Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas and Mary Wright. He was killed in action at Neuve Eglise.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday April 26th, 1918

LOCAL CASUALTIES

Mrs B. Thirlby, of Ibstock, has received news that her eldest son, Private H. Thirlby, R.A.M.C., has been reported missing since March 21st last. He has been mentioned previously for conspicuous bravery on the field, and received a Card of Honour. Mrs Thirlby is the widow of the late Mr Ben Thirlby, who lost his life at the close of the South African War, being a soldier who went through that campaign.

Mr T. Wright, schoolmaster, Ibstock, has received the distressing news from his youngest son that the eldest son, Pte. William Wright, R.A.M.C. has fallen in the recent fighting. Also, that a cousin, Pte. William Henson, K.R.R. of Ibstock, is missing. Much sympathy is felt for the parents of these two boys, as they were very promising sons, and both were amongst the early volunteers from Ibstock, and both were cousins of Pte. B. Thirlby mentioned above.

Coalville Times article - Friday May 3rd, 1918

LOCAL CASUALTIES

Rifleman William Thirlby Wright, aged 29, eldest son of Mr Thomas Wright, assistant schoolmaster of Ibstock National School, was killed in action on April 12th. He joined the army in September 1914, was drafted out to France in January 1915 with a contingent of the R.A.M.C. he having medical qualifications which especially fitted him for that work. He joined the 16th K.R.R. in February 1916 as a rifleman, and was severely wounded in the capture of High Wood. On his recovery he was again sent out and placed in sole charge of the stretcher-bearers of his company, and was subsequently mentioned in despatches in May, 1917 for heroic work in rescuing wounded under exceptional heavy gun fire, and received a congratulatory card from his divisional commander. He had just bandaged up a wounded comrade and was in the act of placing him on a stretcher when he was shot through the heart. His brother, who was killed in action on November 7th, 1916 on the Somme, was also a stetcher-bearer in the same battalion, and was shot by a German sniper whilst attending to wounded. A younger brother is a sergeant in the same battalion.

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby 11/2/2018