Pte 24260 Henry Langford Wright

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Henry Langford Wright was born in Liverpool on 14th June 1886 the son of John Wright and his wife Jane (nee Langford) who were married on the 29th October 1883 at St Paul, Princes Park. John was a 23 year old turner of 33 Arthur St, father Joseph a smith, whilst Jane was aged 25 of 8 Menzies St, father John and engine driver. They had six children, Henry had an older sister Florence Annie, and younger siblings Alice Jane, John Ernest, Edith Mary Alexandra, and Gladys Evelyn May. He was baptised at St Paul's Church, Princes Park, Liverpool on 29th August 1886. 

The 1891 Census finds the family living at Buswen Terrace, Gladstone Road, Poulton cum Seacombe. Henry (known as Harry) is 4 years of age and lives with his parents and two siblings. His father, John, is an engine fitter born in Derby in 1861, whilst his mother, Jane was born in Liverpool in 1859. His siblings, both born in Liverpool are; Florence born 1885 and Alice born in 1889.

By 1901 the family are back in Liverpool and they are living at 57 Avondale Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. His father, John, is aged 40, now a marine engineer, his mother Jane is aged 42. Harry is 14 years of age and is living with five siblings who are listed as Florence aged 16, Alice aged 12, John E. born at Seacombe in 1893, Edith M.A. born in Liverpool in 1897 and Gladys also born in Liverpool in 1899.  

Harry married Ellen Dorothy Holt at West Derby Register office on 16th March 1909. They had three children; Eileen Langford, born 23rd June 1910, Kathleen born 16th December 1911 and John born 23rd July 1915. 

The 1911 Census finds Harry, aged 24, a Mate with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board with his wife Dorothy, aged 21, born in Liscard, Cheshire and daughter Eileen Langford aged 1 living at 14 Altcar Avenue, Wavertree. 

In 1911 his mother, 52, is living at 89 Langdale Road, Wavertree with four of her children. She is married, but her husband is not in the household.  Alice is 22, Edith 14, and Gladys 12.  John Ernest, 18, also works for the MDHB, as an apprentice engineer.  John served in the Merchant Marine and survived the war. 

He enlisted in mid-December 1914 joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 24260.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

At his son John’s baptism in St. Barnabas' Church, Mossley Hill, on 29th September 1915, Henry is listed as a soldier, the family’s address 10 Westgate Road. Harry would have been at Grantham when his son was born and we hope that he would have received home leave before shipping to the front.

He arrived in France with his battalion on 07th November 1915.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 30, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone. 

Harry was originally posted as Missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on Monday 11 September 1916: 

Harry's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Harry earned his three medals.

A pension was awarded to his widow and three children and Soldiers effects were also sent to his widow along with his Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7, by then remarried, and still at 10 Westgate Road, Wavertree.  She was awarded a pension of £1-6d-3d a week from April 1917.  

In the Liverpool Echo, on the first anniversary of his death on 30th July 1917, under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont his family placed a notice:

Wright Henry L 24260 –

“In loving memory of our dear son, Private H.L. (Harry) Wright (K.L.R.), reported killed in France, July 30, 1916. – Father, Mother, Sisters, and Brother, 89 Langdale Road, Sefton Park.”

Harry was also remembered on the second anniversary of his death in 1918:

"In ever-loving memory of Private H. L. Wright, K.L.R. (Pals), eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Wright, 89, Langdale Road, presumed killed in action, July 30, 1916. - Father, Mother, Brother, and Sisters."

Dorothy remarried in May 1917 to widower Samuel John Coxen at West Derby Registry Office.

Dorothy had a daughter, Shiela Dorothy born in 1917/18 and a son Samuel in 1922. She was widowed in 1938 and in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II, she was living at 27 Enfield Road, Old Swan.

Her son Samuel Coxen served in the Merchant Navy during WW2 and was killed on 16th January 1941 when his ship, the S.S. Oropesa, was sunk by a U-boat off Rockall in the Western Approaches, with the loss of 106 lives (143 were rescued).  Samuel was 18 years old and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

Dorothy lived through two world wars, losing her husband in the first and her son in the second.

She died in 1961 aged 72, effects of £397 to son John Wright, grocery manager.

Henry is commemorated on the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Memorial

We currently have no further information on Henry Langford Wright, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.