Joseph Wright
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Joseph was the husband of Lily Wright (formerly Daft née Varney). They were married at Nottingham Register Office on 1 December 1917 (O/N/D Nottingham) and lived at 32 Salisbury Street, Radford, Nottingham. Lily was the widow of Arthur Frederick Daft. They were married in 1915 (J/A/S Nottingham) and had a son, Arthur Frederick Daft Varney (later Wright), who was born on 11 December 1914 before their marriage. Her husband served in the 9th Bn Sherwood Foresters (10951) and was killed in action on 26 September 1916. (See record on this role of honour.) Lily was still living at 32 Salisbury Street, Nottingham, in 1939. Also in the household were Lily's widowed mother, Hannah Shephard (b. 26 April 1868, formerly Varney, m. Shephard 1913), and brother, Alfred Varney (b. 26 May 1909, married) and two other people whose records remain closed.
4th Bn South Staffordshire Regiment Joseph Wright joined the Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment) before the war and was serving in India with the 1st Bn in 1911. He attested on 27 February 1918 at the age of 27 years 207 days having previously been discharged from the Sherwood Foresters (21726) on 26 October 1917 as physically unfit. He was mobilised in the Army Service Corps (Mechanical Transport) the same day and joined at Poleworth on 1 March. He was compulsorily transferred to the 3rd Bn Wiltshire Regiment on 6 April 1918 then to the Devonshire Regiment on 1 June 1918. However, the CWGC record gives his unit as the South Staffordshire Regiment. Joseph transferred to Class 'Z' Army Reserve on demobilization, 24 January 1919, having served 332 days. Joseph Wright died on 13 March 1919, six weeks after he was demoblized but still serving in the Army Reserve. He was buried in Nottingham General Cemetery on 18 March.
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Rest in peace. Worthy of remembrance' He is buried in the same grave as 75593 2nd Air Mechanic H Hurt Royal Air Force, aged 20. WW1 Pension Ledgers: Joseph's dependants were named as his widow Lily and Arthur Frederick Daft Varney Wright, Lily's son by her first marriage.
