Rfn
Percy Charles Wright
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1885 |
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Place of birth: King's Lynn, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Labourer |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Rifleman |
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Service number: R/31643 |
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Enlistment place: Woolwich, Kent, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — King’s Royal Rifle Corps 17th Bn. (British Empire League) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: 20.V.28.a.10.70, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 32 |
Cemetery
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Poelcapelle British Cemetery Plot: XVI Row: C Grave: 17 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Percy Charles Wright, a laborer from King's Lynn, Norfolk, served in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps 17th Battalion (British Empire League), which was assigned, at the time of the Third Battle of Ypres, to the 117th Brigade, part of the 39th Division.
The 39th Division participated in the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres, The Battle of Pilckem Ridge, on the 31st of July. The Division attacked at zero hour, 3.50 a.m. with two Brigades and one Brigade in support. Eight tanks gave assistance during the attack. The 117th Brigade was on the left; and was carried by the King’s Royal Rifle Corps 17th Battalion on the left, the 16th Sherwood Foresters on the right and the 17th Sherwood Foresters in support.
At 3.50 a.m. all hell broke loose, as the British artillery put down a heavy barrage, which creeped forward every six minutes. At 3.56 a.m. the attacking Battalions left their jump off line and moved forward under cover of the barrage.
The first objective of the KRRC 17th Battalion was the German front line, dubbed the Blue Line. This front line system was captured in conjunction with the 16th Sherwood Foresters. The trench had been torn apart by the British artillery and most Germans had left the trench before the British attacked, those who remained in the trench quickly surrendered. While the leading wave of “A” and “B” Companies captured and held the left of the front line, one platoon of “A” Company captured Canadian Farm. Once these objectives were in British hands, the second waves of “A” and “B” Company moved through towards the German close support lines of the trench system. This so called Red Line was taken relatively easily. After which a third and fourth wave of “C” and “D” Companies captured the rest of the support lines. Civilization Farm was the Battalion’s last objective, also known as the White Line. It was rushed and taken by a platoon of “C” Company.
By 4.20 a.m. the leading Battalions had overrun the whole German front line system. Consolidation of the gains started, as the 118th Brigade went through to take the Division’s final objective, the crossing over the Steenbeek stream. The going for the 118th Brigade was much harder. Almost all forward positions and trench systems, had been abandoned by the German defenders in the days before the offensive. The Germans suspected a large offensive and had withdrawn to a series of better defensible lines, which consisted of interconnected pill-boxes, bunkers and dug-outs. Some pill-boxes were dealt with and the Brigade made it as far as Von Tirpitz Farm, but owing to German counterattacks, heavy losses, and having lost touch with the 55th Division on their right flank, the 118th Brigade was forced to give up some ground they had gained. The 118th had suffered severe casualties and the Brigade were withdrawn to the Divisional Reserve. Consequently the final consolidation line, near the village of St. Julien, was to be held by the 116th and 117th Brigades.
Rifleman Percy Charles Wright became a casualty during the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres on the 31st of July 1917, known as the Battle of Pilckem Ridge. His remains were exhumed, Southeast of Poelcapelle, about 2.3 miles behind Percy’s Battalion’s final consolidation line. He had been buried at a place called Sourd Farm alongside other British soldiers.
Percy Charles Wright was reburied at Poelcapelle British Cemetery.
The 39th Division participated in the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres, The Battle of Pilckem Ridge, on the 31st of July. The Division attacked at zero hour, 3.50 a.m. with two Brigades and one Brigade in support. Eight tanks gave assistance during the attack. The 117th Brigade was on the left; and was carried by the King’s Royal Rifle Corps 17th Battalion on the left, the 16th Sherwood Foresters on the right and the 17th Sherwood Foresters in support.
At 3.50 a.m. all hell broke loose, as the British artillery put down a heavy barrage, which creeped forward every six minutes. At 3.56 a.m. the attacking Battalions left their jump off line and moved forward under cover of the barrage.
The first objective of the KRRC 17th Battalion was the German front line, dubbed the Blue Line. This front line system was captured in conjunction with the 16th Sherwood Foresters. The trench had been torn apart by the British artillery and most Germans had left the trench before the British attacked, those who remained in the trench quickly surrendered. While the leading wave of “A” and “B” Companies captured and held the left of the front line, one platoon of “A” Company captured Canadian Farm. Once these objectives were in British hands, the second waves of “A” and “B” Company moved through towards the German close support lines of the trench system. This so called Red Line was taken relatively easily. After which a third and fourth wave of “C” and “D” Companies captured the rest of the support lines. Civilization Farm was the Battalion’s last objective, also known as the White Line. It was rushed and taken by a platoon of “C” Company.
By 4.20 a.m. the leading Battalions had overrun the whole German front line system. Consolidation of the gains started, as the 118th Brigade went through to take the Division’s final objective, the crossing over the Steenbeek stream. The going for the 118th Brigade was much harder. Almost all forward positions and trench systems, had been abandoned by the German defenders in the days before the offensive. The Germans suspected a large offensive and had withdrawn to a series of better defensible lines, which consisted of interconnected pill-boxes, bunkers and dug-outs. Some pill-boxes were dealt with and the Brigade made it as far as Von Tirpitz Farm, but owing to German counterattacks, heavy losses, and having lost touch with the 55th Division on their right flank, the 118th Brigade was forced to give up some ground they had gained. The 118th had suffered severe casualties and the Brigade were withdrawn to the Divisional Reserve. Consequently the final consolidation line, near the village of St. Julien, was to be held by the 116th and 117th Brigades.
Rifleman Percy Charles Wright became a casualty during the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres on the 31st of July 1917, known as the Battle of Pilckem Ridge. His remains were exhumed, Southeast of Poelcapelle, about 2.3 miles behind Percy’s Battalion’s final consolidation line. He had been buried at a place called Sourd Farm alongside other British soldiers.
Percy Charles Wright was reburied at Poelcapelle British Cemetery.
Connection to other soldiers 1
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Percy Rodwell Wright
Nephew |
Sources 4
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17 Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2586/2 ). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
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Hare S., The Annals of the King's Royal Rifle Corps Volume V. The Great War, (Uckfield, The Naval & Military Press, 2009), pg. 223-225. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 26-27. Sources used |
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Murray M., The King's Royal Rifle Corps Chronicle 1917, ( Richmond, Military Books, 1920), pg. 198-201. Sources used |
More information 2
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/492334 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=7ac4bed2-03af-479e-b3f3-b141ccb22d0a |