Born on 3 October 1895 in Ormstown, Quebec - son of Reverend T.H. and Lillian Wright, Jubilee, British Columbia - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as McGill student; single; no current military service; previously served with the 11th Regiment Irish Fusiliers of Canada (one month); Methodist; height of 6 feet 0 inches; chest of 37.5 inches fully expanded; medium complexion; blue eyes; dark hair.
Attended public schools at Sidney, British Columbia, and Nicola, British Columbia, Kamloops High School and King Edward High School, in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Columbia College in New Westminster, British Columbia - attended McGill College, British Columbia, in the faculty of Science from 1912 to 1914.
Joined the 38th Battalion, CEF, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 24 March 1915 (number 411061) - promoted to corporal at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, in 1915 - departed for England in May 1915 - transferred to Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, CEF, on 17 July 1915 - wounded at Sanctuary Wood, Belgium, on 3 or 7 June 1916 - attended military school in England - rejoined the PPCLI on 25 April 1917 as a lieutenant - died near Amiens, France, on 12 August 1918 of wounds received that day - "His battalion was held in front of Parvilliers where a frontal attack was impossible and it was during a flank attack that he was wounded by a rifle bullet. He died before reaching the dressing-station, was buried at La Follie, but was later re-interred in the British Cemetery at Bouchoir." - buried in Bouchoir New British Cemetery (grave II.B.65), France
(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force; Commonwealth War Graves Commission, "Debt of Honour" register, www.cwgc.org; anonymous, Record of Service 1914-1918: University of British Columbia, McGill British Columbia, Vancouver College (Vancouver: Lionel Ward & Company, Ltd., 1924), p.142)
Attended public schools at Sidney, British Columbia, and Nicola, British Columbia, Kamloops High School and King Edward High School, in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Columbia College in New Westminster, British Columbia - attended McGill College, British Columbia, in the faculty of Science from 1912 to 1914.
Joined the 38th Battalion, CEF, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 24 March 1915 (number 411061) - promoted to corporal at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, in 1915 - departed for England in May 1915 - transferred to Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, CEF, on 17 July 1915 - wounded at Sanctuary Wood, Belgium, on 3 or 7 June 1916 - attended military school in England - rejoined the PPCLI on 25 April 1917 as a lieutenant - died near Amiens, France, on 12 August 1918 of wounds received that day - "His battalion was held in front of Parvilliers where a frontal attack was impossible and it was during a flank attack that he was wounded by a rifle bullet. He died before reaching the dressing-station, was buried at La Follie, but was later re-interred in the British Cemetery at Bouchoir." - buried in Bouchoir New British Cemetery (grave II.B.65), France
(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force; Commonwealth War Graves Commission, "Debt of Honour" register, www.cwgc.org; anonymous, Record of Service 1914-1918: University of British Columbia, McGill British Columbia, Vancouver College (Vancouver: Lionel Ward & Company, Ltd., 1924), p.142)
1 comment:
Albert Weir, a teacher from Saskatchewan, served in Lt David Wright's platoon in late 1917 and Lt Wright censored many of his letters. After Lt Wright's death near Parvillers Albert wrote of him;
"To know such a man, mother, helps one get away from one's narrow standards of virtue. He was many things that command respect, enlist sympathy, call out esteem - strong, self-reliant, competent, kindly, genial, self-controlled, sociable, just. And modest. A real loss. Poor boy. He had worked his way up to his position of manager in a B.C. canning factory - he told me about it as we marched through Ypres last November.
God rest his soul - those puttee-covered legs lightly crossed in Death on the stretcher - oh war!"
Yours differently, I hope half as nobly,
Bert
Lance Cpl Albert Weir, then Hdqts Co MG Section, PPCLI.
Posted in remembrance and with grateful thanks by one of Albert's grandsons.
Post a Comment