Lance Sergeant Stephen Reginald Wright, of the 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’), Regimental Number 3138, was killed in action on 10th June 1916, aged 24, and is buried at Rue du Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard, Laventie, France.
Early Life
Stephen was born on 10th February 1892, the only child of Stephen James and Eliza (née Knibbs) Wright, at East Ilsley, Berkshire. A brother, Ernest, was born and died in the first quarter of 1895. In 1901 the family was living at Kentwood View, Tilehurst, Berkshire. Stephen senior was the manager of an iron works. He had been born in Slough.1 Eliza was a Board Schoolmistress who was originally from Maidenhead. Tilehurst was a village 2¼ miles south west of Reading, now a suburb of Reading. There was a National School in Tilehurst that had been founded in 1819. It was probably in this school that Eliza Wright taught. By the census of 1911 Stephen senior and Eliza had moved to the School House, Spencer’s Wood, Reading. Spencer’s Wood was a village 4 miles south of Reading. Stephen was working as an Engineers’ Foreman and Eliza was a Headteacher. It was unusual for a wife to continue to work after she was married, but not only did Eliza work, she also took on greater responsibility when she became Headteacher.
The infant school was built by Frederick Allfrey in Spencer’s Wood, in 1890. It closed as a school in 1915. Stephen began his schooling at Swallowfield Park School, Reading, before moving up to The Collegiate School in Reading for his Secondary Education. Before entry to College, Stephen studied a Practical Chemistry course and a freehand drawing course among others. He took and passed the Preliminary Examination for the Certificate with a special mention made of Science. It does not specify if this means that he was awarded a distinction in that subject. College records show that he achieved 68.7% in his entrance exam, placing him 13th in the order of merit of the applicants. By the 1911 census, Stephen junior was a student at Winchester Diocesan Training College.
Life in Winchester
Stephen left home for Winchester Training College in 1910 for a two year course that started in September. We know from the College magazine, The Wintonian, that Stephen was a talented musician. The 1910-1914 collection of magazines writes about a Farewell Concert:
Mr S R Wright opened with a well-executed pianoforte solo, ‘The Rustle of Spring’2 Mr Wright now obliged again, this time with the song The Deathless Army.
The Deathless Army was written in 1826 with words by Frederic E Weatherly.3 It is a typical Victorian Parlour Music piece and an apt choice for a College Concert because of their involvement in the Territorials. Considering Stephen’s and others’ futures, there is a poignancy in the lyrics, as can be heard in the chorus and final verse:
Marching for the dear old country,
Marching away to war,
With the hearts they love behind them,
And the flag they bore.And then I knew in the still night-tide,
What men were must’ring side by side,
They were men who had fought and died
In the ranks of our brave old army.
And their gallant swords may broken lie,
Their bones may bleach ’neath an alien sky,
But their souls, I Know, will never die,
They march in a deathless army.
The same article also reported that he acted as accompanist throughout the Concert. A later section in the Wintonian, commended him on achieving the School Teacher’s Music Certificate.
Life as a student was very busy. They had a full timetable of subject lectures and attendance at Chapel was compulsory. Sport played a very important part in student life. There were regular fixtures against football and cricket teams from other local colleges. There was an annual Sports Day and regular meetings of the Harriers, A cross country running club where the route was laid down by a hare’. The students held regular Smoker’ Concerts where the entertainment was of a musical nature or poetry recitals. Indoor sports which included competitions in bridge, draughts and ping pong were enjoyed. There was a debating society when a variety of subjects were discussed.
The other significant aspect of student life at Winchester was the Territorial Force. By 1910 when Stephen began his course the original Volunteer Force at the College had become B Company of the 4th Territorial Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment. This was more than just a change of title. The students no longer enrolled, they attested—signed a binding contract to be available for the army at all times. They were subject to military discipline and because of these changes, involvement altered from being automatic to being a matter of choice. Most of the students still chose to sign up.
