Gilgandra, NSW
Depot
1st Light Horse
Gilgandra Coo-ee
Discharged
Richard Gilbert Clarence Wrigley
Richard Wrigley was born at Gilgandra in 1893, the youngest of seven children of Thomas and Sarah Wrigley. His father was his next of kin.
He was a single 22 year old horse breaker when he enlisted on November 7, 1915 at Lawson NSW. He was one of eleven recruits who joined the Coo-ee March on that day. Dr Peet had signed the medical examination In Gilgandra on October 26, 1915 and describes Richard as 5’7” and 10 stone (63kgs), fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair, with a faint scar on his right, outer eyebrow and a small depressed scar on the outer angle of his mouth. Richard stated he had 18 months previous service with the 9th Light Horse in Gilgandra and resigned due to leaving the district.
At Liverpool Camp he was assigned to the 1st Light Horse, C Squadron, but was soon in trouble. He was charged in Sydney with being drunk and Absent Without Leave for 4 days. He was again absent without leave for 2 days after Christmas in December 1915. He was fined £1.0.0 and forfeited 2 days pay.
On January 4, 1916 he was transferred from the Liverpool Camp to Milsons Island Camp in the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney. This camp was used as a hospital during WW1. His last pay was December 31, 1916 and he still owed £1.10.0 in fines. On May 19, 1916, he was on the list of deserters and a warrant for Richard was issued.
There is no more information on his service record until the warrant for desertion was withdrawn on January 30, 1919.
Richard married Grace Troon in 1920. According to census records, Richard was a lift driver, living at 70 Albion St Waverley when he died in 1963.