Shields Gazette Thursday 04/05/1916

Menin Gate Memorial

South Shields Council Minutes Jan to June 1916

Newcastle Journal Wednesday 03/05/1916

He was born in South Shields on the 6th June 1891, and was the second eldest of three boys, to boilermaker Reuben Benjamin (born in Deptford. London) and Sarah Wright.

They had seven children, the eldest child was born in London, the rest were born in South Shields.

In 1911 they were residing at 118 South Eldon Street. In 1904 Joseph Benjamin had stated his address as 8 Dacre Street, South Shields.

He went to Westoe Secondary School from 1904 to 1909 and left to train to be a teacher.

In 1911 he was staying in a boarding house at 140 Dunsmuir Road as a student training to be a teacher, with his father who now worked for the G.P.O. as a Telegraph clerk, and his sister Josephine Wright age 14, who was described as a Domestic. The rest of the family were residing at 8 Dacre Street, South Shields.

He was a teacher at the Barnes Boy's High School.

Joseph Benjamin Wright was commissioned from the special reserve of officers, as a 2nd Lieutenant, on the 15th August 1914. He had only been in France since January 15th 1916, and had been promoted to Lieutenant in December 1915.

On the 21st April, near a position called 'Dawson's City' near St Julien, the trenches in E24 and E25 were heavily shelled intermittently, and the trenches ceased to exist. It was amongst this shelling that Lieutenant Joseph Benjamin Wright was posted missing, believed killed.

He had been reported missing, but later declared to have died on the 21st April 1916.

The South Shields Council minutes of Jan to June 1916 reported that he was missing believed killed.

He is remembered at Harton on H104.03, at South Shields onS86.027, S86.081, page 3, S86.082 and S86.086, page 16.

For further information on the 2nd DLI The Steel of the DLI J. Sheen, Pen and Sword, 2009, ISBN 9781848841437

South Shields Grammar School
The CWGC entry for Lieutenant Wright