Harold Wright 1888 - 1915

Harold Wright Barnsley Chronicle 1st January 1916
with thanks to Barnsley Archives

Born:
3rd July 1888

Military Service:
Regiment: York and Lancaster Regiment 1st/5th Battalion
Service Number and Rank: 2404 Drummer
Entered Theatre of War:  France 28 June 1915
Awards: 1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal

Death   16th December 1915 age 27
Buried at: Bard Cottage Cemetery, West Vlaanderen Belgium
Grave Reference: I.L.7
  
Remembered: Harold Wright is remembered on St Marys Church Barnsley Combined War Memorial and Farrar Street United Reform Church Barnsley Memorial Stone and  Barnsley British Cooperative Society Memorial Tablet  and Barnsley British Co-operative Society WW1 Roll of Honour


Links & Notes:

Lives of the First World War
British Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Barnsley Soldiers Remembered

From the Barnsley Chronicle 25 December 1915
 

"Week by week the death toll of the Barnsley Territorials becomes larger.  Drummer Harold Wright, whose home was at 3 Derby Street Barnsley, is the latest , having been killed in action last Thursday. The deceased soldier was well known in Barnsley and held in high esteem by a wide circle of friends.  He went out to France with the first draft of "Terriers" and has been in some tight corners, but up to Thursday of Thursday he escaped injury.  He was 27 years of age.  In civilian life Drummer Wright was an employee of the Barnsley British Co-operative Society, being for seven years at the Sackville Street branch and later at the Society's flour mill.  He was a keen football enthusiast and was a playing member of the Farrar Street Sunday School club.  News of his death was conveyed by a letter sent by his comrade, Private Wilmot I. Fearn, whose home is at 16 Hilton Street, Barnsley. "You have my deepest sympathy (he wrote) regarding the unfortunate death of your son Harold.  We were out together on the night of 16th December as a working party.  We were six yards from each other when the enemy's machine gun started and it was Harold's fate to be hit.  He died a soldier and a man and always did his duty."

From De Ruvigney's Roll of Honour (available on Ancestry)

A comrade wrote "Harold was a good chum and a fine comrade; all who knew him spoke well of him, for he had a smiling face and a cheerful word for everyone"