WRIGHT, Ronald Rothsay
| Service Number: | 4459 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 January 1915, Port Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Boy, 1st Class |
| Last Unit: | HMAS Sydney (I) - WW1 |
| Born: | Peterhead, South Australia, 2 June 1900 |
| Home Town: | Millicent, Wattle Range, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Navy Seaman |
| Died: | Accidental (fractured skull), North Sea, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean, France, 22 December 1916, aged 16 years |
| Cemetery: |
Queensferry Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland Grave: 651, Scotland (contains 180 WW1 burials, mostly naval) , |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Crib Point RAN WW1 Roll of Honour (Panel 2), Millicent War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Jan 1915: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Port Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 1916: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Boy, 1st Class, 4459, HMAS Sydney (I) - WW1 | |
| 21 Dec 1916: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, 4459, HMAS Sydney (I) - WW1, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4459 awm_unit: HMAS Sydney awm_rank: Boy 1st Class awm_died_date: 1916-12-21 |
The name of Boy First Class Wright
There are several difficulties in understanding Boy First Class Wright's real name. He was commonly known as Ronald Rothsay Wright, but his name listed on the memorial at Millicent, South Australia, is given as R R W Wright. Also different, however, is his name on his grave in Scotland which was put just as Ronald Wright.
Submitted 24 October 2013 by Nathan Rohrlach
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK
Died on this date - 21st December.......Ronald Rothsay Wright was born at Peterhead, South Australia on 2nd June, 1900. He joined the Royal Australian Navy on 25th January, 1915, aged 14 years. He had signed up for a period of 7 years when he turned 18 on 2nd June, 1918.
Ronald Rothsay Wright joined H M.A.S. Tingira (Training Ship) on 25th January, 1915 as Boy 2nd Class. He was promoted to Boy 1st Class on 22nd October, 1915.
Boy 1st Class Ronald Rothsay Wright was transferred to H.M.A.S. Cerberus on 7th November, 1915 then transferred to H.M.A.S. Sydney on 14th January, 1916.
Boy 1st Class Ronald Rothsay Wright died on 21st December, 1916 from an accidental fractured skull, injuries sustained while in heavy seas off the coast of Norway in the North Sea/Atlantic Ocean. He was buried in Queensferry Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland where 11 other WW1 Australians are buried.
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/-queensferry.html
Biography
Born on the 2nd June 1900 at Peterhead, South Australia, to Joseph Gibbon Wright and Charlotte Maria Wright (nee Hall.) On the 25th of January 1915 he enlisted, at the time he was 14 years old. He served on HMAS Sydney from the 14th of January 1916. On the 21st of December 1916 while in the North Sea just off the coast of Norway, he was killed due to a heavy storm. It is understood that during the storm Boy First Class Wright hit his head fracturing the skull. As a result of his wounds he died on the same day. He was 16 years old and is now buried at Dalmeny and South Queensferry Cemetery, Scotland.
"THE LATE SEAMAN R. R. WRIGHT.
Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Wright, of Millicent, have been notified by the Navy Office that their son, Boy, First-class, Ronald R. Wright, has died from an injury sustained aboardship in a heavy sea. The deceased was born at Peterhead in 1900. He lived with his family at Millicent for 15 months, and then joined the Tingira. In November, 1915, he left for London, and then joined a battle cruiser. He was a grand-son of the late Rev. J. G. Wright, a pioneer Methodist minister." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 13 Jan 1917 (nla.gov.au)
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