Sapper Reginald Wright Royal Engineers 160393

[Graham Wright]

My Grandfather died on 28th March 1918. I’m trying to find out whether he volunteered or whether he was conscripted.

Can anyone provide any guidance as to where this information would be available?

graham wright

[GWF1967]

30 minutes ago, Graham Wright said:

My Grandfather died on 28th March 1918. I’m trying to find out whether he volunteered or whether he was conscripted.

Can anyone provide any guidance as to where this information would be available?

graham wright

Hi Graham,

 You would attract more interest if your topic was moved to the "Soldiers" area of the forum. (You can request the Mods to move it)

 Your Grandfather enlisted in Leeds and served with 227th Field Coy R.E.  His widow Maud was paid a War Gratuity of £11. Using this figure his date of enlistment can be calculated.  Forum member Craig is your man.

 

 

Edited 21 February , 2018 by GWF1967

[HolymoleyRE]

Hi Graham, having sampled surviving records for other 1603## men (which for RE isn't always an exact science as they had regular men on the same identical numbers)

 

But the sample would suggest he was a "Derby scheme" man volunteering in Dec 1915 and if single mobilising in April 1916.

 

Andy 

[Graham Wright]

Hi Andy,

thanks for your interest. can you confirm what single mobilising means, please?

Thanks,

Graham

[ss002d6252]

8 minutes ago, Graham Wright said:

Hi Andy,

thanks for your interest. can you confirm what single mobilising means, please?

Thanks,

Graham

When men were mobilized from the Derby Scheme they took single men first, married men were mobilized later. The actual groups, based on age and marital status, can be seen here -

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/the-group-scheme-derby-scheme/

Craig

[ss002d6252]

Looking back to post #2 I missed the mention of the war gratuity.

The £11 gratuity was paid for 24 months qualifying service, this indicates enlistment in the month from 29th March 1916.

Craig

[Graham Wright]

On 21/02/2018 at 23:11, GWF1967 said:

Hi Graham,

 You would attract more interest if your topic was moved to the "Soldiers" area of the forum. (You can request the Mods to move it)

 Your Grandfather enlisted in Leeds and served with 227th Field Coy R.E.  His widow Maud was paid a War Gratuity of £11. Using this figure his date of enlistment can be calculated.  Forum member Craig is your man.

 

Thank you for your response I am sorry for not responding before but I suffered a head injury some 18.years ago. How do I transfer to “soldiers”. Does the term enlisted relate to conscription or volunteered. You seem to have a lot information which I don’t have but I wonder if you could indicate your source of reference, please.

Graham Wright

[clk]

Hi Graham,

 

4 hours ago, Graham Wright said:

His widow Maud was paid a War Gratuity of £11

 

The payment is shown in Soldiers Effects record, which is available to view on Ancestry - link here. The amount that was paid would have been calculated on the basis of his rank, and length of his service. This means that given his date of death you can back calculate a reasonably accurate date for when his service started. Craig (above) did a lot of work on the war gratuity scheme, and his mini website (link here) gives more details.

 

Of interest the Soldiers Effects record notes Reginald as 'death presumed'. The use of that wording introduces an element of doubt in to the absolute certainty that he did die on 28th March 1918. Uncertainty at the time that he had actually been killed, led to enquiries with the Red Cross being made in the hope that he had been taken PoW. From this screen use the numbers 29814 and 29834 in the search box to take you through to a couple of linked records.

 

The CWGC records for Reginald (link here) show him as serving with 227 Field Company at the time of his death. The unit war diary is here at the National Archives, or here on Ancestry. It might also be worth looking at the diaries for the Commander Royal Engineers 39 Division, and 39 Division Headquarters (General Staff), as they often contain things like orders, maps, and reports on operations. None are likely to mention Reginald by name though. The National Archives search page is here, and the Ancestry page here.

 

The CWGC records include a 'concentration' report. It shows that Reginald was originally buried at map reference 62D.SE.W.3.d.40.10 - there is help on how to read map references here. If you put 62d.W.3.d.40.10 into the search box here, you can see where that is in the modern landscape. Alternatively, this link should open up a trench map (from June 1918) with square W.3 in the centre, where you can use the transparency slider to blend it with a view of the modern landscape.

 

If you would like an image of his grave stone, hopefully British War Graves will be able to send you one, on a free of charge basis - see here.

 

Regards

Chris

 

Edit:

A source for his birth and enlistment places being Leeds is his Soldiers Record - Ancestry here

Edited 30 April , 2018 by clk

[Graham Wright]

Chris, your research has provided me with some valuable information which I will investigate further.

Thank you for your time and trouble,

Graham

 

I thought other members maybe interested in the attached item.

 

Just a snippet of our trip to France and Belgium on the 31st March 2018.

 

I list below what each of the photographs represents:

 

(1)The extract of the war diary is self explanatory.

 

(2)The Ulster Tower and the Newfoundland Memorial are two of many memorials to those who died.

 

(3) the photograph is of my grandfather (my hero as was my Dad).

 

(4)The head stone is at CWGC Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, Picardy.