At the end of his course, Stephen was graded with A for Music and Drawing, and C for Teaching and Science. He achieved a Class 2 pass in the Archbishops’ Religious Knowledge Examination. In his final Board of Education Exam, Stephen was awarded a distinction for Music.
When Stephen left the Training College he started his teaching career. There is some confusion as to where Stephen’s first teaching appointment took him. The Wintonian Magazine published details of where former students were working or living after they left. Stephen was reported to be at School House, Spencer’s Wood, Reading. This was the family home. As his mother was the Headteacher at that school it is possible that she gave him his first job, but it could equally be that he was simply residing at home while waiting to begin his first teaching appointment. The UK Soldiers Who Died in The Great War record gives his residence at the time of his death as Hoddesdon.
He was included on the Hoddesdon War Memorial but probably because of his parents’ connection there. The Wintonian Magazine, in a later edition, also has him reported as being at Cranbourne, Windsor Forest. A newspaper report published after his death comments on him having spent some time as assistant master at Cranborne, Ranelagh School, which is in Bracknell, Berkshire. By the time he enlisted Stephen was working in Cheltenham. A report in the Gloucestershire Echo from Tuesday 20th June 1916 tells us:
Mr L. V. Wheeler, headmaster of Devonshire Street School, Cheltenham, has received a letter from the mother of Sergt. S.R. Wright, Berks Regiment, that her son, who before enlisting was an assistant master of that school, has been killed. Although of the many young schoolmasters who had enlisted from Cheltenham schools several have been wounded, Sergt. Wright was the first to lay down his life. He was the only child of his parents, who reside at Hoddesdon, Berks. Trained at Winchester College [sic] he came to Cheltenham about three and a half years ago,4 and during the time he was in the boys’ department of the Parish Church School he won the affectionate esteem of the boys and the staff and of many other friends in the town. He was a very capable and enthusiastic musician, an excellent pianist, and in the absence of his chief, who is organist of the Parish Church, deputised for him in that capacity.
The Call To Arms
Although Stephen was working in Cheltenham, he chose to enlist in his home town of Reading. Stephen joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment 2nd/4th Battalion (Princess Charlotte of Wales’). The 2nd/4th was formed at Reading on the 6th November 1914 as a second line unit. It was formed from the overspill from the 1st/4th. After a move to Maidenhead for training, they were treated to lunch by the townsfolk of Maidenhead on Christmas Day. They were attached to the 2nd South Midland Brigade in 2nd South Midland Division in Northampton, in February 1915. Here they underwent further training until April 1915 when they moved to Chelmsford and then on to Salisbury Plain in March 1916. While in Chelmsford they assisted in the digging of trenches for the defence of London.
King George V inspected the Division at Bulford, near Salisbury, on 5th May 1916. The Division was warned in May that it would go on overseas service. The Division landed at Le Havre on the 27th May and then entrained for the area of Merville in Northern France, but without the Ammunition Column which temporarily remained in Le Havre.
By June 10th 1916, Stephen had reached the front line. The War Diary reported on that day:
Location ‘France’ Trenches
Relieved 10th SWB5 between 12:30am and 5:30am. Whole Battn in front line from FAUQUISSART section 3 ½ miles S.E. of LAVENTIE. 2/1 BUCKS battn on our right.1st AUSTRALIAN DIV on left. 2/4 OXFORDS in support in LAVENTIE 2/5 GLOSTERS in support on 2/1 BUCKS. Casualties 2 O.R. killed, 1 wounded. HQ at RED HOUSE. Weather cold and wet.
The same newspaper report previously quoted (Gloucestershire Echo on Tuesday 20th June 1916), gives us some evidence of how Stephen died.
He joined on about 18 months ago, but had not been at the front a month when he was killed. His comrades in letters to his mother, state that the young soldier was in a firing bay with two others when a shell burst right over them. The two others were killed at once, but Sergt. Wright was alive when help came. He was, however, terribly injured and died on the way to the dressing station.
A tribute published in the Reading Mercury Saturday 22 July 1916 quotes an officer as saying:
All the men had learnt to love and respect him as one of the best sergeants in whom they could put their trust.
