This article is derived from a study I made for a private client in 2020. It concerns the unusual international life and military service of Wright Thomas Squire.
Wright was born at Ascension Island on 30 September 1887. His father was Mountjoy Squire, then a Lieutenant of the Royal Navy and this was presumably the main factor in Wright living a somewhat international life. His grandfather had been a Captain of the 2nd Life Guards. The family lived in Liverpool and Yemen before going to Japan by 1886. Wright was educated at the Victoria Public School in Yokohama, and later employed as a surveyor. He relocated to Canada in 1903 and married there in the next year. When in 1916 he applied for a commission as an officer, his references were provided by a Charles Sangar, a London stockbroker who said he had known Wright all his life, and John A. Warren MA, late of the High School at Meerut in India (and possibly Yokohama before that). Wright’s wife Margaret, whom he had married in 1904, was said to have a private address at Sheen Craft Flat, Hampstead Heath in London, England.
(1) with the South African Constabulary in the Boer War
The database of records of service with the South African Constabulary show that Wright enlisted in Ottawa on 3 May 1901 and ended his service by purchase (that is, he paid to end his engagement earlier than the three years had had agreed) on 17 November 1902. The details given are not extensive but reveal that he gave his private address as Yokohama in Japan but that he returned to Canada at the end of his service; that he spoke English and French; and that he could ride, shoot and swim well. He had no previous military experience.
The entries in the roll of the Queen’s South Africa Medal show that Wright served as Trooper A/1782 of “A” Section of the South African Constabulary. His medal was issued with the “Cape Colony”, “Orange Free State”, “Transvaal”, “SA 1901” and “SA 1902” clasps. The medal was a standard award for service during the Second Boer War, which lasted from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902 and was a conflict between forces of the British Crown and those of the Boer republics of Orange Free State and Transvaal. The combination of the clasps suggests that Wright was moved around over a wide area and during an extended period of time. The same combination appears against many men’s names in the roll so does not provide terribly specific information about Wright’s service.
There are few operational records that would help explain what Wright actually did during his service. [For anyone else studying this subject, an article written in 2017, “‘Poor South Africa! Will No Nice English People Ever Come Out Here?’ The South African Constabulary of the Anglo-Boer War” by Johan Fourie, Albert Grundlingh & Martine Mariotti, provides helpful information.]
(2) in the ranks in the Great War
Enlistment and training
On 29 October 1915 Wright attested for military service in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.
He said that he had been born at Ascension Island on 30 September 1887 and so was aged 28 (this, of course, was false and made him out to be ten years younger than he really was). He had the occupation of farmer and was at present serving with the 102nd Rocky Mountain Rangers, a Kamloops unit of the Militia. He mentioned his service the South African Constabulary. Wright said he was willing to be enlisted for service with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force (CEF) for the duration of the war.
He was given the rank and number of Private 443137 and taken onto the strength of “B” Company of the 54th (Kootenay) Battalion of the CEF, which was located at Vernon, BC.
The battalion sailed for England, leaving from Halifax, Nova Scotia and arrived at Plymouth on 1 December 1915. It proceeded to Bramshott in Hampshire to continue its training.
On 16 April 1916 Wright signed an application for a commission as an officer. This required him to provide more personal details; obtain signatures of two references; undergo an interview by a senior officer; obtain the approval of his own unit commanding officer and pass a medical examination.
To France
Wright moved to France as part of a reinforcement draft on 18 June 1916. The draft sailed from Southampton to Le Havre on the ship “Saxonia” and proceeded to the Canadian Base Depot, situated within Number 3 General Base Depot just outside the port.
On 21 June 1916 Wright joined the 2nd (Eastern Ontario) Battalion CEF. The battalion came under command of 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade of 1st Canadian Division and was situated in the Ypres area at the time.
On 24 July 1916 Wright was admitted to 3rd Canadian General Hospital (McGill) at Dannes-Camiers after sustaining a wound to his left buttock. It was evidently not serious. He had been evacuated through 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance at Vlamertinge mill and 17 Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Siding, Lijssenthoek. After five days in hospital he was discharged to number 1 Convalescent Depot camp at Boulogne, and on 10 August 1916 he arrived back at the Canadian Base Depot at Le Havre, ready to be posted to a unit in the field. Within a few days, though, suffering from influenza, Wright was admitted to number 7 Canadian Stationary Hospital at Camp 19, Lezarde Valley, Le Havre.
It was not until 18 October 1916 that Wright rejoined his battalion in the field, having been reclassified into the “A” medical category five days before.
On 13 December 1916 Wright returned to England to proceed to the Canadian Training Division at Shorncliffe near Folkestone in Kent. His application for a commission had been approved and he was to await orders to join an Officer Cadet Unit.
(3) commissioned as an officer
Wright was ordered to report to the Number 1 Officer Cadet School at St. John’s Wood in London on 23 January 1917 but for some reason he failed to do so until 7 February. However, on a date now unknown, Wright moved on to 2 Officer Cadet School at Maresfield Park in East Sussex. This school trained officers for the Royal Garrison Artillery.
On 16 May 1917 the officer commanding 2 Officer Cadet School suggested that Wright, at 40 years of age, was finding the school too hard and recommended a transfer to the number 4 Officer Cadet School at Weymouth in Dorset. It trained officers for the RGA’s coastal batteries.
Finally, having passed the training, on 31 October 1917 Wright was struck off the strength of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and discharged from his engagement in order to take up his commission as an officer. Next day he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of the Special Reserve of Officers of the Royal Garrison Artillery. His movements for the next few months are not clear.
On 16 May 1918 Wright left Southampton with a reinforcement draft for France and landed next day at Le Havre. He was posted to join 78th Siege Battery RGA, a unit of six 8-inch howitzers and was under command of 88th Brigade RGA, not far from Arras.
Killed in action 30 June 1918
Wright was killed in action on 30 June 1918 – almost certainly by enemy shellfire – and buried soon afterwards. His unit’s war diary mentions Wright by name.
It appears that Wright was buried in Wailly Orchard Cemetery soon after his death. His grave location is now known as Plot III, row G, grave 1.
When Wright arrived, the general situation in France had quietened down after a series of very large scale German offensives during the spring, but the atmosphere was tense with more expected. Under command of VI Corps, 88th Brigade RGA was frequently engaged against enemy targets but also came under retaliatory fiore with high explosive and poison gas shells. The large weapons with which it was equipped were not frequently moved unless a position was especially at risk of destruction.
The war diary of 88th Brigade RGA s descriptive but rarely gives precise details of gun positions: Wright was said to be at his battery’s rear position when he was killed. The diary of the Commander Heavy Artillery of VI Corps, under whose command it came at the time , does however give excellent details. Four of the howitzers were at grid reference M.33.c.0.7 and two (actually under tactical command of 66th Brigade RGA at the time) were at R.18.a.40.85. These locations are illustrated below. It is my assumption that Wright Thomas Squire was with the two howitzers, based on the “rear position” comment.
Using the Linesman system, I have used red flags to mark the two positions given in the VI Corps diary. Unfortunately they straddle two British grid maps, so the more forward position (bottom right) is off to the side of this image. The trenches shown (British in blue and German in red) date to an earlier period. By 30 June 1918 all of this area was in British hands. Note that the two howitzers at R.18.a.40.85 were on the road running north-eastwards from Wailly.
Wright Thomas Squire left a wife and two children, Francis and Violet.
Links
Wailly Orchard Cemetery (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)