Cecil John Wright (1891-1918)
Windy Nook machinist served as a seaman in the Royal Navy and was lost when HMS Louvain was sunk
Cecil John Wright was born in Windy Nook in 1891. His father was machinist Francis Wright (1868), from Newbrough, Cumberland. His mother was Savelia Wright nee Jacopi (1865-1916), who was originally from Darlington. His parents married around 1888 and the 1911 census records that during their marriage 11 children had been born, of whom eight were surviving. Of the survivors, Cecil had six brothers and one sister. In 1901 the Wright family lived in Sandmill Row, Windy Nook. By 1911 they had moved to 3 Nursery Cottages, Windy Nook. Cecil was working as a putter in a coal mine in 1911.
Cecil joined the Royal Navy on 17 July 1917 to serve for the duration of hostilities. He had been working as a machinist just before he joined. He was initially rated as an ordinary seaman with the service number J73774. In January 1918 Cecil was onboard HMS Louvain. This was originally the steamship SS Dresden in peacetime when it operated as a passenger and goods ferry between Harwich, England and Antwerp, Belgium. It was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1915 when it was renamed HMS Louvain.
HMS Louvain was based in the Aegean Sea and carried troops and supplies between the various Allied bases in the region. She left Malta on 15 January 1918 headed for Mudros, Lemnos, Greece. She was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine on 20 January 1918. A total of 224 people were lost in the sinking. Of the casualties 24 were part of Louvain’s crew the remainder were passengers. Many of them were naval ratings on their way to take up postings with other ships.
Cecil’s body was not recovered for burial and he was honoured on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. He was remembered in his home town on two memorials at St Aidan’s Church, Windy Nook. He was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service in World War One.
Civil Parish: Heworth
Birth date: 1891
Death date: 20-Jan-1918
Armed force/civilian: Navy
Residence: Sandmill Row, Windy Nook (1901 census)
3 Nursery Cottages, Windy Nook (1911 census)
Employment: Coal miner (1911 census)
Machinist (1917 service record)
Family: Parents: Francis Wright (1868), Savelia Wright nee Jacopi (1865-1916)
Siblings: Charles Douglas Wright (1889), Thomas Wright (1893), William Wright (1895), Savelia Wright (1897), Francis Wright (1898), Henry Wright (1900), Norman Wright (1902)
Military service:
J73774
Royal Navy
Ordinary seaman
Medal(s): Victory Medal
British War Medal
Memorial(s): Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Organ and Roll of Honour 1914-18, St Alban’s Church, Windy Nook
Plaque 1914-18, St Alban’s Church, Windy Nook
Gender: Male
Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham
