Charles Edwin Wright was born in 1882 at Kirkby Overblow, one of eleven children born to Walter and Emma Wright. The 1911 Census records Charles as a 28-year-old working on the family farm of High Snape, Kirkby Overblow and living with his parents and three sisters.
Charles enlisted into the Army in or around September 1914 and first saw service overseas with the 1st Yorkshire Hussars. He had been transferred to the 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment before being invalided Home suffering with tonsilitis, for which he was treated at the County Of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury from 28th October 1916 to 30th December 1916. Following recovery and a furlough, Charles was posted back to France to join 7th Yorkshire and later 5th Yorkshire.
On 12th April 1917, 5th Yorkshire marched to the caves at Arras in readiness to join the British offensive which had started three days earlier. The battalion remained in the caves until it moved out to occupy the previously-captured German front line north of Beaurains from 15th to 18th April. A further forward movement led to the battalion taking up positions east of Neuville-Vitasse in Nepal Trench, approximately 51B.M.21.b.5.0 to 51B.N.22.a.5.7, where it remained until 22nd April [trench map coordinates can be located on a modern map using the excellent tmapper resource]. The battalion's actions on 23rd April are related in its war diary:
Offensive operations in N.24 and O.19 (Sheet 51B) [east of Wancourt and south of Guémappe]. At 4.45am the battalion moved up in support to the 4th East Yorkshire Regiment who were attacking. Reinforcements were supplied during the advance, and the whole battalion was brought up to meet the counter attack, which had succeeded in forcing back our troops to their original front line. Here the battalion held the line until 6pm when a second attack was launched, in conjunction with two battalions of the 151st Brigade. This attack was successful and the line gained was held all night. Casualties: 3 officers and 15 other ranks killed, 5 officers and 118 other ranks wounded, 2 officers and 55 other ranks missing, 1 other rank died of wounds.
Among those reported as missing on 23rd April 1917 was Charles Edwin Wright. His body was never identified and he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.