Current Information:

Age-25

Gower Street

Born-Horley

Enlisted-Tottenham

Bailleul Communal Cemetery, France

The 16th London (Westminster Rifles) battalion arrived in France in November 1914 and joined 18 Brigade, 6th Division. During December they were manning the trenches around Armentieres in awful weather conditions, spending up to a week in the front line before being relieved. William Wright was killed on 14th December during one of these spells in the front line. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.