He died on 29 September 1915, aged 17. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Loos Memorial.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £6 and pay owing of £4 10s 3d, She also received a pension, initially of 1 shilling a week, increased to 3s 6d, then to 5 shillings a week. His father enlisted at the outbreak of war and joined the Royal Garrison Artillery, having previously served with the Prince of Wales Own Royal Garrison Artillery, but in less than a month he was declared medically unfit and discharged with Brights Disease. N.B. Robert is incorrectly listed as Robert 'G' B Wright on the Hemel Hempstead memorial, and should be Robert 'C' B Wright.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
www.hemelheroes.com., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org.
