Corporal Hubert John Bright


Service Army Service No. 25800
Rank Corporal
Regiment:Machine Gun Corps, Infantry Battalion
Date of Birth: 01/01/1897
Born Holcombe
Date of Death: 17/04/1917
Memorial: Not Listed Memorial Inscription

Service History

Hubert John Bright is on record as enlisting at Walworth, South London, and his initial posting was to the Rifle Brigade, service number Z/502. At some point he transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, Infantry battalion, service number 25800.

He entered France on the 11th January 1915.

The 17th Machine Gun Company was part of the 17th Brigade and formed part of the 24th Division. It fought in the Battle of Arras.

The British effort was a relatively broad frontal assault between Vimy in the north-west and Bullecourt in the south-east.

When the battle officially ended on 16 May, British Empire troops had made significant advances but had been unable to achieve a breakthrough.

The Arras Memorial is in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, which is in the Boulevard du General de Gaulle in the western part of the town of Arras. The cemetery is near the Citadel, approximately 2 kms due west of the railway station.

Hubert John Bright was awarded the 1915 Star, the British medal and the Victory Medal.

A Death grant of £7. 3s. 4d and a War Gratuity of £13. 0s. 0d were paid to his father Frederick.

Association with Dawlish

At first sight Hubert John Bright has no clear connection to Dawlish for his parents moved from home to home wherever there was work. Frederick Bright married Charlotte Jarman(1874-1946) of Holcombe in the Oct-Dec Quarter of 1896. Hubert was one of twin boys born in Holcombe on 1st January 1897. Frederick and Charlotte are presumed to have roamed across East Devon as the recorded places of birth of their further children show. By 1911 they were living at “Burrows”, Clayhidon, Wellington, Somerset.  see detail in the document below.

Devon Roll of Honour
Additional Information Commonwealth War Graves Site


Next of Kin: Father, Frederick Bright
Last Known Address: Queen Street, Honiton


Machine gun crew on the Somme, 1916 (The Long, Long trail website)

Arras War Memorial (CWGC website image)

War memorial at Holcombe, St George's church

Machine gun Corps badge

Free Birth Marriage Death records

Holcombe Village records

The Long, Long trail website history of Machine Gun Corps

Via subscription website, Ancestry:

UK, Army Register of Soldiers' Effects

Census data

Medal Rolls Index Cards

Roberts Family Tree – via Ancestry