Biography of Private John William Wright (201658) M.M.
2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Formerly 4636 1st/5th Lincolnshire Regiment
201658 1st/4th and 1st/5th Lincolnshire Regiment
Died 30th September 1918

Soldier

  • Name: John William Wright
  • Date of birth: 1897
  • Place of Birth: Billingborough, Lincolnshire, England
  • Date of Birth Registration: April – June 1897
  • Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England

Father

  • Name: Dale Wright
  • DOB: 7th August 1867
  • Place of Birth: Billingborough, Lincolnshire, England
  • Occupation: Labourer on farm

Mother

  • Name: Lucy Ann Atkinson
  • DOB: 28th February 1867
  • Place Of Birth: Doncaster, Yorkshire, England
  • Marriage: 28th November 1893 Billingborough, Lincolnshire, England

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • Arthur Wright, 1894, Billingborough
  • Alice Wright, 1895, Billingborough
  • John William Wright, 1897, Billingborough
  • Annie Mary Wright, 1899, Billingborough (died 1900)
  • George Henry Wright, 1900, Billingborough
  • Lucy Wright, 1902, Billingborough (died 1903)
  • Herbert Dale Wright, 1904, Billingborough

Census

  • 1901: John is living with his parents at 4 Burton Lane, Billingborough, LIncolnshire.
  • 1911: John is living with his parents in Whiteleather Square, Billingborough, LIncolnshire. The census gives him an age of 14 and he is listed as a labourer on farm.
Relatives in services

  • None found

Marriage

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

Newspaper Mentions

  • Sheffield Daily Telegraph Friday 25th May 1917
    WOUNDED
    LINCOLNS
    Wright (201658), J. W. (Billingborough)

 

  • Sheffield Independant Tuesday 19th June 1917
    MILITARY MEDALS
    201658, Pte. J. W. Wright

 

  • Sheffield Daily Telegraph Tuesday 19th June 1917
    THE MILITARY MEDAL
    201658 Pte. J. W. Wright, Lincolns.

 

  • Boston Guardian Saturday 23rd June 1917
    MILITARY MEDAL
    201658 Pte. J. W. Wright, Lincolnshire Regiment.

 

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 30 June 1917
    BILLINGBOROUGH
    MILITARY RECOGNITION – Pte. J. W. Wright (Lincolns), who has been home on leave, has been recommended for recognition for distinguished service and conspicuous bravery on the field.  He is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Wright, The Square.

 

  • Lincolnshire Echo Monday 2 July 1917
    LINCOLNSHIRE DAY BY DAY
    Private J. W. Wright (Lincolns), who has been home to Billingborough on leave, has been recommended for recognition for distinguished service and conspicuous bravery on the field.  He is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Wright, the Square, Billingborough.

 

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 25 January 1919
    BILLINGBOROUGH
    PRISONERS OF WAR. – Most of our boys who were taken prisoners by the enemy during the spring offensive have returned safely home, looking little the worse for their experiences (with one exception), but there is still one unaccounted for – Lance Cpl. J. W. Wright, son of Mr. And Mrs. Dale Wright, Back Lane.  Nothing has been heard of him since October, and his friends are full of anxiety.  He was attached to a Lewis gun section in the 2nd Lincolns.

 


  • Grantham Journal Saturday 1 February 1919.
    Lce.-Cpl. J. W. Wright, of Billingborough
    Information Wanted.
    Mr. and Mrs. Dale Wright, Back-Lane, Billingborough, would be grateful if any returned prisoner could furnish them with information which would enable them to trace their son, No. 201658, Lce.-Cpl. J. W. Wright, 2nd Lincolns, who was taken prisoner on May 27th, 1918.  A photograph of Lance-Corpl. Wright is reproduced above.

 

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 22 February 1919
    BILLINGBOROUGH
    DIED IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. – Mr. And Mrs. Dale Wright have received the sad news that their son, Lance-Corpl. J. W. Wright (Lewis Gun Section, Linoln Regiment), died while a prisoner in the hands of the enemy.  The information came from Pte. T. Mabbott, of Horsington, a pal of the deceased.  He writes that they were training together, fought together, and were taken prisoners together last May.  Lance-Corpl. Wright suffered from dysentery and that was the cause of his death.  Being his closest pal while in the Army, he felt his death very keenly, and offered the parents his most respectful sympathy.

     

    Military Records

    Attestation Papers

    • None found

    Soldier’s Died In The Great War

    • These records show that Private John William Wright, M.M., 201658, 2nd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment was killed in action on 30th September 1918 in the Western European Theatre in France and Flanders.

    Pension Records

    • Available

    Effects Left To

    • Mother Lucy A

    Medals

    • The British Medal
      The Victory Medal
      The Military Medal

    Memorials

     

    © Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

    © Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

    Military Service Timeline

    • 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