Wrightson, Roy
No.2853 – Private Roy (Nugget) Wrightson – 11th Battalion AIF
The Wrightson’s were a well known family in Fremantle in the early 1900’s. Robert and Harriet Wrightson had several children through the 1880’s and 1890’s. Harriet was born in 1880; Alfred in 1882; Ada in 1884; Arthur Harry in 1886; Mary in 1887; Sydney in 1889; Roy James in 1891; and Florence and Hilda in 1893.
The family lived in East Street East Fremantle and Arthur was educated at Christian Brothers College Fremantle. The Wrightson boys were also good sportsmen and played Australian Rules for East Fremantle Football Club in the Western Australian Football League. Arthur (Cook) Wrightson played 88 games from 1908 to 1913 and Roy (Nugget) Wrightson played 70 games from 1910-1915. Sydney played for the North Fremantle Football Club.
After leaving school Arthur secured work in a Hardware store and in 1913 he married Dulcie Martin in Fremantle in 1913. For a time they moved to Leederville but in 1915 they moved to Wood Street South Fremantle. Roy, who was five years younger than his brother was educated at the Fremantle State School and also served in the local cadets of the Citizen’s Military Forces. After leaving school Roy took up employment in the Fremantle region as a labourer.
Three of the Wrightson boys would enlist in the AIF in the Great War, Roy being the first and was followed by Arthur and Sydney. On the 28th June 1915 Roy went to the Francis Street Drill Hall in Perth to enlist in the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service for the AIF with the medical examiner finding that Roy was 5 feet 11 inches tall; weight of 190lbs; chest measurement of 41-44 inches; fresh complexion; hazel eyes and fair hair. His religious denomination was Wesleyan and his next of kin was listed as his mother Harriet.
Upon his successful enlistment Roy was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 9th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next few months as he learnt the basics of soldiering. Towards the end of September 1915 his group received their departure orders and after packing up camp the men entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they went aboard the HMAT Hororata. On the 1st October 1915; this ship left port and sailed for Egypt, arriving there just over three weeks later.
After being disembarked Roy and his group were sent into the 3rd Training battalion. They would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli however in November it was decided that the Dardanelles battlefields would be evacuated and so all reinforcements would remain in Egypt. Roy remained in the training unit until the end of the year and when the 11th Battalion returned to Alexandria after New Year their complement of numbers was brought back to full strength.
On the 7th January 1916 Roy was taken on strength of “B” Company of the 11th Battalion AIF. For the next two and a half months the 11th Battalion trained hard in the Egyptian desert as well as holding portions of the Suez Canal defence line. On the 29th March 1916 the 11th Battalion boarded the HMT Corsican in Alexandria and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 5th April 1916. After being disembarked the men were marched through the city to the railway station where they boarded trains which took them to Northern France.
The train journey took the men to the Armentieres region where they were initially billeted. However they soon went to the front line near Fleurbaix/Bois Greiner where they had their first taste of trench life on the Western Front. For the next few months they remained in this sector as the men became accustomed to their duties such as being on carrying parties to the front line, trench building, fatigue duties and patrolling No Man’s Land.
Much of their first few months were quiet however this changed on May 30th 1916 when the Germans launched a raid on the 11th Battalion trenches. A heavy bombardment fell on the trenches, killing many in the front line, after which the Germans raided and took more men prisoner. The 11th Battalion had organised a counter attack but by the time they arrived at the trench the Germans had left. Casualties were heavy for the 11th Battalion and unfortunately Roy “Nugget” Wrightson was among those killed.
The soldiers that had been killed were taken back to Rue Petillon Military Cemetery and buried next to each other in a service conducted by the Reverend Douglas of the 12th Battalion AIF. Roy was laid to rest in plot I.H.40.