banner

A+ A A-
WRIGHT Henry George
3528
Private
9 Battalion
49th Battalion
Nambour
Yes
29 May 1891
Nambour, Qld
3 August 1915
HMAT A48 Seang Bee
21 October 1915
Brisbane

Family

Leonard Wright was born in Sevenoaks, Kent and emigrated to Australia on the €œ"Earl Dalhousie"€ from Plymouth. He arrived at Brisbane on the 3 February 1881, aged 17 years. On the 8 February 1880, on the very same ship, Martha Theodora Taylor had emigrated too. She was 19 years old and had been born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Leonard Wright and Martha Taylor married on 15 December 1883. They were to have eleven children including Henry George Wright who was born at Nambour on 29 May 1891. The others were Daisy (1884-1959), Lizzie (1886-1979), Leonard Frederick (1888-1953), Harriet (1890-1984), Ethel (1893-1953), Edward (1895-1965), Clifford (1899-1971), Mabel (1902), Doris (1905) and Edna (1907). All were raised to adulthood.

In the Electoral Rolls from 1903 to 1913, Leonard and Martha were recorded at Alice St., Coorparoo. Leonard€™s occupation was "€œlabourer"€. In 1913, their oldest son, Leonard Frederick, was recorded at Nambour where he was a €œfarmer€.

Military Context

The 9th Battalion was the first recruited in Queensland and, with the 10th, 11th and 12th Battalions, it formed the Australian 3rd Brigade. The brigade was the first ashore at Gallipoli in 1915. After its withdrawal from Gallipoli in November 1915, the 9th Battalion returned to Egypt. It was split to help provide experienced combat veterans in the formation of the 49th Battalion which became part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division.

Arriving in France on 12 June 1916, the 49th battalion moved into the trenches of the Western Front for the first time on 21 June. It fought its first major battle at Mouquet Farm in August and suffered heavily, particularly in the assault launched on 3 September. By then, the exploits of the 49th had ceased to be of personal concern to the Wright family. They would go on and live their lives, but one son was dead and forever would lie in a foreign land.

Enlistment

Henry George Wright enlisted at Brisbane on 3 August 1915. He declared his age as 24 years 2 month and occupation as labourer. He was 5 feet 9 1/2 inches in height and weighed 164 pounds. He was of fresh complexion with hazel eyes and black hair. His religion was Congregationalist and he listed his father Mr. Leonard Wright of Ekibin St., South Brisbane as his next of kin. He was assigned to the 11th Reinforcements of 9th Battalion. His service number was 3528.

Service

Private Wright embarked at Brisbane on 21 October 1915, aboard HMAT A48 "€œSeang Bee€", bound for Egypt. The ship arrived at Suez on 28th November. Unbeknown to the men, many would not serve in the 9th battalion, but rather would be drafted to the new 49th. For the recruits, one unit was much like any other, but they were to discover not a few veterans who had come from the 9th were still coming to terms with separation from comrades who had survived the Dardanelles campaign together. Fortunately, the disaffection was temporary and their battle experience was soon influencing the effectiveness of the 49th €“ just as the top brass had intended.

On 29 February 1916 at Zeiton, Private Wright transferred from the 3rd Training Battalion to the 49th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir.

On 5 June 1916, he proceeded to Alexandria to commence passage on the €œ"Arcadian"€ to France where he would join the British Expeditionary Force. He disembarked at Marseilles on 12 June, and was in the field in time to join the fighting around Pozieres. The €Battle for Pozieres€ does not command the same instant recognition as the €œBattle of the Somme€ of which it was but a chapter but its duration from 23 July to 3 September 1916 saw a toll in Australian lives that exceeded all Australian losses at Gallipoli and still represents Australia€™s highest death toll in its military history. As the Australian official historian Charles Bean described,"€œthe Pozieres ridge is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth"€.

The Battle of Mouquet Farm began on 5 August 1916 when the security of Pozieres was not entirely established. Mouquet Farm was only 1.7 kilometres from the high ground of Pozieres. The 1st, 2nd and 4th Australian Divisions advanced north-west along the Pozieres Ridge towards the German strongpoint of Mouquet Farm, with British Divisions supporting on the left. The approach to the farm, however, was under observation by German spotters who were able to call down artillery barrages on the attackers from three sides. This resulted in heavy casualties even before the farm was reached. Over the course of August and into September, the Australians were able to reach their objective three times, only to be forced to withdraw. The No.1 Anzac Corps suffered 6300 casualties.

On 14 August 1916, one year and eleven days after enlistment, Private Henry Wright was taken to the 13th Field Ambulance with a gunshot wound to the head. He died that same day at the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station. His body was buried in the Puchevillers British Cemetery, some 7 ½ miles SSE of Doullon. The specific site was Plot 2, Row D, Grave 49.

On 23 April 1917, Henry€™'s father received the first package of personal effects which had returned to Australia on the €œ"Benalla"€. It comprised purse, pouch, wallet, photos, card, devotional book, stylo pen, letters, and metal wrist watch (damaged).

After the War

Henry George Wright€™'s father, as next of kin, received the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

In the Electoral Roll of 1919, Leonard and Martha were recorded at Ekibin Rd., Annerley. John€™'s occupation was "labourer". Their son, Edward, lived with them and was a €œtanner and carrier€. Leonard Jnr. was still a farmer at Nambour.

On 10 August 1922, Leonard Wright acknowledged receipt of the King€™'s Message and Memorial Scroll issued in recognition of his family'€™s loss. The Memorial Plaque followed.

Leonard and Martha were at Annerley for the Roll of 1925. Leonard had returned home to his parents from Nambour and was a carrier.

Martha Theodora Wright,who had delivered and raised eleven children to adulthood, died on 28 February 1933, aged 72 years. She was buried at South Brisbane Cemetery.

In the Electoral Rolls of 1943 and 1949, the widower Leonard Wright was recorded at Ekibin Rd., Annerley. Resident with him were his adult children Leonard, sawmill labourer, Doris, a dressmaker, and Mabel, a typist.

Leonard Wright Jnr. died in 1953.

Leonard Snr. survived his son by two years and died on 30 April 1956. He was buried on 2 May in South Brisbane Cemetery, in the same grave as his wife. He was 93 years old.

Mabel never married. She was living at Unit 1, 8 Queen St., Caloundra in 1980, aged 78 years. Her sister Edna Brown, aged 73 years, was living at 22 First Avenue, Palm Beach.

  • Pozieres
  • Somme
Mouquet Farm
WRIGHT Henry George
WRIGHT Henry George
WRIGHT Henry George
Died from wounds
Did not return
14 August 1916
Mouquet Farm, France
25 years 2 months
Puchevillers British Cemetery, France Plot II Row D Grave 49

Maroochy Shire War Dead, Quota Park, Matthew Street, Nambour

Australian War Memorial National Australia Archives Ancestry.com Trove digitised newspapers

Grant Thorne

Comments RSS feed Comments

Add New Comment