Percy Wright
Date of birth: 1890
Date of death: 26.4.1918
Area: Wrenthorpe
Regiment: West Yorkshire (Prince of Wales's Own)
Rank: Private
Service number: 21/470
War Service
Percy was Private 21/470 of the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment 1st/5th Battalion when he died on 26th April 1918. The battalion had been involved in heavy fighting over the previous days and had suffered a great many casualties. Percy had been wounded and died in hospital.
“PRIVATE PERCY WRIGHT Robin Hood Hill, Wrenthorpe who was reported missing on April 25th is now officially reported to have died of wounds in hospital in Flanders on April 26th. Before joining he worked on the railway at Bradford.”
In the Register of Soldiers’ Effects, he had two records for some reason, one saying he died in Menin and the other saying Germany, but both say the sole legatee was Mrs Emma E Bottomley. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is buried in the Harlebeke New British Cemetery.
Family Life
I believe that Percy was John Wright’s brother (see his entry on this website) who, according to the 1901 census was 6 years older than John, born in about 1890. Percy was boarding in South Elmsall in 1911 and working as a domestic gardener. It is strange that Percy was not on the original memorial at Wrenthorpe, but according to the paper report he was working in Bradford on the railways so perhaps the family thought he wasn’t eligible.
Harlebeke New British Cemetery