 

(5) The Menin Gate at Ypres at which the last post is performed, by the fire brigade, at 8.00 every evening.

 

(6) Map denotes the route taken on the the day Reginald died. The red spots denote the British areas of movement and the green are German. His body was originally was buried by the Germans just out the village of Bayonvillers  and then moved by CWGC to Heath Cemetery.

 

(7)The final slide is of  a book entitled “British Widows of the First World War-The Forgotton Legion”. This book was written by Andrea Hetherington who had a great interest in our work with the Headingley War Memorial and we have become firm friends. She has included some photographs of my grandfather, grandfather and my dad aged 4 years. Just before Reginald was killed.

 

I hope this of interest and should you require further information let me know,

Graham

 

 

 

 

 

Extracts from War Diary-27th/28th March 1918

 

Tracing the sequence of events leading up to the death of Sapper Reginald Wright on the 28th March 1918

 

31st March 2018

Heath Cemetery Harbonnieres - Morcourt

 

27th March 1918 - 

 

Morcourt 

 

7pm

Company went into billets in Morcourt

 

10am

Company taking up position facing South East astride track from Morcourt to Q30c cent. running through Q24a-23d-Q29a 227th Field Company in Q29a

Officer Commanding received orders to blow up ammunition dump at R32c Company left to reconnoitre it, finding it already in enemy hands

 

11am

Company’s held themselves in readiness to reinforce Infantry in ravine. Q35.

 

12 Noon

Infantry over crest in front, retiring. They were stopped and advanced. Companies dug themselves in on North South line astride the Amiens Road. Q35a10-Q29c19. 227th Field Company on the right.

 

 

 

3.30pm

Enemy began shelling this line, heavily with 5.9” and 4.2” Howitzers and a French ammunition dump was hit. Violently exploding and burning.

 

4.30pm

16th Division retired from their line North from (Amiens Road to River Somme) to position North to South in neighbourhood west of Lamotte en Santerre/Lamotte-Warfusee.

13th Gloucesters and 234 Company ordered to fill line vacated by 16th Division. 227th Field Company moved to take over old 234th Field Company. Enemy continued to shell ravine Q29b35 using a few gas shells

 

11 pm

Very lights fired from Lamotte en Santerre/Lamotte-Warfusee proceeded west along Amiens Road within 100 yards of Lamotte en Santerre/Lamotte-Warfusee. Two Machine Guns opened fire and patrol was brought back to crossroads Q25d

 

2pm

Companies told to reconnoitre ravines in Q24 and Q29 to Q35.

 

28th March 1918  (the day Sapper Reginald Wright was killed

 

2am

Line of posts dug and manned North to South facing West Q31b83 -G25a89 227th Field Company manned this line.

Enemy digging-in on a North South line through Lamotte en Santerre/Lamotte-Warfusee 

 

 

 

 

8am

They were were engaged with rifle and Machine Gun fire. Our guns were shelling Lamotte en Santerre/Lamotte-Warfusee. Low flying aircraft Machine Gunned village and enemy line.

 

9am

Enemy commenced Machine Gun fire from wood Q21d

 

9.30am

Company retired and took up position on track facing North Q32a to b

225th Field Company Q32a and 227th Field Company Q32b

 

10am

Enemy advancing from East Q34 and North North East Q27a

Our line then retired under very heavy Machine Gun fire through Bayonvillers to a line facing North East W1d 05 to W8a cent. where company was reorganised.

 

10.30am

Company fell back on line along the railway line V12a. General Officer Commanding said this line was to be held. Dump of rations and rum was distributed.

 

12 Noon

Enemy opened fire on this line from Wiencourt-Equipee firing at Company from rear. The line was swung to face East pivoting on the railway line. V18c50 227th Field Company was to hold the Southernmost portion of this line.

 

 

1.30 pm

Enemy firing from South. Patrol sent out to make contact with 66th Division. Found only one Vickers gun and 2 men brought them back V18c20 but disappeared shortly after.

 

2.30pm

Left of line retired, without warning, leaving 227th Field Company in position. Enemy seen lining Wiencourt-Cayeux road. V18c.

 

3pm

227th Field Company was withdrawn 200 yards to a North South line through 18c25. Enemy had 4 Machine Guns at V18 cent. Firing on Company and then Field Guns were brought into action from Wiencourt-Cayeux road. Enemy also seen in wood V29.

 

3.30pm

Company came under most intense Machine Gun fire. They were ordered to withdraw in open order West South West.

 

“The CWGC entry is simply R Wright and no Family Verification Form was returned.

He appears to have been buried by the Germans, who over run the area during the March 1918 offensive.

The Australian Burial Unit noted him as "163093 Wright R Wes. British" (presumably taken from the Memorial Cross erected by the Germans).

His reburial was 26 May 1919.

There were 11 men from 227th Field Company killed between 25 and 30 March, and only your relative has a known grave.

9 are on Pozieres Memorial and one on Tyne Cot Memorial.”

 

This is an extract from a post on Great War Forum by Kevin Battle.

 

updated 4th December 2017