Stephen was buried in Grave 28, Row D, Rue du Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard in Laventie. The village of Laventie is 6 kilometres south west of Armentieres. The cemetery was begun by the 1st Royal Irish Rifles in November 1914, and closed in July 1916. It is also known as the Red House Cemetery. Stephen was survived by his mother.
He is commemorated at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire and Spencer’s Wood, Berkshire.
Researcher and Author: Dee Sayers
Sources
For all general Winchester Training College records please see the list of University of Winchester sources at the end of the following Sources list.
Alwyn Ladell photography. (2018). Home page. [online] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/
alwyn_ladell/sets/72157665
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Ancestry (2018). Home page. [online] Available at: www.ancestry.co.uk [Accessed 2018].
Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. (2019). Register | British Newspaper Archive, Gloucestershire Echo Tuesday 20 June 1916. [online] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.
co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19160620/
075/0004 [Accessed 30 Apr. 2019].
Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. (2019). Register | British Newspaper Archive, Reading Mercury Saturday 22 July 1916. [online] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.
co.uk/viewer/bl/0000369/19160722/
080/0002 [Accessed 30 Apr. 2019].
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, (2018). Home page. [online] Available at www.cwgc.org/ [Accessed 2018].
Geograph (2009). TL3708: St Catherine & St Paul, Hoddesdon, Herts – War Memorial. [online] Available at http://www.geograph.org.uk/
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Geograph (2009). TL3709: St Catherine & St Paul, Hoddesdon. [online] Available at http://www.geograph.org.uk/
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Herts at War (2013). Wright, Stephen Reginald. [PDF] Available at http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/
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Kelly’s Directory (1915). Kelly’s Directory of Berkshire 1915 [online] Available at: http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/
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id/218251 [Accessed 2018].
The Long Long Trail, (2018). Welcome to the long long trail. [online] Available at: http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ [Accessed 2018].
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National Union of Teachers. (1920). War Record 1914–1919. A Short Account of Duty and Work Accomplished During the War. London: NUT.
Reading Borough Libraries Berkshire Stories (1917). Berkshire and The War: the ‘Reading Standard’ pictorial record. Volume 2, p.428. [online] Available at: https://www.berkshirestories.org.uk/
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University of Winchester Archive at Hampshire Record Office
All the following documents are general background resources for the WTC Fallen project and provide general period background of students, college life, staff, activities, etc. The Finding Numbers are given to aid archive searches.
47M91W/P2/4 The Wintonian 1899-1900
47M91W/P2/5 The Wintonian 1901-1902
47M91W/P2/6 The Wintonian 1903-1904
47M91W/P2/7 The Wintonian 1904-1906
47M91W/P2/8 The Wintonian 1905-1907
47M91W/P2/10 The Wintonian 1908-1910
47M91W/P2/11 The Wintonian 1910-1914
47M91W/P2/12 The Wintonian 1920-1925
47M91W/D1/2 The Student Register
47M91W/S5/5/10 Photograph of 5 alumni in Mesopotamia
47M91W/Q3/6 A Khaki Diary
47M91W/B1/2 Reports of Training College 1913-1914
47M91W/Q1/5 Report and Balance Sheets 1904- 1949
47M91W/R2/5 History of the Volunteers Company 1910
47M91W/L1/2 College Rules 1920
55M81W/PJ1 Managers’ Minute Book 1876-1903
71M88W/6 List of Prisoners at Kut
All material referenced as 47M91W/ is the copyright of The University of Winchester. Permission to reproduce photographs and other material for this narrative has been agreed by the University and Hampshire Record Office.
- Slough at this time was in Buckinghamshire. The county border changed in 1974 and Slough became part of Berkshire.
- The Rustle of Spring, a song by Joseph Cooper
- Frederic Weatherly wrote the lyrics for Danny Boy
- The 3½ years mentioned in the report must have included the time that Stephen spent in uniform
- South Wales Borderers