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SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
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"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"
3/8234 Lance Corporal WRIGHT FREEMAN.
6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.
Died of wounds, aged 42, on the 10th August 1915.
Born at Market Raisen. Enlisted at Richmond, N Yorks.
Husband of Elizabeth Freeman, of 33 Thomas St, New Skelton, N Yorks.
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Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.
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FAMILY:-
1911. Wright, age 37, is living at 46 Cunningham St, Newport, Middlesbrough and working on the Blast Furnaces there.
His Wife, Elizabeth, age 37 was born in Lancashire, no place given. They have had 5 children and 4 are still living:-
Robert, age 10, who was born at Eastgate, Weardale. Florence, 6, Wright, 4 and Lilian Annie, 2, all born in Thornaby on Tees.
A baby, Walter, is listed as Grandson.
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Whether Elizabeth had other children prior to marriage is not known.
Presumably the family moved to Skelton before the start of the First War.
WAR SITUATION:-
The 6th Bn, Yorkshire Regiment were formed at Richmond on the 25th August 1914.
They were attached to 32nd Brigade, part of the 11th (Northern) Division.
It was formed of volunteers, under the care of the War Office.
Initially without equipment or arms of any kind, the recruits were judged to be ready by late Spring 1915, and it was ordered to reinforce the beleagured garrison on Gallipoli.
1 July 1915 : sailed from Liverpool, landing Alexandria, and on to Mudros, completing concentration by 28 July 1915.
Wright's Medal Card show that he first arrived in a theatre of War on the 14th July 1915.
On the 6th August attempts were made to land 2 Divisions at Suvla Bay. The 6th Yorks drove the Ottoman defenders off the small hillock of Lala Baba which overlooked the beach. All but two of the Battalion's officers became casualties, as did one third of the men - 250.
On the 7th the situation was reported as chaotic, with the men desparate for drinking water and under constant shrapnel and sniper fire.
Wright died of wounds on the 10th.
The General commanding was later sacked.
The troops were evacuated in January 1916 with 265,000 allied dead.
MEMORIAL:-
Wright has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, which is one of five Memorials to the Missing for Commonwealth troops who lost their lives in the eight month-long Gallipoli campaign and who have no known grave.
There are 20,837 names commemorated on the memorial, which stands on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula and takes the form of an obelisk over 30 metres high that can be seen by ships passing through the Dardanelles.
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