Charles Edward Wright

Initially enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment before being transferred to the Worcestershire Regiment.
Worcestershireregiment.com
The 7th Bn sailed on the "Amsterdam" from Southampton on the 14th January 1940 and disembarked at Le Harve on the 16th in a heavy snow storm. Initially deployed to the Belgian front they were stationed at Le Forest, a small mining village and at least there they had a plentiful supply of coal to combat the intense cold, but still many men became sick with colds and coughs.
They were part of the 5th Brigade along with the 2nd Dorsets and 2nd Cameron Highlanders. Throughout February and March they were involved in training as they were a Territorial battalion not regular army and many of their officers were inexperienced aswell. On the 10th May the German forces invaded the Low Countries and the phoney war ended.
On the night of 11th/12th of May the battalion was moved up to Le Hupel and Genval, south of Brussels. By the 14th the area was swamped by refugees trying to escape from the German advance. On the 17th May the 7th bn were ordered to withdraw and they blew the bridge at Le Hupel and took cover in the Forest De Soignies. For the next 10 days they, like the rest of the B.E.F withdrew back towards Dunkirk in confusion and underfire.
On the 20th May they were making across country to avoid the roads which were choked with refugees when they came under shell fire. 2 Officers and 31 other ranks were either killed or wounded on this day. By the 25th they were trying to hold the banks of the Le Bassee Canal but they were under intense pressure and were outflanked and infiltrated. On the morning of the 26th "C" Company was completely surrounded and on the 27th the battalion was ordered to break off the engagement and make for Dunkirk . The remaining men reached Dunkirk on the 30th and the last survivor left Dunkirk on the 31st.

176 men fron the Worcestershire Regiment died during the Battle of France (10/5-31/5/1940) and of these 73 were from the 7th battalion. On the 26th of May alone they lost 16 men including Charles and another Mansfield man, William Henry Gasson.

During the retreat they had to abandon or destroy equipment and supplies including the regimental drums on the initial retreat from Le Hupel/Genval. A local man, Monsieur Gaston Debuchy of Ennevilin saved them and kept them hidden, at great risk to himself, and was able to return them to the regiment after the war.