Biography of Gunner James William Plowright (149699)
50th Div, Ammunition, Royal Field Artillery
Died 2nd October 1918

• Name: Sarah Elizabeth Christian
• DOB: 1872
• Place Of Birth: Scopwick, Lincolnshire, England
• Marriage: 19 February 1893 Scopwick, Lincolnshire, England

• James’ brother Ernest Plowright also fought and were killed in WW1. Ernest can be found on our page dedicated to the Aslackby War Memorial.

• No marriage for James has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

• War Office Weekly Casualty List January 22nd 1918
  WOUNDED
  ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY
  Plowright 149699 Gnr. J. W. (Aslackby)

• Grantham Journal Saturday 3rd August 1918
  ASLACKBY
  GUNNER Wm. PLOWRIGHT was reported missing on May 27th.  The Red Cross have made diligent enquiries, and reported that his papers were seized, and it is feared that he has been taken prisoner.  Much sympathy is felt with his following parents.
  A MEMORIAL SERVICE was held on Sunday for two of our brave lads, who have made the great sacrifice – Pte. Bertram Barstow and Pte. george Daff.  The Rev. J. S. Barstow, brother of the former, and an Army Chaplain in France, was the preacher, taking 2  Tim. 1. 10 for his text.  Pte Barstow joined the Canadian Army, and was killed in action in France on August 27th, 1917.  Pte. George Daff was a ringer, Sunday School teacher, chorister, and Communicant.  He was reported missing in France in the autumn of 1917, and his body was found a few months after, and reverently buried on the field of battle.  His brother, Pte percy daff, is invalided home with a shrapnel wound, and now lies in hospital.

• Grantham Journal Saturday 16 December 1918
  Aslackby
  The sad news has reached Aslackby that Private Ernest Plowright was killed on Nov 4th and Gnr Herbert Gubbings on Nov 6th. Much sympathy is felt with their bereaved parents. Plowright was sleeping in a barn with his mates and he went outside at 11pm to attend to the horses. At that moment he was struck by shell and fatally wounded. His older brother, William has been missing for seven months and it is thought that he is a prisoner. Gubbins had been home on leave and was in the best of health and spirits on his return to France and his parents who live at Graby were expecting him home again shortly. It is understood that he was in the trenches when he received mortal wound from a shell.

Military Records

Medals

• The British Medal
• The Victory Medal

Memorials

• UK:
• Aslackby, plaque in St James’ Church

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
• In memory of Gunner J W Plowright (149699) 50th Div, Ammunition, Royal Field Artillery who died on 2 October 1918
• Remembered with honour Glageon Communal Cemetery Extension
• Grave I. F. 4.

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

• Enlisted in Lincoln

• This is ongoing research and will be posted when completed

Sources

• WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
• British Newspaper Archive.
• Fold 3
• Find My Past
• Genealogist
• Forces War Records
• British Army Service Numbers
• War Gratuity Calculator
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
• General Registry Office